mollified with ointment--The art of medicine in the East consists chiefly in external applications ([Lu 10:34]; [Jas 5:14]).
7. Judah had not in Uzziah's reign recovered from the ravages of the Syrians in Joash's reign ([2Ch 24:24]), and of Israel in Amaziah's reign ([2Ch 25:13], , &c.). Compare Isaiah's contemporary ([Am 4:6-11]), where, as here ([Is 1:9], ), Israel is compared to "Sodom and Gomorrah," because of the judgments on it by "fire."
in your presence--before your eyes: without your being able to prevent them.
desolate, &c.--literally, "there is desolation, such as one might look for from foreign" invaders.
8. daughter of Zion--the city ([Psa 9:14]), Jerusalem and its inhabitants ([2Ki 19:21]): "daughter" (feminine, singular being used as a neuter collective noun), equivalent to sons ([Is 12:6], Margin) [Maurer]. Metropolis or "mother-city" is the corresponding term. The idea of youthful beauty is included in "daughter."
left--as a remnant escaping the general destruction.
cottage--a hut, made to give temporary shelter to the caretaker of the vineyard.
lodge--not permanent.
besieged--rather, as "left," and [Is 1:9] require, preserved, namely, from the desolation all round [Maurer].
9. Jehovah of Sabaoth, that is, God of the angelic and starry hosts ([Psa 59:5]; ; ). The latter were objects of idolatry, called hence Sabaism ([2Ki 17:16]). God is above even them ([1Ch 16:26]). "The groves" were symbols of these starry hosts; it was their worship of Sabaoth instead of the Lord of Sabaoth, which had caused the present desolation ([2Ch 24:18]). It needed no less a power than His, to preserve even a "remnant." Condescending grace for the elect's sake, since He has no need of us, seeing that He has countless hosts to serve Him.
10. Sodom--spiritually ([Ge 19:24]; [Jr 23:14]; [Eze 16:46]; [Re 11:8]).
11. God does not here absolutely disparage sacrifice, which is as old and universal as sin ([Ge 3:21]; ), and sin is almost as old as the world; but sacrifice, unaccompanied with obedience of heart and life ([1Sa 15:22]; Psa 50:9-13; 51:16-19; [Ho 6:6]). Positive precepts are only means; moral obedience is the end. A foreshadowing of the gospel, when the One real sacrifice was to supersede all the shadowy ones, and "bring in everlasting righteousness" ([Psa 40:6], ; [Da 9:24-27]; [He 10:1-14]).
full--to satiety; weary of
burnt offerings--burnt whole, except the blood, which was sprinkled about the altar.
fat--not to be eaten by man, but burnt on the altar ([Le 3:4], [5, 11], ).
12. appear before me--in the temple where the Shekinah, resting on the ark, was the symbol of God's presence ([Ex 23:15]; [Psa 42:2]).
who hath required this--as if you were doing God a service by such hypocritical offerings ([Job 35:7]). God did require it ([Ex 23:17]), but not in this spirit ([Mi 6:6], ).
courts--areas, in which the worshippers were. None but priests entered the temple itself.
13. oblations--unbloody; "meat (old English sense, not flesh) offerings," that is, of flour, fruits, oil, &c. ([Le 2:1-13]). Hebrew, mincha.
incense--put upon the sacrifices, and burnt on the altar of incense. Type of prayer ([Psa 141:2]; [Re 8:3]).
new moons--observed as festivals ([Nu 10:10]; , ) with sacrifices and blowing of silver trumpets.
sabbaths--both the seventh day and the beginning and closing days of the great feasts ([Le 23:24-39]).
away with--bear, Maurer translates, "I cannot bear iniquity and the solemn meeting," that is, the meeting associated with iniquity--literally, the closing days of the feasts; so the great days ([Le 23:36]; [Joh 7:37]).
14. appointed--the sabbath, passover, pentecost, day of atonement, and feast of tabernacles [Hengstenberg]; they alone were fixed to certain times of the year.
weary--([Is 43:24]).
15. ([Psa 66:18]; [Pr 28:9]; [La 3:43], ).
spread ... hands--in prayer ([1Ki 8:22]). Hebrew, "bloods," for all heinous sins, persecution of God's servants especially ([Mt 23:35]). It was the vocation of the prophets to dispel the delusion, so contrary to the law itself ([De 10:16]), that outward ritualism would satisfy God.
16. God saith to the sinner, "Wash you," &c., that he, finding his inability to "make" himself "clean," may cry to God, Wash me, cleanse me ([Psa 51:2], [7, 10]).
before mine eyes--not mere outward reformation before man's eyes, who cannot, as God, see into the heart ([Jr 32:19]).
17. seek judgment--justice, as magistrates, instead of seeking bribes ([Jr 22:3], ).
judge--vindicate ([Psa 68:5]; [Jas 1:27]).
18. God deigns to argue the case with us, that all may see the just, nay, loving principle of His dealings with men ([Is 43:26]).
scarlet--the color of Jesus Christ's robe when bearing our "sins" ([Mt 27:28]). So Rahab's thread ([Jos 2:18]; compare [Le 14:4]). The rabbins say that when the lot used to be taken, a scarlet fillet was bound on the scapegoat's head, and after the high priest had confessed his and the people's sins over it, the fillet became white: the miracle ceased, according to them, forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem, that is, exactly when Jesus Christ was crucified; a remarkable admission of adversaries. Hebrew for "scarlet" radically means double-dyed; so the deep-fixed permanency of sin in the heart, which no mere tears can wash away.
snow--([Psa 51:7]). Repentance is presupposed, before sin can be made white as snow ([Is 1:19], ); it too is God's gift ([Jr 31:18], Lam 5:21, Acts 5:31).
red--refers to "blood" ([Is 1:15]).
as wool--restored to its original undyed whiteness. This verse shows that the old fathers did not look only for transitory promises (Article VII, Book of Common Prayer). For sins of ignorance, and such like, alone had trespass offerings appointed for them; greater guilt therefore needed a greater sacrifice, for, "without shedding of blood there was no remission"; but none such was appointed, and yet forgiveness was promised and expected; therefore spiritual Jews must have looked for the One Mediator of both Old Testament and New Testament, though dimly understood.
19-20. Temporal blessings in "the land of their possession" were prominent in the Old Testament promises, as suited to the childhood of the Church ([Ex 3:17]). New Testament spiritual promises derive their imagery from the former ([Mt 5:5]).
21. faithful--as a wife ([Is 54:5]; ; [Ho 2:19], 20).
harlot--([Eze 16:28-35]).
righteousness lodged--([2Pe 3:13]).
murderers--murderous oppressors, as the antithesis requires (see on [Is 1:15]; [1Jo 3:15]).
22. Thy princes and people are degenerate in "solid worth," equivalent to "silver" ([Jr 6:28], ; [Eze 22:18], ), and in their use of the living Word, equivalent to "wine" ([So 7:9]).
mixed--literally, "circumcised." So the Arabic, "to murder" wine, equivalent to dilute it.
23. companions of thieves--by connivance ([Pr 29:24]).
gifts--([Eze 22:12]). A nation's corruption begins with its rulers.