Isa 1:21-25 | JFB | STEP | 21. faithful-- as a wife ( ; ; , 20). harlot-- ( ). righteousness lodged-- ( ). murderers-- murderous oppressors, as the antithesis requires (see on ; ).

‏ Isaiah 1:21-25

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

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, 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 Is 1:26, 27 show; contrasted with the enemies, of whom He will avenge Himself (Is 1:24).

purely--literally, "as alkali purifies."

thy dross--not thy sins, but the sinful persons (Jr 6:29); "enemies" (Is 1:24); degenerate princes (see on Is 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.