Isaiah 5:8-24

Sayings of doom

8 Doom to those who acquire house after house, who annex field to field until there is no more space left and only you live alone in the land.

9 I heard the LORD of heavenly forces say this: Many houses will become total ruins, large, fine houses, with no one living in them.

10 Ten acres of vineyard will produce just one bath, and a homer of seed will produce only an ephah.

11 Doom to those who wake up early in the morning to run after beer, to those who stay up late, lit up by wine.

12 They party with lyre and harp, tambourine, flute, and wine; but they ignore the LORD's work; they can't see what God is doing.

13 Therefore, my people go into exile since they didn't understand— their officials are dying of hunger; so many of them are dried up with thirst.

14 Therefore, the grave opens wide its jaws, opens its mouth beyond all bounds, and the splendid multitudes will go down, with all their uproar and cheering.

15 Humanity will be humiliated; each person laid low, the eyes of the exalted laid low.

16 But the LORD of heavenly forces will be exalted in justice, and the holy God will show himself holy in righteousness.

17 Lambs will graze as if in their pasture; young goats will feed among the ruins of the rich.

18 Doom to those who drag guilt along with cords of fraud, and haul sin as if with cart ropes,

19 who say, "God should hurry and work faster so we can see; let the plan of Israel's holy one come quickly, so we can understand it."

20 Doom to those who call evil good and good evil, who present darkness as light and light as darkness, who make bitterness sweet and sweetness bitter.

21 Doom to those who consider themselves wise, who think of themselves as clever.

22 Doom to the wine-swigging warriors, mighty at mixing drinks,

23 who spare the guilty for bribes, and rob the innocent of their rights.

24 Therefore, as a tongue of fire devours stubble, and as hay shrivels in a flame, so their roots will rot, and their blossoms turn to dust, for they have rejected the teaching of the LORD of heavenly forces, and have despised the word of Israel's holy one.

Isaiah 5:8-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 5

In this chapter, under the parable of a vineyard and its ruins, the Jews and their destruction are represented; the reasons of which are given, their manifold sins and transgressions, particularly enumerated, with the punishment threatened to them, and which is delivered in form of a song. The vineyard is described by the owner of it, a well beloved one; by the situation of it, in a fruitful hill; by the fence about it, and care and culture of it; and by its not answering the expectation of the owner, it bringing forth wild grapes instead of good ones, Isa 5:1,2 wherefore the men of Judah and Jerusalem are made judges between the owner and his vineyard, what more could have been done to it, or rather what was now to be done to it, since this was the case; and the result is, that it should be utterly laid waste, and come to ruin; and the whole is applied to the house of Israel, and men of Judah, Isa 5:3-7 whose sins, as the cause of their ruin, are mentioned in the following verses; their covetousness, with the punishment of it, Isa 5:8-10 their intemperance, luxury, and love of pleasure, with the punishment threatened thereunto, Isa 5:11-14 whereby haughty men should be humbled, the Lord be glorified, and at the same time his weak and innocent people would be taken care of, Isa 5:15-17 next, other sins are taken notice of, and woes pronounced on account of them, as, an impudent course of sinning, insolent impiety against God, confusion of good and evil, conceit of their own wisdom, drunkenness, and perversion of justice, Isa 5:18-23 wherefore for these things, and for their contempt and rejection of the law and word of the Lord, utter destruction is threatened them, Isa 5:24 yea, the anger of God had been already kindled against them, and they had felt it in some instances, Isa 5:25 but they are given to expect severer judgments, by means of foreign nations, that should be gathered against them; who are described by their swiftness, strength, and vigilance; by their armour, horses, and carriages; and by their terror and cruelty; the consequence of which would be utter darkness, distress, and calamities, in the land of Judea, Isa 5:26-30.

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb lacks say this.
• [b]. One bath is approximately twenty quarts, the same as an ephah; one homer contains ten ephahs (or baths) of grain.
• [c]. Heb Sheol
• [d]. Or strangers
• [e]. Or Calves and young goats will feed on the ruins; Heb uncertain