Isa 1:21-25 | JFB | STEP | 21. faithful —as a wife ( ). harlot — ( ). righteousness lodged — ( ). murderers —murderous oppressors, as the antithesis requires (see on ; ).

Isaiah 1:21-25

21. faithful—as a wife (Isa 54:5; 62:5; Ho 2:19, 20).

harlot— (Eze 16:28-35).

righteousness lodged— (2Pe 3:13).

murderers—murderous oppressors, as the antithesis requires (see on Isa 1:15; 1Jo 3:15).

22. Thy princes and people are degenerate in "solid worth," equivalent to "silver" (Jer 6:28, 30; Eze 22:18, 19), 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.

24. Lord . . . Lord—Adonai, JEHOVAH.

mighty One of Israel—mighty to take vengeance, as before, to save.

Ah—indignation.

ease me—My long tried patience will find relief in at last punishing the guilty (Eze 5:13). God's language condescends to human conceptions.

25. turn . . . hand—not in wrath, but in grace (Zec 13:7), "upon thee," as Isa 1:26, 27 show; contrasted with the enemies, of whom He will avenge Himself (Isa 1:24).

purely—literally, "as alkali purifies."

thy dross—not thy sins, but the sinful persons (Jer 6:29); "enemies" (Isa 1:24); degenerate princes (see on Isa 1:22), intermingled with the elect "remnant" of grace.

tin—Hebrew, bedil, here the alloy of lead, tin, &c., separated by smelting from the silver. The pious Bishop Bedell took his motto from this.