15 Woe H1945 unto them that seek deep H6009 to hide H5641 their counsel H6098 from the LORD, H3068 and their works H4639 are in the dark, H4285 and they say, H559 Who seeth H7200 us? and who knoweth H3045 us?
Then said H559 he unto me, Son H1121 of man, H120 hast thou seen H7200 what the ancients H2205 of the house H1004 of Israel H3478 do H6213 in the dark, H2822 every man H376 in the chambers H2315 of his imagery? H4906 for they say, H559 The LORD H3068 seeth H7200 us not; the LORD H3068 hath forsaken H5800 the earth. H776
Woe H1945 to the rebellious H5637 children, H1121 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 that take H6213 counsel, H6098 but not of me; and that cover H5258 with a covering, H4541 but not of my spirit, H7307 that they may add H5595 sin H2403 to sin: H2403
Ye have wearied H3021 the LORD H3068 with your words. H1697 Yet ye say, H559 Wherein have we wearied H3021 him? When ye say, H559 Every one that doeth H6213 evil H7451 is good H2896 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 and he delighteth H2654 in them; or, Where is the God H430 of judgment? H4941
For thou hast trusted H982 in thy wickedness: H7451 thou hast said, H559 None seeth H7200 me. Thy wisdom H2451 and thy knowledge, H1847 it hath perverted H7725 thee; and thou hast said H559 in thine heart, H3820 I am, and none else H657 beside me.
Because ye have said, H559 We have made H3772 a covenant H1285 with death, H4194 and with hell H7585 are we H6213 at agreement; H2374 when the overflowing H7857 scourge H7752 H7885 shall pass through, H5674 H5674 it shall not come H935 unto us: for we have made H7760 lies H3577 our refuge, H4268 and under falsehood H8267 have we hid H5641 ourselves:
He hath said H559 in his heart, H3820 God H410 hath forgotten: H7911 he hideth H5641 his face; H6440 he will never H5331 see H7200 it. Arise, H6965 O LORD; H3068 O God, H410 lift up H5375 thine hand: H3027 forget H7911 not the humble. H6035 H6041 Wherefore doth the wicked H7563 contemn H5006 God? H430 he hath said H559 in his heart, H3820 Thou wilt not require H1875 it.
Then said H559 he unto me, The iniquity H5771 of the house H1004 of Israel H3478 and Judah H3063 is exceeding H3966 H3966 great, H1419 and the land H776 is full H4390 of blood, H1818 and the city H5892 full H4390 of perverseness: H4297 for they say, H559 The LORD H3068 hath forsaken H5800 the earth, H776 and the LORD H3068 seeth H7200 not.
And G2532 I will kill G615 her G846 children G5043 with G1722 death; G2288 and G2532 all G3956 the churches G1577 shall know G1097 that G3754 I G1473 am G1510 he which G3588 searcheth G2045 the reins G3510 and G2532 hearts: G2588 and G2532 I will give G1325 unto every one G1538 of you G5213 according to G2596 your G5216 works. G2041
But G235 have renounced G550 the hidden things G2927 of dishonesty, G152 not G3361 walking G4043 in G1722 craftiness, G3834 nor G3366 handling G1389 the word G3056 of God G2316 deceitfully; G1389 but G235 by manifestation G5321 of the truth G225 commending G4921 ourselves G1438 to G4314 every G3956 man's G444 conscience G4893 in the sight G1799 of God. G2316
Therefore G5620 judge G2919 nothing G3361 G5100 before G4253 the time, G2540 until G2193 G302 the Lord G2962 come, G2064 who G3739 both G2532 will bring to light G5461 the hidden things G2927 of darkness, G4655 and G2532 will make manifest G5319 the counsels G1012 of the hearts: G2588 and G2532 then G5119 shall every man G1538 have G1096 praise G1868 of G575 God. G2316
And G1161 this G3778 is G2076 the condemnation, G2920 that G3754 light G5457 is come G2064 into G1519 the world, G2889 and G2532 men G444 loved G25 darkness G4655 rather G3123 than G2228 light, G5457 because G1063 their G846 deeds G2041 were G2258 evil. G4190
In G1722 the mean time, G3739 when there were gathered together G1996 an innumerable multitude G3461 of people, G3793 insomuch that G5620 they trode G2662 one upon another, G240 he began G756 to say G3004 unto G4314 his G846 disciples G3101 first of all, G4412 Beware G4337 ye G1438 of G575 the leaven G2219 of the Pharisees, G5330 which G3748 is G2076 hypocrisy. G5272 For G1161 there is G2076 nothing G3762 covered, G4780 that G3739 shall G601 not G3756 be revealed; G601 neither G2532 hid, G2927 that G3739 shall G1097 not G3756 be known. G1097 Therefore G473 G3739 whatsoever G3745 ye have spoken G2036 in G1722 darkness G4653 shall be heard G191 in G1722 the light; G5457 and G2532 that which G3739 ye have spoken G2980 in G4314 the ear G3775 in G1722 closets G5009 shall be proclaimed G2784 upon G1909 the housetops. G1430
And it shall come to pass at that time, H6256 that I will search H2664 Jerusalem H3389 with candles, H5216 and punish H6485 the men H582 that are settled H7087 on their lees: H8105 that say H559 in their heart, H3824 The LORD H3068 will not do good, H3190 neither will he do evil. H7489
I will declare H5046 thy righteousness, H6666 and thy works; H4639 for they shall not profit H3276 thee.
Judgment H4941 also will I lay H7760 to the line, H6957 and righteousness H6666 to the plummet: H4949 and the hail H1259 shall sweep away H3261 the refuge H4268 of lies, H3577 and the waters H4325 shall overflow H7857 the hiding place. H5643
Woe H1945 unto them that draw H4900 iniquity H5771 with cords H2256 of vanity, H7723 and sin H2403 as it were with a cart H5699 rope: H5688 That say, H559 Let him make speed, H4116 and hasten H2363 his work, H4639 that we may see H7200 it: and let the counsel H6098 of the Holy One H6918 of Israel H3478 draw nigh H7126 and come, H935 that we may know H3045 it!
[[To the chief Musician, H5329 A Psalm H4210 of David.]] H1732 O LORD, H3068 thou hast searched H2713 me, and known H3045 me. Thou knowest H3045 my downsitting H3427 and mine uprising, H6965 thou understandest H995 my thought H7454 afar off. H7350 Thou compassest H2219 my path H734 and my lying down, H7252 and art acquainted H5532 with all my ways. H1870 For there is not a word H4405 in my tongue, H3956 but, lo, O LORD, H3068 thou knowest H3045 it altogether. Thou hast beset H6696 me behind H268 and before, H6924 and laid H7896 thine hand H3709 upon me. Such knowledge H1847 is too wonderful H6383 H6383 for me; it is high, H7682 I cannot H3201 attain unto it. Whither shall I go H3212 from thy spirit? H7307 or whither shall I flee H1272 from thy presence? H6440 If I ascend up H5266 into heaven, H8064 thou art there: if I make my bed H3331 in hell, H7585 behold, thou art there.
Yet they say, H559 The LORD H3050 shall not see, H7200 neither shall the God H430 of Jacob H3290 regard H995 it. Understand, H995 ye brutish H1197 among the people: H5971 and ye fools, H3684 when will ye be wise? H7919 He that planted H5193 the ear, H241 shall he not hear? H8085 he that formed H3335 the eye, H5869 shall he not see? H5027
They encourage H2388 themselves in an evil H7451 matter: H1697 they commune H5608 of laying H2934 snares H4170 privily; H2934 they say, H559 Who shall see H7200 them? They search out H2664 iniquities; H5766 they accomplish H8552 a diligent H2664 search: H2665 both the inward H7130 thought of every one H376 of them, and the heart, H3820 is deep. H6013
They are of those that rebel H4775 against the light; H216 they know H5234 not the ways H1870 thereof, nor abide H3427 in the paths H5410 thereof. The murderer H7523 rising H6965 with the light H216 killeth H6991 the poor H6041 and needy, H34 and in the night H3915 is as a thief. H1590 The eye H5869 also of the adulterer H5003 waiteth H8104 for the twilight, H5399 saying, H559 No eye H5869 shall see H7789 me: and disguiseth H5643 H7760 his face. H6440 In the dark H2822 they dig through H2864 houses, H1004 which they had marked H2856 for themselves in the daytime: H3119 they know H3045 not the light. H216 For the morning H1242 is to them even as H3162 the shadow of death: H6757 if one know H5234 them, they are in the terrors H1091 of the shadow of death. H6757
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 29
Commentary on Isaiah 29 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 29
This woe to Ariel, which we have in this chapter, is the same with the "burden of the valley of vision' (ch. 22:1), and (it is very probable) points at the same event-the besieging of Jerusalem by the Assyrian army, which was cut off there by an angel; yet it is applicable to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, and its last desolations by the Romans. Here is,
Isa 29:1-8
That it is Jerusalem which is here called Ariel is agreed, for that was the city where David dwelt; that part of it which was called Zion was in a particular manner the city of David, in which both the temple and the palace were. But why it is so called is very uncertain: probably the name and the reason were then well known. Cities, as well as persons, get surnames and nicknames. Ariel signifies the lion of God, or the strong lion: as the lion is king among beasts, so was Jerusalem among the cities, giving law to all about her; it was the city of the great King (Ps. 48:1, 2); it was the head-city of Judah, who is called a lion's whelp (Gen. 49:9) and whose ensign was a lion; and he that is the lion of the tribe of Judah was the glory of it. Jerusalem was a terror sometimes to the neighbouring nations, and, while she was a righteous city, was bold as a lion. Some make Ariel to signify the altar of burnt-offerings, which devoured the beasts offered in sacrifice as the lion does his prey. Woe to that altar in the city where David dwelt; that was destroyed with the temple by the Chaldeans. I rather take it as a woe to Jerusalem, Jerusalem; it is repeated here, as it is Mt. 23:37, that it might be the more awakening. Here is,
Isa 29:9-16
Here,
Isa 29:17-24
Those that thought to hide their counsels from the Lord were said to turn things upside down (v. 16), and they intended to do it unknown to God; but God here tells them that he will turn things upside down his way; and let us see whose word shall stand, his or theirs. They disbelieve Providence: "Wait awhile,' says God, "and you shall be convinced by ocular demonstration that there is a God who governs the world, and that he governs it and orders all the changes that are in it for the good of his church.' The wonderful revolution here foretold may refer primarily to the happy settlement of the affairs of Judah and Jerusalem after the defeat of Sennacherib's attempt, and the repose which good people then enjoyed, when they were delivered from the alarms of the sword both of war and persecution. But it may look further, to the rejection of the Jews at the first planting of the gospel (for their hypocrisy and infidelity were here foretold, v. 13) and the admission of the Gentiles into the church.