Jesaja 30:1

1 Wee den kinderen, die afvallen, spreekt de HEERE, om een raadslag te maken, maar niet uit Mij, en om zich met een bedekking te bedekken, maar niet uit Mijn Geest, om zonde tot zonde te doen;

Jesaja 30:1 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 30:1

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord
The Jews, who were, by national adoption, and by outward profession of religion, the "children" of God, but were apostates from him, had turned their backs upon him, deviated from his law, and departed from his worship and ordinances; and therefore a woe is pronounced against them, or they are called upon to consider of their evil ways, and return, that iniquity might not be their ruin: that take counsel, but not of me;
they met and consulted together about their safety, when in danger, but did not ask counsel of the Lord; they did not consult his word, nor his prophets, nor by Urim and Thummim, as in case of war they should more especially: and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit;
they sought for a cover, a shelter, a protection from the enemy, but not from the Spirit of the Lord, in his word and prophets, who would have directed them to a more suitable and sufficient one. Kimchi understands this of their covert and secret counsels, which they laid deep, as they fancied, and sought to hide. The Targum of the former clause and this is,

``that take counsel, but not of my word; that consult a consultation, but do not ask of my prophets:''

that they may add sin to sin;
the sins of consulting others, and of putting confidence in a creature, to their other sins of rebellion and apostasy: so wicked men, who are enemies in their minds, by wicked works, to God, and commit acts of hostility against him, and are in danger thereby of eternal ruin, do not consult the word and ministers of the Gospel, but flesh and blood, carnal sense and reason, and seek to cover themselves with the rags of their own righteousness, and not with the robe of Christ's righteousness, and garments of salvation, which the Spirit of God reveals and brings near; and so to their other sins they add that of trusting to their own righteousness, and not submitting to Christ's.

Jesaja 30:1 In-Context

1 Wee den kinderen, die afvallen, spreekt de HEERE, om een raadslag te maken, maar niet uit Mij, en om zich met een bedekking te bedekken, maar niet uit Mijn Geest, om zonde tot zonde te doen;

2 Die gaan, om af te trekken in Egypte, en vragen Mijn mond niet; om zich te sterken met de macht van Farao, en om hun toevlucht te nemen onder de schaduw van Egypte.

3 Want de sterkte van Farao zal ulieden tot schaamte zijn, en die toevlucht onder de schaduw van Egypte tot schande.

4 Wanneer zijn vorsten zullen geweest zijn tot Zoan, en zijn gezanten zullen gekomen zijn tot nabij Chanes;

5 Hij zal hen allen beschaamd maken door een volk, dat hun geen nut kan doen, noch tot hulp, noch tot voordeel, maar tot schande en ook tot smaadheid zijn zal.