ISAIAH 28-30

Six woe sayings introduce material in chapters 28-35. We don't know much about the historical situation being addressed.

Chapter 28

vv. 1-6 an earlier prophecy during the time in which Israel was still a nation.

v. 1 Literally, struck down, hammered with wine. Amos 6:4-7 condemns the Ephraimites as being drunkards.

v. 2 probably Sennacherib

v. 4 First figs are fragile and vulnerable.

vv. 5-6 The true garland or diadem is the remnant, not the city of Ephraim.

v. 7 “these too” refers now to Judah's leaders.

vv. 9-10 One interpretation of the gibberish is that the drunken priests were only capable of instructing babies, or that their audience could only understand the prophetic word at a childish level. Another interpretation is that this is a quotation from Isaiah's enemies who accuse him of offering simplistic solutions. Splinter Jewish group believed that the existence of the world depended upon these three words (corruptions of line, precept and here a little). It may be a schoolroom jingle based on the alphabet or may be meaningless words like blah, blah, blah.

v. 11 Isaiah's answer: God will speak to them in the Akkadian language of the Assyrian conquerors. Paul quotes this in I Corinthians 14:21 to remind people that unknown tongues are not God's greeting to a believing congregation but his rebuke to an unbelieving one.

v. 13b. The last four verbs are identical to those in the parallel passage in Isaiah 8:15. The people are instructed by the natural consequences of their actions.

v. 15 perhaps refers to the pact that Judah made with Egypt (and their preoccupation with death). Or a pact with Mot, the god of death, sealed with a drunken feast. Or just a boast that death cannot touch them. Scourge = whip.

v. 16 refers to a new society based on moral order. Paul in Romans 9:33 combined this verse with Isaiah 8:14 to make his point. It is interesting that the first verse in Isaiah refers to God as the stone while God lays the stone in the second quote. Jesus fulfills both contexts. Also, this verse is quoted in I Peter 2:4-6 and applied to Christ.

The common Assyrian practice was to return to same spot time and time again to attack.

v. 21 References to (a) 2 Samuel 5:20 where David says that God broke through the Philistines like a flood and (b) Joshua 10:11 where God used a hailstorm to help Gideon defeat five kings. See Isaiah 28:17. Unlike the two previous occasions mentioned when God fought for Israel, now he will fight against them.

vv. 23-29 Parable of the Good Farmer

There is a right and wrong way and time to grow crops. Violence must be applied, but not too much, or the results will not be favorable.

v. 29 again a linking of “wonderful” and “counsel.”

Chapter 29

v. 1 “Ariel” literally means mighty lion or lion of God. Some feel it refers to Jerusalem (har-El = mountain of God). Others go to the meaning in Ezekiel, which is an altar hearth; i.e., Jerusalem will become like a place of slaughter.

v. 4 Reminiscent of language in 8:19. Judah will be reduced to a ghost-like state.

v. 5 Sudden change of fates. Besieged Jerusalem is besieged no more, and the Assyrian army has vanished.

v. 9 “Stupify” is also translated as linger or astonish.

v. 15 Those who are blind think that God is the one who cannot see.

vv. 9-16 This time it is a spiritual drunkenness, not a literal one.

v. 10 may refer to shutting off of the prophetic word from the people.

vv. 13-14 is quoted by Jesus in Matthew and Mark to refer to scribes and Pharisees. Example of Job in reversing popular wisdom.

v. 15 is directed at the politicians and their futile maneuvering

v. 17 The cedars of Lebanon will be gone so that the land can be used for agriculture. Reverse is true also – like the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

v. 18 reverses the situation of verses 11-12.

Chapter 30

vv. 1-5 Judah allied herself with Egypt around 705 BC, but the latter was defeated by Babylon shortly afterward.

v. 4 The mention of Zoan reminds people that this was the place where their fathers had been enslaved by Egypt.

vv. 6-7 Description of the difficult journey that the envoys of Judah made to Egypt. Rahab is a sea monster who represents primeval chaos and is also used as a symbol for Egypt.

v. 18 ESV has “long for” rather than “wait for.”

v. 20 The teacher is probably the LORD, or more likely one like the Suffering Servant. It takes a plural verb indicating plural of majesty; thus some think it refers to all of God's teachings in the Torah.

v. 26 if taken literally would lead to disaster. Perhaps “seven” is to be understood symbolically.

vv. 27-28 Assyria meets its doom.

vv. 29-33 contains an abundance of metaphors

vv. 32-33 have imagery from the pilgrimage psalms, combined with language referring to human sacrifices to Molech at a Topeth (burning place) = Gehenna of NT times.