Isaiah 5:18

18 vae qui trahitis iniquitatem in funiculis vanitatis et quasi vinculum plaustri peccatum

Isaiah 5:18 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 5:18

Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity,
&c.] The prophet returns to the wicked again, and goes on with the account of their sin and punishment; and here describes such, not that are drawn into sin unawares, through the prevalence of their own hearts' lusts and corruptions, through the temptations of Satan, the snares of the world, or the persuasions of others; but such who draw it to themselves, seek after it, and willingly commit it; who rush and force themselves into it; who solicit it, and seek and take all occasions and opportunities of doing it; and take a great deal of pains about it; and make use of all arguments, reasonings, and pretences they can devise, to engage themselves and others in the practice of it; which are all cords of vanity, fallacious and deceitful. And sin as it were with a cart rope;
using all diligence, wisdom, policy, and strength; labouring with all might and main to effect it. Some by "iniquity" and "sin" understand punishment, as the words used sometimes signify; and that the sense is, that such persons described by their boldness and impudence in sinning, by their impenitence and hardness of heart, and by adding sin to sin, draw upon themselves swift destruction, and the greater damnation. The Targum interprets it of such that begin with lesser sins, and increase to more ungodliness; paraphrasing it thus,

``woe to them that begin to sin a little, and they go on and increase until that they are strong, and "their" sins "are" as a cart rope;''
to which agrees that saying in the Talmud F7,
``the evil imagination or corruption of nature at first is like a spider's thread, but at last it is like to cart ropes; as it is said, "woe to them that draw iniquity"''

FOOTNOTES:

F7 T. Bab. Succa, fol. 52. 1. & Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 2. Vid. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 22. fol. 19. 2.

Isaiah 5:18 In-Context

16 et exaltabitur Dominus exercituum in iudicio et Deus sanctus sanctificabitur in iustitia
17 et pascentur agni iuxta ordinem suum et deserta in ubertatem versa advenae comedent
18 vae qui trahitis iniquitatem in funiculis vanitatis et quasi vinculum plaustri peccatum
19 qui dicitis festinet et cito veniat opus eius ut videamus et adpropiet et veniat consilium Sancti Israhel et sciemus illud
20 vae qui dicitis malum bonum et bonum malum ponentes tenebras lucem et lucem tenebras ponentes amarum in dulce et dulce in amarum
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.