ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:1–5:30 Introduction: “Ah, Sinful Nation!” The prophet rebukes God’s people and calls them to obey God’s word. He promises miraculous grace beyond judgment.
Isaiah prophesied “in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah” (1:1).
| Kings of Judah | Years of Reign |
|---|---|
| Uzziah (Azariah) | 767–740 B.C. |
| Jotham | 750–735 |
| Ahaz | 735–715 |
| Hezekiah | 715–686 |
The Holy One of Israel is Isaiah’s main title for God. The phrase occurs 25 times in the book, but rarely elsewhere in the Bible. The word “holy” describes the Lord’s absolute moral purity and his being far greater than all that he has created.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:1–31 Isaiah explains why the people of Judah are in crisis. They do not comprehend that they have forsaken God, abused their worship, and corrupted their society.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:1 The superscription for the entire book. vision. A message from God (1 Sam. 3:1; Ezek. 7:26), often given in symbolic form.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:2 heavens . . . earth. Isaiah calls the entire universe as a faithful witness to God’s word (Deut. 30:19; Ps. 50:4). Children . . . they. These emphatic words highlight the contrast between God’s grace and his people’s ingratitude. That is how Isaiah summarizes Israel’s history up to his time. Israel as a whole is God’s “son” (Ex. 4:22–23), and individual Israelites are also “sons” (see esv footnote and Deut. 14:1). The privilege of being God’s children should have led to gratitude, but it did not. rebelled. See Isa. 66:24.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:4 sinful. Isaiah uses several Hebrew words for sin (translated here as iniquity and corruptly) to reveal to the people their true character. the Holy One of Israel. This is Isaiah’s most frequent title for God, occurring 25 times in the book. To despise the “Holy One” is to reject all that God is.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:10–17 God rejects his people’s worship, however extravagant, because they use it as an excuse not to help the weak.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:11 sacrifices . . . burnt offerings. Isaiah criticizes the way people have disconnected the sacrifices from their proper purpose. Apparently they were treating their worship as a way of manipulating God. See note on Amos 4:4–5.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:18–20 let us reason together. The people are urged to consider their actual position before God. though your sins are like scarlet . . . red like crimson. Their hands, red with blood (v. 15), can be cleansed (Ps. 51:7). But they must deliberately choose to repent (Isa. 1:19–20).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:24–28 the Lord . . . the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel. See note on 1 Sam. 1:3. God’s judgment on his people is not the end of the story. The purpose of judgment is to smelt away the dross, that is, to remove the unbelieving members of the people (rebels and sinners, those who forsake the LORD). Afterward, what remains will be a chastened people of God, those . . . who repent (that is, who turn their hearts to God). The word redeemed here means rescued or protected (see note on Isa. 41:14). The prophet looks forward to a cleansed people restored to its mission (see 2:1–5).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:1–4:6 Within the reassuring context of God’s promises (2:2–4; 4:2–6), Isaiah identifies the sinful human obstacles standing in the way of the promised hope (2:6–4:1).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:1–5 The triumph of God’s purpose for his people will occur when the nations are eager to learn his ways. The fulfillment of this prophecy can be seen in the progress of Christian missions (see Luke 24:46–48).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:1 This superscription marks the beginning of a new section. This section begins and ends with hope (2:2–4; 4:2–6), but also notes the sinful behavior standing in the way of that hope (2:6–4:1). This vision expands the hope expressed in 1:25–28.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:2 The latter days refers to the distant future (e.g., Num. 24:14; Deut. 4:30; Dan. 2:28). It sometimes refers specifically to the time of the Messiah (Hos. 3:5). Jesus began his messianic kingship with his resurrection, and NT authors believed that the latter days had truly arrived. Yet they also stressed that the final fulfillment of the last days was yet to come (Acts 2:17; 2 Tim. 3:1; Heb. 1:2; 2 Pet. 3:3). the highest of the mountains. That is, the most exalted, not actually the highest physically. This place of honor will attract the nations. all the nations shall flow to it. A river of humanity will come to worship the one true God.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:4 nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Tiny Judah has been threatened by war for most of its existence. Now Isaiah predicts that the triumph of biblical faith will bring a peace such as the world has never known. All nations shall beat their swords into plowshares.
Pruning hooks (2:4) were used to cut away newly formed leaves and shoots from grape vines. The blade curved into a sharp hook at the tip, allowing it to capture and cut new growth more easily than a straight blade.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:10 from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, boasted in his writings of “the terror-inspiring splendor of my lordship.” Isaiah answers all such human pride with the vision of God as the only one who is truly terrifying.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:12–16 against all . . . against every. Ten times in these verses Isaiah says that God opposes all human pride.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:20–21 their idols of silver and their idols of gold . . . to the moles and to the bats (that is, into the ruins and caves in which they live). The substitutes for God that are valued in the present world will be seen for the worthless things they are. God’s people will not regret the loss (compare Phil. 3:8).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:1–4:6 The false and sinful glories of men and women, which are temporary, are replaced by the eternal glory of the Lord (4:6).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:1 For. The prophet explains why man is not to be “regarded” (see 2:22). taking away. God takes away whatever keeps his people from him, that they may enjoy his glory (4:2–6).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:2–5 God judges his people by removing their good leaders and replacing them with irresponsible boys and infants.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:6 You have a cloak. Anyone who has the slightest appearance of being a qualified leader is seized upon by the leaderless people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:8 For . . . because. The nation’s social collapse has resulted from their hostility toward God. defying his glorious presence. They stubbornly disregard God’s presence (Ex. 40:38; 1 Kings 8:10–11), though his nearness is their only true hope (Isa. 4:5). On “glory” as the Lord’s special presence, see note on 6:3.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:24 Instead of. Five times Isaiah says that God will replace the women’s self-indulgence (vv. 16–17) with the tragedies of exile and abuse.
The tinkling of feet mentioned in 3:16 is probably the ankle bracelets many women wore in the ancient world. They were usually made of bronze and were attached permanently.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 4:2–3 survivors . . . he who is left . . . and remains . . . recorded for life. The remnant preserved by God (see 1:9).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 4:2 The branch of the LORD is the Messiah (see Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12; compare Isa. 11:1). He comes from the Lord, and his rule spreads over the world. His triumph will be beautiful and glorious.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 4:3–4 holy . . . when the Lord shall have washed away the filth . . . and cleansed the bloodstains. A permanent remedy will be applied to God’s people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 4:5 Then the LORD will create. More than reversing the loss of 3:1–4:1.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:1–30 Isaiah’s introductory diagnosis of Judah’s spiritual decline (chs. 1–5) concludes with a description of his generation’s apostasy and its consequences. The chapter is divided into the song of the vineyard (5:1–7) and the “wild grapes” that the vineyard produced (vv. 8–30).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:1 Let me sing for my beloved my love song. To Isaiah, God is both the Holy One and his beloved friend. Vineyard is explained in v. 7 as a reference to Israel and Judah (see Jer. 12:10; see also Ex. 15:17, where God plants them; for Israel as a vine, see Ps. 80:8–16; Jer. 2:21; Hos. 10:1; John 15:1).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:2 God supplied everything for his people to be a blessing to the world, as he had promised in Gen. 12:1–3.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:7 he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry! Sin turns good into evil.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:8–10 Leviticus 25 taught Israel to return purchased lands in the Year of Jubilee. Restoring property to the original owner ensured a fresh start for anyone who had fallen on hard times. Therefore, those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room do business without regard for God’s instructions (see note on Amos 3:15). By greedily accumulating land, the powerful drive the weaker people off the land that God gave them. a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah. God will see to it that these greedy landowners do not receive the profits they expect.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:14 The greed described in vv. 8–10 is answered with the appetite of Sheol, swallowing up the dead (see Ps. 88:3–6; Prov. 9:18; Isa. 14:15; 38:18).
Ten acres of vineyard would normally produce 10,000 gallons (37,850 liters) of wine yearly. Isaiah says that the Lord’s judgment upon Israel would be so severe that ten acres of vineyard would produce only one bath, or six gallons (23 liters). See 5:10.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:18–23 Isaiah issues four laments (Woe) over God’s people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:24 God delighted in his people (“his pleasant planting,” v. 7), but they have rejected . . . and have despised him (compare 53:3).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:26 Nations, including Assyria, are summoned by the sovereign God with a mere whistle.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:27–30 Isaiah describes the approach of invading military forces. This is a far cry from the nations approaching Zion to learn the ways of God and cease from war (2:2–4).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:30 darkness and distress . . . light is darkened. Having rejected the light of the Lord that was offered to them (2:5), Judah and Jerusalem find that the so-called light they chose turns to darkness.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:1–12:6 God Redefines the Future of His People: “Your Guilt Is Taken Away.” God’s grace will preserve a remnant of his people. They will enjoy his eternal messianic kingdom and will fulfill the purpose for which he called them. That offer of grace spreads from Isaiah (6:1–13) to the southern kingdom of Judah (7:1–9:7) to the northern kingdom of Israel (9:8–11:16), bringing God’s people to the “wells of salvation” (12:1–6).
| Uzziah’s death; Isaiah’s call | ch. 6 | 740 B.C. |
| Days of Ahaz | ch. 7 | c. 735 |
| Assyrian invasion | chs. 36–38 | 701 |
| Sennacherib’s death | 37:38 | 681 |
| Babylonians will destroy Jerusalem | 39:6–8 | 586 |
| Israel will return from Babylonian exile | chs. 40–48 | 538 |
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:1 In the year. Around 740 B.C. King Uzziah died, marking the end of a lengthy era of national prosperity (see 2 Chronicles 26).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:2 the seraphim. Fiery angelic beings (the Hebrew word means “flames”). six wings . . . he covered. Even a perfect, superhuman creature humbles himself before the all-holy God.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:3 Holy, holy, holy. Holiness implies absolute moral purity and absolute uniqueness. Repeating the term three times emphasizes these qualities (compare Rev. 4:8). Glory is a technical term for God’s self-displayed presence with his people, which took various forms. God’s glory was seen in the cloud in the wilderness (Ex. 16:7, 10), and it filled the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34–35) and then the temple (1 Kings 8:11), where the worshipers could see it (Ex. 29:43; Ps. 26:8; 63:2). This glory was also present in Jesus (John 1:14).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:4–5 Woe is me! For the first time in the book, Isaiah speaks. His word is a lament over his own sinful condition. He admits that he has unclean lips (for the meaning of “unclean” here, see Introduction to Leviticus: Problems in Understanding Leviticus). I dwell in the midst. Isaiah’s generation is unfit for God, and Isaiah himself is no better.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:6–7 this has touched your lips. Isaiah has been prepared to speak God’s message. altar . . . atoned for. God declares the remedy for Isaiah’s sin to be sufficient and instantly effective.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:8 Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Compare “let us make man” (Gen. 1:26). God could be addressing himself, as one God existing in three Persons (the Christian doctrine of the Trinity; see note on Gen. 1:26), or he could be addressing his heavenly court. This second interpretation is less likely, since God alone is doing the sending here.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:9–10 God decrees that the prophet’s ministry will have a hardening effect on his hearers (compare Matt. 13:14–15; John 12:39–40; Acts 28:25–27).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:11–13 God’s discipline will leave only a remnant of his people—the holy seed—like a single stump left after a forest has been burned over.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:1 In the days of Ahaz is c. 735 B.C., when Ahaz has just begun his reign. Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel. Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel (“Ephraim,” v. 2) try to force the southern kingdom of Judah to join them against Assyria.
The book of Isaiah reveals few details about the prophet himself. We know that he was the son of Amoz, that he was a husband and a father, and that at God’s command he used some rather unusual methods of getting his point across (20:2–6)! With the exception of a few details such as these, the Bible focuses exclusively on the prophet’s message. God called Isaiah to be a prophet in a time when the people of Judah were no longer faithful to the covenant. The nation’s disobedience meant that their prospects for the future involved God’s judgment rather than his blessing. Isaiah denounced the people’s hypocrisy, greed, and idolatry. The heart of his message, however, is found in the meaning of his name: “Yahweh is salvation.” Isaiah’s vision is ultimately a message of hope for sinners through the coming Messiah. (Isaiah 6:8–13)
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:2 the house of David. Because of God’s covenant with his forefather David, Ahaz can be confident of God’s protective care (see 2 Sam. 7:8–17; Ps. 89:3–4).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:3–4 Isaiah delivers God’s message that Ahaz does not need to fear . . . Rezin and Pekah.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:7–9 Human threats are to be dismissed and divine promises firmly trusted, for the Lord GOD rules all events. within sixty-five years. The northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 B.C. By around 670 B.C. the ethnic identity of the former kingdom would have been changed due to foreign settlers (see 2 Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:1–2, 10). If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all. The southern kingdom still has an opportunity to hold fast to God, but their faith must be firm. Not believing God destabilizes everything for Ahaz, not just his religious life.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:10–17 Ahaz, king of Judah, sees Syria and Ephraim (the northern kingdom) as a threat, even though the Lord has said Ahaz has nothing to fear from them. Though Ahaz is the heir of David’s throne, he has put his firm faith in the king of Assyria (v. 9; see 2 Kings 16:1–9). He placed his hope in human power rather than in the Lord. But Isaiah calls for Ahaz and all of Jerusalem to put their faith in a far more reliable ally: “the Lord himself” (Isa. 7:14). The Lord invites Ahaz to request a sign to strengthen his faith (v. 11), but Ahaz refuses to do so, saying I will not put the LORD to the test (v. 12; see Deut. 6:16). Isaiah then addresses the house of David (Isa. 7:13). He accuses the royal house of wearying God, but he also offers them a sign from the Lord himself (v. 14). This sign is the famous announcement of a son born to a virgin, whose name will be Immanuel. This child’s life is to be the sign that confirms the truth of the divine word, which the LORD will bring upon you (v. 17; see note on vv. 15–17).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:14 the Lord himself. The divine King offers a sign. The word translated virgin refers specifically to a “maiden”—that is, a young woman who is unmarried and has not had a sexual relationship with anyone. Thus Matthew rightly applied this prophecy to the virgin birth of Christ (Matt. 1:23). This prophecy also had significance for Isaiah’s day. Ahaz and his house stood judged by God for unbelief. The passage gave hope to faithful believers like Isaiah for a future Messiah. The sign finds its final fulfillment in the virgin birth of Jesus, who is literally “God with us” (the meaning of Immanuel).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:15–17 The threat from Syria and Ephraim will pass in less time than it takes for the boy (possibly meaning “any boy”) to reach an age when he can refuse the evil and choose the good. In fact, Syria did fall to Assyria in 732 B.C. and Israel fell in 722. But the agent of deliverance—the king of Assyria—was a worse disaster for Judah. Ahaz forsook “the King, the LORD of hosts” (6:5) for a dreaded earthly king (2 Kings 16:5–9). Ahaz’s unbelief doomed the Davidic dynasty to foreign domination. Now God must restore the throne of David.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:1–2 Through Isaiah’s son, God provides a witness to his promise of deliverance of Judah from the coalition of Syria and Israel.
Shaving. Being forced to shave was a mark of humiliation (7:20). In some nations of that time, the hair of slaves was shaved in a particular way to identify them as their owner’s property.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:3 Isaiah’s wife, the prophetess, bears the “sign-child,” Maher-shalal-hash-baz (see v. 18).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:6–7 The waters of Shiloah that flow gently is used here as an image of God’s faithful care, available to his people. the waters of the (Euphrates) River. Verse 7 describes a swollen “river” of Assyrian military power flowing over Syria and Ephraim and flooding south into Judah, who will survive only by standing on tiptoe to keep her head above the tide (chs. 36–37).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:9–10 In view of Immanuel’s future triumph, Isaiah announces that the enemies of God who gather against his people will be shattered (compare Gen. 3:15).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:11–15 The holy God, who is the sanctuary for frightened human beings who turn to him, is also the snare for those who do not fear him.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:16–22 The difference between the remnant (vv. 16–18) and the hardened nation (vv. 19–22) becomes clear. God marks his own as loyal disciples who preserve the testimony of his word (v. 16).
A sanctuary and a rock? Elsewhere in Scripture, the Lord is described as a “rock” that provides a place of “sanctuary” or “refuge” (see Ps. 61:2–3). Here, however, he is a “sanctuary” for his people but a “rock” over which his enemies will stumble (Isa. 8:14; compare Rom. 9:33).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:1 Her who was in anguish refers to Israel as the people of God under his discipline. In the former time. Isaiah sees the tragic present as if it were already past. Brought into contempt, that is, humiliated with national defeat. in the latter time he has made glorious. A past-tense verb, because the prophetic eye sees the future in a matter-of-fact vision. The people of God will finally experience the glorious future prophesied in 2:3 through the triumph of their Messiah.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:2 The people who walked in darkness. People like those who refused the appeal of 2:5 (see also 5:30; 8:22; John 3:19–20). on them has light shone. An objective, surprising joy for sinners through the grace of God (see Isa. 42:6; 49:6; 2 Cor. 4:6).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:3 You have multiplied the nation. No longer are the faithful a small remnant (see 26:15; 54:1–5).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:4 God liberates humanity as on the day of Midian (see Judges 6–7, where Gideon achieves an improbable victory over Midian by the power of God).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:6 to us. A gift of divine grace to sinners. a child . . . a son. This is the invincible figure of vv. 4–5 (see Ps. 2:7–9; Luke 1:32). born . . . given. Isaiah presents the events as if it were the time of the child’s arrival, with an expectation of what he will achieve (Isa. 9:7). Wonderful Counselor. A “counselor” is one who is able to make wise plans (see 11:2). He is a ruler whose wisdom is beyond human capabilities. Mighty God. A title for the Lord (10:20–21; Deut. 10:17; Neh. 9:32; Jer. 32:18). Everlasting Father. A kind protector (see Isa. 22:21), which is the task of the ideal king and is also the way God himself cares for his people (see 63:16; 64:8; Ps. 103:13). Prince of Peace. He will bring peace (shalom) as the nations rely on his just decisions in their disputes (see Isa. 2:4; 11:6–9; 42:4; 49:7; 52:15).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:7 This messianic heir of David will extend his rule to include all Gentiles, thus bringing to them the blessing of knowing the true God (Gen. 49:10; 2 Sam. 7:8–16).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:8–12 Pride is the source of all the nation’s disasters.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:8–9 Jacob . . . Israel . . . Ephraim . . . Samaria. The northern kingdom rebelled against the throne of David and against the worship of the Lord (see 1 Kings 12:16–33).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:11 adversaries of Rezin. The Assyrians.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:12 his anger. God’s anger is caused by their sin (Deut. 29:22–28; see Ex. 34:6–7; Isa. 42:24–25; Nah. 1:2–3; Rom. 2:5).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:14 in one day. Judgment comes suddenly, perhaps referring to 722 B.C., when the northern kingdom fell.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:1–4 Corrupt wealth leads to helplessness.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:3 ruin that will come from afar. The Assyrian invasion.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:4 fall among the slain. In his writings, the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III boasted of stacking the corpses of his defeated enemies and heaping up piles of their skulls (see Nah. 3:3). Captivity or death is the only possible outcome.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:6 a godless nation. Unbelieving Israel (9:17).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:7 But he does not so intend. Events unfold through human intentions but also, more deeply, through God’s intention (see Luke 22:22; Acts 4:27–28).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:8–9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? In each pair of cities listed, the first is geographically nearer to God’s people than the second. The speaker is saying that, since he has conquered the more distant of each pair of cities, surely he can conquer the nearer one as well.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:10–11 The Assyrian sees no end to his victories. Compare the similar boasting by a later Assyrian, 36:13–20; 37:8–13.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:16–19 The mighty Assyrian army is reduced nearly to nothing.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:20–23 The remnant of Israel returns to God.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:22 Destruction . . . overflowing with righteousness. God’s acts of judgment are entirely just and fair.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:24–26 Fearful Zion is made confident in God’s promises.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:28–32 Isaiah imagines the terrifying approach of the Assyrian army through the villages toward Jerusalem. But the invader is stopped at the last moment and can only shake his fist at the holy city.
Yokes were wooden frames placed on work animals such as oxen to harness their power. When Israelites heard prophets like Isaiah speak of the yokes placed on them by their oppressors (10:27), they would readily understand what he meant.