13. are gone--The prophet sees the future as if it were before his eyes.
no knowledge--because of their foolish recklessness ([Is 5:12]; [Is 1:3]; [Ho 4:6]; [Lu 19:44]).
famished--awful contrast to their luxurious feasts ([Is 5:11], ).
multitude--plebeians in contradistinction to the "honorable men," or nobles.
thirst--([Psa 107:4], ). Contrast to their drinking ([Is 5:11]). In their deportation and exile, they shall hunger and thirst.
14. hell--the grave; Hebrew, sheol; Greek, hades; "the unseen world of spirits." Not here, "the place of torment." Poetically, it is represented as enlarging itself immensely, in order to receive the countless hosts of Jews, which should perish ([Nu 16:30]).
their--that is, of the Jewish people.
he that rejoiceth--the drunken reveller in Jerusalem.
15. (Compare [Is 2:9], [11, 17]). All ranks, "mean" and "mighty" alike; so "honorable" and "multitude" ([Is 5:13]).
16. God shall be "exalted" in man's view, because of His manifestation of His "justice" in punishing the guilty.
sanctified--regarded as holy by reason of His "righteous" dealings.
17. after their manner--literally, "according to their own word," that is, at will. Otherwise, as in their own pasture [Gesenius]: so the Hebrew in [Mi 2:12]. The lands of the Scenite tent dwellers ([Jr 35:7]). Arab shepherds in the neighborhood shall roam at large, the whole of Judea being so desolate as to become a vast pasturage.
waste ... fat ones--the deserted lands of the rich ("fat," [Psa 22:29]), then gone into captivity; "strangers," that is, nomad tribes shall make their flocks to feed on [Maurer]. Figuratively, "the lambs" are the pious, "the fat ones" the impious. So tender disciples of Jesus Christ ([Joh 21:15]) are called "lambs"; being meek, harmless, poor, and persecuted. Compare [Eze 39:18], where the fatlings are the rich and great ([1Co 1:26], ). The "strangers" are in this view the "other sheep not of the" the Jewish "fold" ([Joh 10:16]), the Gentiles whom Jesus Christ shall "bring" to be partakers of the rich privileges ([Ro 11:17]) which the Jews ("fat ones," Eze 34. 16) fell from. Thus "after their (own) manner" will express that the Christian Church should worship God in freedom, released from legal bondage ([Joh 4:23]; [Ga 5:1]).
18. Third Woe--against obstinate perseverance in sin, as if they wished to provoke divine judgments.
iniquity--guilt, incurring punishment [Maurer].
cords, &c.--cart-rope--Rabbins say, "An evil inclination is at first like a fine hair-string, but the finishing like a cart-rope." The antithesis is between the slender cords of sophistry, like the spider's web ([Is 59:5]; [Job 8:14]), with which one sin draws on another, until they at last bind themselves with great guilt as with a cart-rope. They strain every nerve in sin.
vanity--wickedness.
sin--substantive, not a verb: they draw on themselves "sin" and its penalty recklessly.
19. work--vengeance ([Is 5:12]). Language of defiance to God. So Lamech's boast of impunity ([Ge 4:23], ; compare [Jr 17:15]; [2Pe 3:3], ).
counsel--God's threatened purpose to punish.
20. Fourth Woe--against those who confound the distinctions of right and wrong (compare [Ro 1:28]), "reprobate," Greek, "undiscriminating: the moral perception darkened."
bitter ... sweet--sin is bitter ([Jr 2:19]; ; [Ac 8:23]; [He 12:15]); though it seem sweet for a time ([Pr 9:17], ). Religion is sweet ([Psa 119:103]).
21. Fifth Woe--against those who were so "wise in their own eyes" as to think they knew better than the prophet, and therefore rejected his warnings ([Is 29:14], ).
22-23. Sixth Woe--against corrupt judges, who, "mighty" in drinking "wine" (a boast still not uncommon), if not in defending their country, obtain the means of self-indulgence by taking bribes ("reward"). The two verses are closely joined [Maurer].
mingle strong drink--not with water, but spices to make it intoxicating ([Pr 9:2], ; [So 8:2]).
take away the righteousness--set aside the just claims of those having a righteous cause.
24. Literally, "tongue of fire eateth" ([Ac 2:3]).
flame consumeth the chaff--rather, withered grass falleth before the flame ([Mt 3:12]).
root ... blossom--entire decay, both the hidden source and outward manifestations of prosperity, perishing ([Job 18:16]; Mal 4:1).
cast away ... law--in its spirit, while retaining the letter.
25. anger ... kindled--([2Ki 22:13], ).
hills ... tremble--This probably fixes the date of this chapter, as it refers to the earthquake in the days of Uzziah ([Am 1:1]; [Zec 14:5]). The earth trembled as if conscious of the presence of God ([Jr 4:24]; [Ha 3:6]).
torn--rather, were as dung ([Psa 83:10]).
For all this, &c.--This burden of the prophet's strains, with dirge-like monotony, is repeated at [Is 9:12], 17, 21; . With all the past calamities, still heavier judgments are impending; which he specifies in the rest of the chapter ([Le 26:14], &c.).
26. lift ... ensign--to call together the hostile nations to execute His judgments on Judea (Is 10:5-7; 45:). But for mercy to it, in [Is 11:12]; .
hiss--([Is 7:18]). Bees were drawn out of their hives by the sound of a flute, or hissing, or whistling ([Zec 10:8]). God will collect the nations round Judea like bees ([De 1:44]; [Psa 118:12]).
end of the earth--the widely distant subject races of which the Assyrian army was made up ([Is 22:6]). The ulterior fulfilment took place in the siege under Roman Titus. Compare "end of the earth" ([De 28:49], &c.). So the pronoun is singular in the Hebrew, for "them," "their," "whose" (him, his, &c.), [Is 5:26-29]; referring to some particular nation and person [Horsley].
27. weary--with long marches ([De 25:18]).
none ... slumber--requiring no rest.
girdle--with which the ancient loose robes used to be girded for action. Ever ready for march or battle.
nor the latchet ... broken--The soles were attached to the feet, not by upper leather as with us, but by straps. So securely clad that not even a strap of their sandals gives way, so as to impede their march.
28. bent--ready for battle.
hoofs ... flint--The ancients did not shoe their horses: hence the value of hard hoofs for long marches.
wheels--of their chariots. The Assyrian army abounded in cavalry and chariots ([Is 22:6], ; ).
29. roaring--their battle cry.