‏ Isaiah 28

Summary for Isa 28:1: 28:1–33:24  ^a This section is connected by a series of six threats of judgment or woes (cp. 5:8-23  ^b). Apart from the initial address to Samaria in 28:1-13  ^c, the remainder of the section is addressed to Judah, especially because of their inclination to trust Egypt to rescue them from Assyria (30:2  ^d).
Summary for Isa 28:1-29: 28:1-29  ^e The glory of Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is here contrasted with the glory of the Lord. This section represents the first of the six woes (What sorrow ...). 28:1  ^f The drunks of Israel epitomized pride, spiritual complacency, and scorn for God and his commands.

• Unlike Jerusalem, Samaria was in a fertile valley.
28:2  ^g the Lord will send: The covenant God will act against his own people, whose behavior had effectively disqualified them as God’s people (see Hos 1:9  ^h).

• The mighty army is that of the Assyrians, who destroyed Samaria in 722 BC.
Summary for Isa 28:5-6: 28:5-6  ⁱ In the future, after God’s judgment has purged his people, he will restore a righteous remnant, transforming the desires and character of his people. Samaria will no longer be the source of Israel’s pride; instead, they will glory in the Lord, their true crown.
Summary for Isa 28:7-13: 28:7-13  ^j The focus returns to the lamentable present situation in Israel (and Judah). The leaders and people will be ensnared by their own schemes. 28:7  ^k The priests and prophets led the people astray.

• Intoxicating beverages such as wine and alcohol were prohibited for priests while fulfilling their duties (Lev 10:9  ^l).
Summary for Isa 28:9-10: 28:9-10  ^m The people had become hardened to God’s revelation (1 Cor 14:21  ⁿ).
28:11  ^o God will have to speak through circumstances such as hardship, exile, and death in order to get through to his hardened people.

• a strange language: In the New Testament, Paul applied this text to the spiritual gift of tongues as a sign of judgment to unbelievers (see 1 Cor 14:21-22  ^p).
28:12  ^q Had his people listened, God’s revelation would have led them to rest (see 48:18-19  ^r). But they would not listen because of their hard hearts (65:12  ^s).
28:13  ^t one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there: The Hebrew here is difficult to understand. The words might be intentional nonsense to illustrate the point that the people were so spiritually blind that God’s clearest revelation was nonsense to them (see 6:9-10  ^u).
Summary for Isa 28:14-22: 28:14-22  ^v After having pronounced judgment on Samaria (28:1-13  ^w), Isaiah now pronounces judgment on Jerusalem. The leaders of Judah are accused of being as blind as those in the northern kingdom of Israel.
28:15  ^x cheat death (literally have made a covenant with death) ... dodge the grave: There are two interpretive possibilities: (1) The people had sold themselves to the Canaanite god of death, Mot, in return for his supposed protection. (2) The prophet was being sarcastic; the people thought their various political and economic moves guaranteed their personal security, but they had actually destroyed themselves.

• lies and deception: The leaders did not think of themselves as deceptive, but they were.
28:16  ^y The Lord himself is the reliable foundation stone in Jerusalem, a precious cornerstone of the true city of God. There would be real hope in Jerusalem if the leaders and the people would only turn to him. If they would trust in God, they would be secure in the most terrible storm or the most devastating earthquake (see 8:14  ^z; Ps 118:22  ^aa; Matt 7:24-27  ^ab; 21:42  ^ac; see the application to Jesus Christ, Rom 9:33  ^ad; 10:11  ^ae; 1 Cor 3:11  ^af; Eph 2:20  ^ag; 1 Pet 2:4-7  ^ah).
28:17  ^ai The Lord judges people on their works, which reveal the presence or absence of living faith (for justice and righteousness, see 1:21-23  ^aj).
28:20  ^ak The bed. ... The blankets: The leaders were ill-prepared for God’s coming in judgment.
28:21  ^al as he did ... at Mount Perazim: See 2 Sam 5:20  ^am.

• God had rescued Israel through a hailstorm at Gibeon (Josh 10:10-12  ^an), but now he would turn against them.
28:23  ^ao Listen to me: The analogy that follows was written as a wisdom poem, with Isaiah calling on his audience to pay careful attention and to discern what is right.
Summary for Isa 28:24-29: 28:24-29  ^ap A farmer knows that there are right and wrong ways to do things, but the leaders of Judah were not that intelligent.
Summary for Isa 28:27-28: 28:27-28  ^aq The Lord has a variety of means (a heavy sledge ... a light stick) for accomplishing his purposes. There are degrees of judgment.
28:28  ^ar he doesn’t keep on pounding it: This process would end; after judgment would come redemption.
28:29  ^as wonderful teacher (or counselor; see 9:6  ^at): God’s people should learn wisdom about God’s ways, as the farmer has done.

‏ Isaiah 29

Summary for Isa 29:1-14: 29:1-14  ^au This is the second of the six woes (What sorrow ...).
Summary for Isa 29:1-8: 29:1-8  ^av In the Assyrian siege, the Lord would be fighting against Jerusalem, but he would force the Assyrians to abandon Jerusalem in his own time.
Summary for Isa 29:1-2: 29:1-2  ^aw Ariel was another name for Mount Zion (29:8  ^ax); it probably means altar of God.
29:3  ^ay The Lord himself would come against Jerusalem, surrounding and attacking it.
29:4  ^az God’s goal was to destroy the sinful pride of the people of Jerusalem. Their voice would rise as if from the grave. Through the Assyrians, God would humble his people, but he would not abandon them.
29:6  ^ba will act for you (literally you will be visited): God would bring rescue for his people.

• thunder and earthquake ... storm and consuming fire: These phenomena indicate a theophany (see study note on 5:25).
29:7  ^bb The Assyrians’ sudden lifting of the siege came like a dream ... like a vision in the night. God would save Judah and judge Assyria.
Summary for Isa 29:8-12: 29:8-12  ^bc Jerusalem’s blindness kept its people from understanding God’s plan. 29:8  ^bd Like a hungry or thirsty person, the Assyrians could taste the victory over Jerusalem. Yet they never became victorious.
29:10  ^be a spirit of deep sleep: The people’s folly was reinforced by God’s judgment on them (cp. Rom 1:24-32  ^bf; 11:8  ^bg); they had no perception of reality.

• Prophets were also sometimes called visionaries. Neither the people nor their prophets would understand what God was doing (Isa 6:9-10  ^bh).
29:13  ^bi These people used pious-sounding language in their prayers and talk (see Matt 15:8  ^bj; Mark 7:6-7  ^bk), but they did not truly honor God.

• In their hearts, they were not committed to the Lord at all.

• In their worship, they followed man-made rules and regulations rather than God’s word.
29:14  ^bl Human wisdom ... intelligence ... will disappear (see 1 Cor 1:19  ^bm). The prophet had already spoken of the failure of Egypt’s wise men (Isa 19:11-12  ^bn); even Judah’s wise men would blunder.
Summary for Isa 29:15-24: 29:15-24  ^bo This threat of coming judgment is the third of the six woes (see study note on 28:1–33:24). It begins with judgment but moves to a vision of creation being renewed and of the wicked coming to an end. 29:15  ^bp Their plans might refer to the advice that royal counselors were giving Hezekiah, who at first attempted to free himself from Assyria by making alliances with Egypt (715 or 701 BC).

• The people were conspiring to commit evil deeds in secret, but God saw everything.
29:16  ^bq Potter ... clay: The Lord’s sovereignty is beyond challenge. Scripture does not discourage asking God hard questions, but there is no place for resistance to God’s will (see 10:15  ^br; 45:9  ^bs; 64:8  ^bt; Rom 9:20  ^bu).

• He didn’t make me: Such claims against God demonstrate a total unwillingness to recognize God’s intimate involvement with every aspect of a person’s life.
29:17  ^bv The forests of Lebanon are usually an image of luxuriant growth (see 2:13  ^bw; 14:8  ^bx), but here they represent desolation.
29:18  ^by The people were deaf and blind in heart and spirit (see 6:10  ^bz; 42:18  ^ca; 43:8  ^cb). Yet humanity and all of creation would be renewed (see 35:1-5  ^cc).
29:21  ^cd The false testimony that led to the oppression of the poor through trickery in the courts of Isaiah’s era would end. Because of God’s work in their hearts, the people would turn from their sinful behavior of the past.
Summary for Isa 29:22-24: 29:22-24  ^ce The prophecy of woe, which began at 29:15  ^cf, now ends with a prophecy of salvation. 29:22  ^cg Abraham was the father of all Israel (see Gen 12:1-3  ^ch; see also Gal 3:29  ^ci).

• Rescued from human abuse and God’s judgment, the people would no longer be ashamed; their disgrace resulted from the apparent failure of what they had trusted (see Ps 71:1  ^cj; 1 Pet 2:6  ^ck).

‏ Isaiah 30

Summary for Isa 30:1-33: 30:1-33  ^cl After threatening Judah with judgment because of their stubbornness and their reliance on Egypt (30:1-17  ^cm), God again committed himself to deal compassionately with his people and to break the power of their enemies.
Summary for Isa 30:1-5: 30:1-5  ^cn This prophecy was against Judah’s dependence on Egypt. It is the fourth of the six woes (see study note on 28:1–33:24). 30:1  ^co The wisdom of the people of Judah was not directed by God’s Spirit (cp. 11:2  ^cp); instead, they had formed alliances that God did not approve of. Although the Assyrian attack on Jerusalem was overwhelming, making an alliance with Egypt demonstrated that the leaders of Judah depended on human resources for their protection rather than on God. Fortunately, Hezekiah later had a change of heart (see chs 36–37  ^cq).
30:4  ^cr Zoan: See 19:11  ^cs. The location of Hanes is uncertain.
Summary for Isa 30:6-7: 30:6-7  ^ct This taunt was against those who were busy trying to please the Egyptians in order to get Egypt’s military support. 30:6  ^cu Caravans moved from Judah through the Negev and the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt to avoid the main coast road that was under Assyrian control. It was a dangerous region, filled with lions and poisonous snakes. People would risk their lives to make a worthless alliance.

• Being weighed down with riches might refer to money being sent to Egypt to buy that nation’s help.
30:7  ^cv Harmless Dragon: In ancient mythology, Rahab was the enemy of the good gods and was depicted in fearsome terms, somewhat like a giant crocodile (see 27:1  ^cw; 51:9  ^cx; Job 41:1-34  ^cy). By saying that Egypt was harmless, the prophet meant that it would be of no help to Judah.
Summary for Isa 30:8-11: 30:8-11  ^cz God instructed the prophet to write down the vision for future generations. The present generation was rebellious; they rejected God’s word in favor of the false prophets’ fantasies (see 8:16-17  ^da).
30:11  ^db Stop telling us: The people of Judah did not want to be confronted about sin or judgment.
Summary for Isa 30:12-17: 30:12-17  ^dc Judgment would suddenly overtake the people of Judah because they were content with their fantasy world, and they refused God’s path to rest and quietness. 30:12  ^dd The whole society accepted oppression and lies. People reinforced each other’s delusions, so it was considered acceptable to trust that Egypt would protect them from Assyria, even though that was a lie. It was also considered legal and legitimate to oppress the poor by taking their land.
30:15  ^de The people of Judah needed to repent of their sinful ways (30:12-14  ^df), returning to the Lord, in order to be rescued.

• Trust in the Lord would bring quietness and confidence, unlike their frantic negotiations with Egypt.
30:16  ^dg Judah’s reliance on Egypt to supply swift horses (see Ps 33:17  ^dh) amounted to a rejection of God’s help and threatened to bring about its fall.
30:17  ^di One ... Five: This curse is the opposite of God’s blessing for obedience (Lev 26:8  ^dj; Deut 32:30  ^dk).

• The Assyrians had dominated the rest of the land of Judah, leaving Jerusalem isolated like a lonely flagpole on a hill.
Summary for Isa 30:18-33: 30:18-33  ^dl This prophecy of salvation includes promises that directed Israel’s attention away from their present adversity to the glorious future awaiting the children of God. 30:18  ^dm A faithful God would restore righteous order to the world by punishing the wicked and rescuing his people from them (see 1:27  ^dn; Ps 96:10-12  ^do).

• God blesses those who wait; faithful people do not rush ahead of him to solve their own problems but instead rely on his power and goodness.
30:19  ^dp This was probably a challenge and promise to Hezekiah during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem (see chs 36–37  ^dq). If he would just trust in God, his people would weep no more.

• The Lord cares for the needs of his people; when they ask for something, he will surely respond.
30:20  ^dr adversity for food and suffering for drink: A city under enemy siege for a long time would eventually be overcome by starvation and disease. God did not intend that this disaster should destroy the people of Jerusalem, rather that it would be a tool to teach them.
30:21  ^ds The people’s own ears will hear and follow God’s instructions (see 6:9-10  ^dt; 29:18  ^du; 35:5  ^dv).
30:22  ^dw One aspect of Hezekiah’s reforms was to remove silver idols and other idolatry of Ahaz’s era and to call the people back to the worship of the God of Israel (2 Kgs 18:4-5  ^dx; 2 Chr 29  ^dy).
Summary for Isa 30:23-24: 30:23-24  ^dz The people of Judah would again enjoy covenant blessings rather than curses (see Lev 26:4  ^ea).
30:26  ^eb The Lord who struck his people would also heal them and cure the wounds he gave them.
Summary for Isa 30:27-33: 30:27-33  ^ec In this prophecy of judgment against the nations, Isaiah foretold that Assyria’s power would be broken by God’s strong arm, not by the Egyptians.
30:28  ^ed like a flood up to the neck: Assyria’s destruction would be as devastating as their invasion of Judah (see 8:8  ^ee).
30:30  ^ef His mighty arm presents an image of strength that echoes God’s victory over the Egyptians in the Exodus (63:12  ^eg; see Exod 15:6  ^eh).

• devouring flames ... huge hailstones: Such phenomena are associated with God’s appearance in a theophany (see study note on Isa 5:25).
30:31  ^ei royal scepter: The Lord, the true King, would be victorious over the threatening Assyrian king.
30:32  ^ej tambourines and harps: Instruments formerly silenced in judgment (24:8  ^ek) would again be used by God’s people; this time, the people would celebrate the Lord’s goodness rather than becoming spiritually complacent (see 5:12  ^el).
30:33  ^em Topheth was a pagan altar in the valley of Ben-Hinnom outside Jerusalem where child sacrifices were offered to the Ammonite god Molech by burning (2 Kgs 23:9-10  ^en).

‏ Isaiah 31

Summary for Isa 31:1-3: 31:1-3  ^eo Isaiah delivered another vision regarding Judah’s negotiations with Egypt, which probably took place in 705–701 BC. During that time, the conquering Assyrians were on the move, threatening Judah. At first, Hezekiah tried political and military means to avert being totally conquered (see 2 Kgs 18:13-16  ^ep). 31:1  ^eq What sorrow: This is the fifth of the six woes (see study note on 28:1–33:24).

• Looking to the Lord implies seeking his guidance with a worshipful attitude (see Deut 4:29  ^er; Ps 105:3-4  ^es).
Summary for Isa 31:4-9: 31:4-9  ^et This prophecy concerned God’s protection of Jerusalem and its rescue from the Assyrians.
31:9  ^eu princes will flee: This was fulfilled when Sennacherib fled to Nineveh after God destroyed 185,000 troops (see 37:36-37  ^ev).

• God himself was the fire or flame that would devour Assyria.

‏ Isaiah 32

32:1  ^ew a righteous king: The Messiah (11:1  ^ex); the emphasis now is on righteous and wise leadership (Prov 8:20  ^ey).

• In Isaiah’s day, honest princes were few and far between (see Isa 3:1-6  ^ez; 28:7-19  ^fa).
32:2  ^fb like a shelter ... a refuge: The same words were also used to describe God’s protection (25:4  ^fc) and his provision of life-giving water (41:18  ^fd; 43:19-20  ^fe). The leaders would serve as God’s agents in blessing his people.
32:5  ^ff Only foolish people value fools and scoundrels as heroes (see also 19:11  ^fg, 13  ^fh; 32:6-8  ^fi).
32:6  ^fj Because they do not care about God’s standards of justice and righteousness, fools have no regard for those who are hungry or thirsty (see 1:17  ^fk; 58:7  ^fl, 10  ^fm).
32:7  ^fn smooth tricks ... crooked schemes: See Prov 6:12  ^fo, 18  ^fp; 16:27  ^fq; 24:8-9  ^fr.
Summary for Isa 32:9-15: 32:9-15  ^fs This prophecy of judgment was against the complacent women of Jerusalem. God’s promises regarding the future did not justify continuing in sin. 32:9  ^ft The women of Jerusalem lie around in ease. Complacent in their high standard of life and low standard of morality, they put their trust in wealth and status to maintain their way of life.
32:10  ^fu In a short time: Assyria’s siege of Jerusalem (701 BC) was looming.
32:11  ^fv Burlap was worn to show ... grief, especially when mourning (see Ps 30:11  ^fw). The Assyrian conquest of the farmlands of Judah and most of its cities (except Jerusalem) would cause rich people in the large cities to mourn.
32:14  ^fx Jerusalem was eventually destroyed, but by the Babylonians, not the Assyrians (for a prediction of this, see 39:1-8  ^fy).
32:15  ^fz The Spirit would transform the nation into a godly community and bring in an era of justice and righteousness (see also Joel 2:28-32  ^ga). The Spirit is connected to the Messiah (Isa 11:1  ^gb) and the servant (42:1  ^gc; 61:1  ^gd).

• wilderness ... bountiful crops: When the people are transformed, nature will be too.
32:17  ^ge Being right with God and humans will bring peace (Hebrew shalom; see 26:3  ^gf; 48:18  ^gg; 52:7  ^gh; cp. Jas 3:18  ^gi). Peace is more than the absence of conflict. It includes personal wholeness and does not depend on outside circumstances (see also Rom 5:1  ^gj).
32:18  ^gk Living in safety and feeling at rest were blessings of Israel’s covenant with the Lord (see Lev 26:5-6  ^gl), but the people’s sin had previously brought curses rather than blessings (cp. Isa 32:9-11  ^gm).
32:19  ^gn the forest ... the city: The godly would remain secure even with evidence of God’s judgment all around them.

‏ Isaiah 33

33:1  ^go This was the sixth threat of woe (see study note on 28:1–33:24).

• Although the Hebrew text does not specifically name Assyria as the object of the prophecy in this chapter, Isaiah undoubtedly had Assyria in mind; they were the destroyer most immediately at hand when the prophecy was written. The prophecy applies, however, to any who seek to destroy God’s people; this included, but was not limited to, the Babylonians (see chs 13–14  ^gp).

• When you are done betraying: Wicked nations often break political agreements with other nations when these contracts are no longer to their own advantage.
33:2  ^gq The godly community prayed for God to be merciful in response to the promise of 30:18  ^gr.
33:9  ^gs Sharon, Bashan, and Carmel were all fertile areas. Their desolation represents the destruction Assyria had inflicted on Israel.
33:11  ^gt In most passages, the Assyrians were turning other nations into worthless dry grass and stubble (see 17:13  ^gu; 29:5  ^gv; 40:24  ^gw; 41:2  ^gx). Here, ironically, they get a taste of their own medicine.
33:14  ^gy The godless were people who lived without regard for God and his law.

• The image of a devouring fire came from God’s judgment of offenders during the wilderness journey (Exod 24:17  ^gz; Deut 4:24  ^ha). God still expects people to worship him with reverence and awe (Heb 12:29  ^hb).
33:15  ^hc A godly life provides evidence that an individual truly knows God (see Col 3:5-17  ^hd; Jas 2:14-18  ^he; 1 Pet 1:14-16  ^hf; 1 Jn 1:5-6  ^hg).
Summary for Isa 33:17-24: 33:17-24  ^hh This vision is about God’s reign in Zion. 33:17  ^hi The king is the human representative (32:1  ^hj) of the Great King, God himself (33:22  ^hk).

• The land belonging to God’s people would appear to be without borders because the foreign enemies had been judged (54:3  ^hl).
33:18  ^hm Assyrian officers brought great terror to Judah when the Assyrians defeated various cities around Jerusalem (2 Kgs 18:13  ^hn).
33:19  ^ho The strange, unknown language was the tongue of Assyria and later of Babylon (see 28:11  ^hp).
33:24  ^hq The people of Israel were the people of Zion (cp. 33:20  ^hr).

• sick ... the Lord will forgive their sins: See 43:25  ^hs.