Its streams will be turned into pitch, its dust into sulfur, And its land will become burning pitch.
It won’t be quenched night nor day. Its smoke will go up forever. From generation to generation, it will lie waste. No one will pass through it forever and ever.
But the pelican and the porcupine will possess it. The owl and the raven will dwell in it. He will stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plumb line of emptiness.
They shall call its nobles to the kingdom, but none shall be there; and all its princes shall be nothing.
Thorns will come up in its palaces, nettles and thistles in its fortresses; and it will be a habitation of jackals, a court for ostriches.
The wild animals of the desert will meet with the wolves, and the wild goat will cry to his fellow. Yes, the night creature shall settle there, and shall find herself a place of rest.
The arrow snake will make her nest there, and lay, hatch, and gather under her shade. Yes, the kites will be gathered there, every one with her mate.
Search in the book of Yahweh, and read: not one of these will be missing. None will lack her mate. For my mouth has commanded, and his Spirit has gathered them.
He has cast the lot for them, and his hand has divided it to them with a measuring line. They shall possess it forever. From generation to generation they will dwell in it.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17 He alludeth to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,…
He alludeth to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen. 19:24.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv9–17 Isa 34:9 And the streams thereof shall be turned…
Isa 34:9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
Ver. 9. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch.] Like the lake of Sodom, which is near to Idumea, and whereof Josephus {a} writes, that an ox, having all his legs bound, will not sink into it, the water is so thick and pitchy. Strabo, though a stranger to this prophecy, attesteth the accomplishment of it. Lyra saith that in some part of Idumea there is still ascending a smoke of fire and brimstone, as out of Mount Etna in Sicily. {b} And Hyperius thinketh that the Edomites are here further threatened with hell torments. It should seem so by the next words.
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{a} Alludit ad vicinam et situ et scelare et clade Sodomam - Lib. v. De Bell. Jud.
{b} Geog., lib. xvi.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv9–17 The streams, which seem most secure from this danger,…
The streams, which seem most secure from this danger, and much more the land. Idumea shall be dealt with as Sodom and Gomorrah were, even utterly destroyed, as it were, by fire, or burning pitch and brimstone thrown down upon it from heaven.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v9 This prophecy looks very black, but surely it looks…
This prophecy looks very black, but surely it looks so further than upon Edom and Bozrah. 1. It describes the melancholy changes that are often made by the divine Providence, in countries, cities, palaces, and families. Places that have flourished and been much frequented strangely go to decay. We know not where to find the places where many great towns, celebrated in history, once stood. Fruitful countries, in process of time, are turned into barrenness, and pompous populous cities into ruinous heaps. Old decayed castles look frightful, and their ruins are almost as much dreaded as ever their garrisons were. 2. It describes the destroying judgments which are the effects of God's wrath and the just punishment of those that are enemies to his people, which God will inflict when the year of the redeemed has come, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. Those that aim to ruin the church can never do that, but will infallibly ruin themselves. 3. It describes the final desolation of this wicked world, which is reserved unto fire at the day of judgment, Pe2 3:7. The earth itself, when it, and all the works that are therein, shall be burnt up, will (for aught I know) be turned into a hell to all those that set their affections on earthly things. However, this prophecy shows us what will be the lot of the generation of God's curse.
I. The country shall become like the lake of Sodom, Isa 34:9, Isa 34:10. The streams thereof, that both watered the land and pleased and refreshed the inhabitants, shall now be turned into pitch, shall be congealed, shall look black, and shall move slowly, or not at all. Their floods to lazy streams of pitch shall turn; so Sir R. Blackmore. The dust thereof shall be turned into brimstone; so combustible has sin made their land that it shall take fire at the first spark of God's wrath struck upon it; and, when it has taken fire, it shall become burning pitch; the fire shall be universal, not a house, or town, on fire, but a whole country; and it shall not be in the power of any to suppress or extinguish it. It shall burn continually, burn perpetually, and shall not be quenched night nor day. The torment of those in hell, or that have a hell within them in their own consciences, is without interruption; the smoke of this fire goes up for ever. As long as there are provoking sinners on earth, from one generation to another, an increase of sinful men, to augment the fierce anger of the Lord (Num 32:14), there will be a righteous God in heaven to punish them for it. And as long as a people keep up a succession of sinners God will have a succession of plagues for them; nor will any that fall under the wrath of God be ever able to recover themselves. It will be found, how light soever men make of it, that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. If the land be doomed to destruction, none shall pass through it, but travellers will choose rather to go a great way about than come within the smell of it.
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II. The cities shall become like old decayed houses, which, being deserted by the owners, look very frightful, being commonly possessed by beasts of prey or birds of ill omen. See how dismally the palaces of the enemy look; the description is peculiarly elegant and fine. 1. God shall mark them for ruin and destruction. He shall stretch out upon Bozrah the line of confusion with the stones or plummets of emptiness, Isa 34:11. This intimates the equity of the sentence passed upon it; it is given according to the rules of justice and the exact agreeableness of the execution with the sentence; the destruction is not wrought at random, but by line and level. The confusion and emptiness that shall overspread the face of the whole country shall be like that of the whole earth when it was Tohu and Bohu (the very words here used) - without form and void. Gen 1:2. Sin will soon turn a paradise into a chaos, and sully the beauty of the whole creation. When there is confusion there will soon be emptiness; but both are appointed by the governor of the world, and in exact proportions. 2. Their great men shall be all cut off, and none of them shall dare to appear (Isa 34:12): They shall call the nobles of the kingdom to take care of the arduous affairs which lie before them, but none shall be there to take this ruin under their hand, and all her princes, having the sad tidings brought them, shall be nothing, shall be at their wits' end, and not be able to stand them in stead, to shelter them from destruction.
III. Even the houses of state, and those of strength, shall become as wildernesses (Isa 34:13); not only grass shall grow, but thorns shall come up, in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof, and there shall be none to cut them up or tread them down. We sometimes see ruined buildings thus overgrown with rubbish. It intimates that the place shall not only be uninhabited and unfrequented where a full court used to be kept, but that it shall be under the curse of God; for thorns and thistles were the production of the curse, Gen 3:18.
IV. They shall become the residence and rendezvous of fearful frightful beasts and birds, which usually frequent such melancholy places, because there they may be undisturbed, and, when they are frightened thither, they help to frighten men thence. This circumstance of the desolation, being apt to strike a horror upon the mind, is much enlarged upon here, Isa 34:11. The cormorant shall possess it, or the pelican, which affects to be solitary (Psa 102:6); and the bittern, which makes a hideous noise, the owl, a melancholy bird, the raven, a bird of prey, invited by the dead carcases, shall dwell there (with all the ill-boding monsters of the air, Sir R. B.), all the unclean birds, which were not for the service of man, Isa 34:13. It shall be a habitation for dragons, which are poisonous and hurtful.
And in their lofty rooms of state,
Where cringing sycophants did wait,
Dragons shall hiss and hungry wolves shall howl;
In courts before by mighty lords possess'd
The serpent shall erect his speckled crest,
Or fold his circling spires to rest.
- Sir R. Blackmore
That which was a court for princes shall now be a court for owls or ostriches, Isa 34:14. The wild beasts of the desert, the dry and sandy country, shall meet, as it were by appointment, with the wild beasts of the island, the wet marshy country, and shall regale themselves with such a perfect desolation as they shall find there.
Leopards, and all the rav'ning brotherhoods
That range the plains, or lurk in woods,
Each other shall invite to come,
And make this wilder place their home.
Fierce beasts of every frightful shape and size
Shall settle here their bloody colonies.
- Sir R. Blackmore
The satyr shall cry to his fellow to go with him to this desert place, or, being there, they shall please themselves that they have found such an agreeable habitation. There shall the screech-owl rest, a night-bird and an ominous one. The great owl shall there make her nest (Isa 34:15) and lay and hatch; the breed of them shall be kept up to provide heirs for this desolate place. The vultures which feast on carcases, shall be gathered there, every one with his mate. Now observe, 1. How the places which men have deserted, and keep at a distance from, are proper receptacles for other animals, which the providence of God takes care of, and will not neglect. 2. Whom those resemble that are morose, unsociable, and unconversable, and affect a melancholy retirement; they are like these solitary creatures that take delight in desolations. 3. What a dismal change sin makes; it turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a frequented city into a wilderness.
V. Here is an assurance given of the full accomplishment of this prediction, even to the most minute circumstance of it (Isa 34:16, Isa 34:17): "Seek you out of the book of the Lord and read. When this destruction comes compare the event with the prediction, and you will find it to answer exactly." Note, The book of the prophets is the book of the Lord, and we ought to consult it and converse with it as of divine origin and authority. We must not only read it, but see out of it, search into it, turn first to one text and then to another and compare them together. Abundance of useful knowledge might thus be extracted, by a diligent search, out of the scriptures, which cannot be got by a superficial reading of them. When you have read the prediction out of the book of the Lord then observe, 1. That according to what you have read so you see; not one of these shall fail, either beast or fowl: and, it being foretold that they shall possess it from generation to generation, in order to that, that the species may be propagated, none shall want her mate; these marks of desolation shall be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the land. 2. That God's mouth having commanded this direful muster his Spirit shall gather them, as the creatures by instinct were gathered to Adam to be named and to Noah to be housed. What God's word has appointed his Spirit will effect and bring about, for no word of God shall fall to the ground. The word of God's promise shall in like manner be accomplished by the operations of the Spirit. 3. That there is an exact order and proportion observed in the accomplishment of this threatening: He has cast the lot for these birds and beasts, so that each one shall know his place as readily as if it were marked by line. See the like, Joe 2:7, Joe 2:8, They shall not break their ranks, neither shall one thrust another. The soothsayers among the heathen foretold events by the flight of birds, as if the fate of men depended on them. But here we find that the flight of birds is under the direction of the God of Israel: he has cast the lot for them. 4. That the desolation shall be perpetual: They shall possess it for ever. God's Jerusalem may be laid in ruins; but Jerusalem of old recovered itself out of its ruins, till it gave place to the gospel Jerusalem, which may be brought low, but shall be rebuilt, and shall continue till it give place to the heavenly Jerusalem. But the enemies of the church shall be for ever desolate, shall be punished with an everlasting destruction.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv9–17 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch,....…
And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch,.... The Septuagint render it, "the valleys"; the word signifying both rivers and valleys, most render it rivers or streams. The Targum is express,
"the rivers of Rome shall be turned into pitch;''
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by which may be meant the maritime places belonging to the Romish jurisdiction, the same on which the third vial will be poured, by which the rivers and fountains of waters will become blood; and which refers to this very time, when blood shall be given to the whore of Rome to drink, Rev 16:4. The allusion, in this and some following clauses, is to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; see Jer 49:17,
and the dust thereof into brimstone; and so easily take fire:
and the land thereof shall become burning pitch: plainly pointing to the destruction of Rome by fire, Rev 17:16.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17 The land - Idumea shall be dealt with, as…
The land - Idumea shall be dealt with, as Sodom and Gomorrah were.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv11, 13, 14, 15, 16 Verse 11. The cormorant] קאת kaath, the pelican, from…
Verse 11. The cormorant] קאת kaath, the pelican, from the root קיא ki, to vomit, because it is said she swallows shell-fish, and when the heat of her stomach has killed the fish, she vomits the shells, takes out the dead fish, and eats them.
The bittern] קפד kippod, the hedge-hog, or porcupine.
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The owl] ינשוף yanshoph, the bittern, from נשף nashaph, to blow, because of the blowing noise it makes, almost like the lowing of an ox. My old MS. Bible renders the words thus: - The foule in face like an asse, and the yrchoun, and the snyte (snipe.)
The line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness - "The plummet of emptiness over her scorched plains."] The word חריה choreyha, joined to the 12th verse, embarrasses it, and makes it inexplicable. At least I do not know that any one has yet made out the construction, or given any tolerable explication of it. I join it to the 11th verse, and supply a letter or two, which seem to have been lost. Fifteen MSS. five ancient, and two editions, read חוריה choreyha; the first printed edition of 1486, I think nearer to the truth, חור חריה chor choreyha. I read בחרריה becharereyha, or על חרריה al chorereyha; see Jer 17:6. A MS. has חדיה chodiah, and the Syriac reads חדוה chaduah, gaudium, joining it to the two preceding words; which he likewise reads differently, but without improving the sense. However, his authority is clear for dividing the verses as they are here divided. I read שם shem, as a noun. They shall boast, יקראו yikreu; see Pr 20:6.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv9, 16 Isa 34:9-15. And the streams thereof — The rivers,…
Isa 34:9-15. And the streams thereof — The rivers, which seem most secure from the judgment here threatened; shall be turned into pitch, &c. — The country shall be dealt with as Sodom and Gomorrah were, even utterly destroyed, as it were, by fire, or burning pitch and brimstone, thrown down upon it from heaven. From generation to generation it shall lie waste — It shall be irrecoverably ruined, and shall remain a spectacle of God’s vengeance to all succeeding ages. The cormorant, &c., shall possess it — The inhabitants shall be wholly cut off, and it shall be entirely possessed by those creatures which delight in deserts and waste places: see Isa 13:21-22; and Isa 14:23. He shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, &c. — He shall use the line, and the stone, or plummet, joined to it, not to build it up, but to mark it out for destruction and desolation. Thus the prophet goes on to “paint, in the most chosen figures, an image of the land and city desolated by war, wasted by fire, and devoted to eternal desolation, by the divine judgment; which should not only be deprived of its inhabitants, and left to impure beasts and birds, but also, by the desolations brought upon it, should be rendered uninhabitable, and present the appearance of the infernal flames, like another Sodom and Gomorrah, sending forth continually black smoke and horrid smells. The desolation of Babylon is set forth in similar terms, Isa 13:19, &c. Though Rome pagan and the Roman powers have already suffered great desolation from the Goths and others, yet Vitringa is of opinion that this prophecy has not yet had its full completion, but will hereafter have it in the destruction of Papal Rome. The state of Italy, and the sulphurous soil in the vicinity of Rome, render the probability of this devastation greater.” — Dodd.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv9–17 And the streams thereof - The idea here is,…
And the streams thereof - The idea here is, that there would be as great and awful a destruction as if the streams everywhere should become pitch or resin, which would be set on fire, and which would fill the land with flame. This image is very striking, as we may see by supposing the rivers and streams in any land to flow not with water, but with heated pitch, turpentine, or tar, and that this was all suddenly kindled into a flame. It cannot be supposed that this is to be taken literally. The image is evidently taken from the destruction of Sodom and Gamorrah (Gen 19:25-28), an image which is more fully used in reference to the same subject in Jer 49:17-18 : ‘And Edom shall be a desolation;... as in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbor cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.’
And the dust thereof into brimstone - The ruin shall be as entire as if all the soil were turned into brimstone, which should be ignited and left burning.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16 Pitch. The soil was sulphureous, and became neglected, (ver.…
Pitch. The soil was sulphureous, and became neglected, (ver. 10.) like the territory of Sodom. The people are now no more, and only a few miserable Arabs pitch their tents there.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures 1864 · Public Domain On v16 16 Seek ye out of the book of the…
3. CONCLUDING REMARK: SUMMONS TO COMPARE THE PROPHECY WITH ITS FULFILMENT
Isa_34:16-17
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16 Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read,
No one of these 24shall fail,
None shall want her mate:
For my mouth it hath commanded, and bhis spirit it hath gathered them,
17 And he hath cast the lot for them,
And his hand hath divided it unto them by line:
They shall possess it for ever,
From generation to generation shall they dwell therein.
TEXTUAL AND GRAMMATICAL
Isa_34:16. Comp. כָּתַב with על Isa_30:8; Jer_36:29; Deu_27:3; Deu_27:8, etc.——וקראו comp. Isa_29:11-12.——The LXX. reads דָרָֽשׁוּ instead of דִּרְשׁוּ and refer the word to what goes before. Moreover it has somehow confounded מעל־ספר with מִסְפָר, and derived קְרָאוּ from קָרָא occurrere, for it reads thus: ἐκεῖ ἔλαφοι συνήντησαν καὶ ἴδον τὰ πρόσωπα ἀλλήλων· ἀριθμῷ παρῆλθον. In the παρῆλθον is doubtless a reference to Gen_2:19. Strangely enough late expositors (Knobel, Meier) adopt this rendering through misconception of the passage.—I do not believe that the feminines in אחת מהנה and אשׁה רעותה Hate relate only to the living beings enumerated in vers, 5–15. For why are not other traits of the prophecy, murder, burning, etc, to be fulfilled? And why conceive of all the living beings as feminine? The Prophet changes the gender ver, 17. I agree with those that take these feminines in a neuter sense, and as relating to all the traits of the predicted judgment, which is grammatically quite justifiable (comp. Isa_41:22).——נעדר is used Isa_40:26, as here, in the sense of desiderari, deesse.——As אִשָּׁה אֲחוֹתָהּ is said of inanimate things (Exo_26:3; Exo_26:5-6, etc.) so the same is possible of אשה רעותה (asyndeton like Isa_34:15). פקדו is=“to miss,” (properly: to verify by inspection the non-existence, comp. 1Sa_20:6; 1Sa_25:15). The 3d pers. plur. denotes the impersonal subject=“one.”—פִי occasions great difficulty. Some (as Drechsler) would refer the suffix in פי to the Prophet and in רוחו to God. But could the Prophet say: my mouth has commanded it? He could only say “announced,” (הִגִיד or the like). Thus the Vulg. translates: quod ex ore meo procedit, ille mandavit. But the LXX. has simply, ὅτι κύριος ἐνετείλατο αὑτοῖς. It is better, with several Rabbis and Delitzsch, to refer both suffixes to God: “ my mouth has commanded it and its spirit, i. e., the spirit of my mouth has gathered them.” Still this is a strange form of expression. For it appears as if the Lord distinguished between His spirit and the spirit of His mouth, as if the latter were not His spirit; a distinction that does not appear Psa_33:6; Job_15:30. More over the explanation of Gesenius, who would take הוא for the nomen regens belonging to כּי (comp. מימי היא Nah_2:9), is not satisfactory. This construction is quite abnormal; for Nah_2:9 is not similar. With the exception of the clause “for my mouth—hath gathered them,” not only the entire preceding part of the chapt. but also verses 16, 17 are spoken only by the Prophet. A corruption of the text was very possible, in as much as כִּיהוּ, by reason of the הוּא after רוּחוֹ, could easily change to כּי הוּא. Hence I think that we must simply translate “his mouth.”—קבצן (Piel, see list) is to be referred to the same objects as the fem. suffixes preceding.
Isa_34:17. הכּיל גורל only here in Isaiah; comp. Psa_22:19; Eze_24:6, etc. גורל alone and חִלֵק see list.—קַו and ײרשׁוה and ישׁכנו בה comp. on verse 11.—לדור ודור see verse 11.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
1. The Prophet translates himself in spirit into the time when his prophecy shall have been fulfilled. As a pledge to his present readers of the reliability of his predictions he, so to speak, stakes his own and God’s honor on the fulfilment, which must be compromised by the non-fulfilment. For what the mouth of the Lord has announced, that the Spirit of the Lord will bring to pass. Though the immediate reference of these words is to the prophecy against Edom, it lies in the nature of things that the present summons concerns in the same way all predictions of the Prophet. It is hard to see why only the prophecy against Edom should be provided with such a postscript as the present. It is therefore a natural conjecture that this postscript stands connected with the position, and general significance of this prophecy against Edom. The latter concludes part first: for with 36 the historical pieces begin. We have found, too, this prophecy against Edom to be an exemplification in one nation of what is to happen to all (Isa_34:1-4). We may then take this postscript as pertaining to all the preceding threatening prophecies, because all of them are, so to speak, comprehended in this last one against Edom. Now as chap 34 is certainly more recent than most of the foregoing pieces, it is probable that this postscript was first added when the collection was made, to which perhaps the expression “Book of the Lord” refers. But, one may ask, why is this postscript put at the end of 35.? The verses 16, 17 are by their contents most intimately connected with Isa_34:5-15. But why such an appeal to the written word only after a threatening prophecy? Christ, too, speaks the significant words “behold I have told you before” (Mat_24:25; Mar_13:23) after announcing judgments. God’s salvation comes to the pious, and they know from whose hand it comes. But the wicked will not hear of God’s sending judgments. They ascribe them to accident or fatalistic necessity. Therefore it specially concerns them to prove, that the judgment is something announced beforehand, and thus is something previously known and determined, that it is therefore the act of Him who knows all His works from the beginning of the world (Act_15:18). Added to this, 35, points forwards more than backwards. It is the bridge to chapters 40–66, as it were, the morning twilight of the day of salvation, which dawns with chap. 40.
2. Seek ye—dwell therein. Isa_34:16-17. The summons to read in the written book seems to me to indicate that the Prophet has just been busy with a book and finished it, which he calls “the book of the Lord.” Gesen., and Drechsl., explain this to mean that the Prophet “had in mind the insertion of his oracle in a collection of holy Scriptures;” that he “knew it to be a part of a greater whole, into which, in its time, it must be adopted.” But then why does he think this only of this prophecy? Even though elsewhere there is mention of recording single prophecies for the purpose of appealing to them afterwards (Isa_8:1; Isa_30:8), still there is nowhere, beside the present, any mention of an entire book that deserved to be called “the book of the Lord.” But we evidently stand here at a boundary. The prophecies of part first conclude. Chapters 36–39, form an historical supplement. With 40, the second part begins. And at this significant point a “book of the Lord” is mentioned. This is certainly not to be explained by saying that in closing his prophecy the Prophet happened here to mention the future book of which it was to become a part. It is much more likely that the Prophet provided this prophecy with such a conclusion, when he put this prophecy at the end of a great book, that he called Jehovah-book, as containing the entire Jehovah-word announced by him. The expression סכּר יהוה occurs only here. Only a work in which Jehovah had space to give an all-sided revelation of His nature and will, deserved this name. And only a Prophet that was conscious of having been God’s faithful instrument in all he had said and written, could set such a title to his book.
The prophecy must he fulfilled because God is author of it. This is the general sense. But as to particulars כִּי occasions difficulty, on which see Text. and Gram. The Spirit of God, or perhaps more correctly the breath of God drives, or rather blows together, from all quarters what God needs in one place for the accomplishment of His counsel. Compare an analogous use of קִבֵּץMic_1:7. The various beings or powers mentioned in Isa_34:5-15 are partly masculine, partly feminine. The Prophet repeats with emphasis that the total of them, i.e., the representatives of both genders are endowed with the land of Edom in eternal possession. He has similarly expressed the difference in gender by the different gender terminations, Isa_3:1.
[On Isa_34:17. “An evident allusion to the division of the land of Canaan, both by lot and measuring line. (See Num_26:55-56; Jos_18:4-6). As Canaan was allotted to Israel, so Edom is allotted to these doleful creatures.”—J. A. Alexander.].
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. On Isa_34:1-4. Because Rev_6:12-17 has express reference to this passage, some would conclude that the Prophet here has in view only that special event of the world’s judgment (the opening of the sixth seal). But that is not justified. For other passages of the New Testament that do not specially relate to the opening of the sixth seal are based on this passage (Mat_24:29; 2Pe_3:7 sqq.; Rev_14:11; Rev_19:11 sqq.). It appears from this that the present passage is, as it were, a magazine from which New Testament prophecy has drawn its material for more than one event of fulfilment.
2. On Isa_34:16. The word of God can bear the closest scrutiny. Indeed it desires and demands it. If men would only examine the Scriptures diligently and with an unclouded mind and love of truth, “whether these things are so,” as did the Bereans (Act_17:11; Joh_5:39)!
3. On Isa_35:3. “The Christian church is the true Lazaretto in which may be found a crowd of weary, sick, lame and wretched people. Therefore, Christ is the Physician Himself (Mat_9:12) who binds up and heals those suffering from neglect (Eze_34:16; Isa_61:1). And His word cures all (Wis_16:12). His servants, too, are commissioned officially to admonish the rude, to comfort the timid, to bear the weak, and be patient with all (1Th_5:14). Therefore, whoever feels weak, let him betake himself to this Bethania; there he will find counsel for his soul,” Cramer.
4. [On Isa_35:8-9. “They who enter the path that leads to life, find there no cause of alarm. Their fears subside; their apprehensions of punishment on account of their sins die away, and they walk that path with security and confidence. There is nothing in that way to alarm them; and though there are many foes—fitly represented by lions and wild beasts—lying about the way, yet no one is permitted to ‘go up thereon.’ This is a most beautiful image of the safety of the people of God, and of their freedom from all enemies that could annoy them.” “The path here referred to is appropriately designed only for the redeemed of the Lord. It is not for the profane, the polluted, the hypocrite. It is not for those who live for this world, or for those who love pleasure more than they love God. The church should not be entered except by those, who have evidence that they are redeemed. None should make a profession of religion who have no evidence that they belong to “the redeemed,” and who are not disposed to walk in the way of holiness. But for all such it is a highway on which they are to travel. It is made by leveling hills and elevating valleys; across the sandy desert and through the wilderness of this world, infested with the enemies of God and His people. It is made straight and plain, so that none need err; it is defended from enemies, so that all may be safe; because ‘He,’ their Leader and Redeemer, shall go with them and guard that way.” Barnes in loc.]
Footnotes:
[24]fails, Neither one nor the other does one miss,
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical), ed. John Peter Lange, English translation edited by Philip Schaff (1864–1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv9–17 Images from the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen…
Images from the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:24-28; so Deu 29:23; Jer 49:17-18).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv11, 13, 14, 15, 16 11, 12. The picture of a solitary, foul, and…
11, 12. The picture of a solitary, foul, and marshy land, and of disgusting animals and birds, taking complete possession thereof, is a favourite one with Isaiah, (see Isa_13:20-22; Isa_14:23,) and others copy him. See Zep_2:14. The cormorant is possibly the pelican, though it be a sea fowl; the bittern is, in the opinion of most, the crane, or heron, though some read hedgehog. And this is the condition of the punished Edom.
The line of confusion — And he, or one, stretches a line upon it — an architectural idea denoting exact measurement of justice upon Edom. Stones of emptiness, may mean waste stones, desert stones, stones of dark flint, with which the whole desert land there is strewed. These were picked up and used as, or for, a plummet, with the measuring line. So desolate is every thing there that one visiting the region, either in mockery or in mournful seeming, calls out, Where are the once great nobles, or dukes, (Gen_36:40,) that ruled here? But no answer. Only the same sad question is mockingly echoed back.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 9, 10. The description is no doubt suggested by…
9, 10. The description is no doubt suggested by the volcanic phenomena which accompanied the destruction of the neighbouring cities of the Plain (Genesis 19; Jer_49:18). The division of clauses in the LXX. is much preferable to that in the Hebrew Text. Render accordingly: … and its land shall become pitch, burning night and day; it shall not be quenched for ever; its smoke shall go up from generation to generation; it shall lie waste to all eternity, none passing through it (so Cheyne). The last two clauses prepare for the transition to the other picture of ruin, which is elaborated in the verses that follow.
9–17. The fate of the land of Edom is next represented under two incompatible images,—first that of a perpetual conflagration (Isa_34:9-10), and second that of a dreary solitude, peopled only by “doleful creatures” (Isa_34:11 ff.).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 (9, 10) The streams thereof shall be turned into…
(9, 10) The streams thereof shall be turned into pitch . . .—The imagery of the punishment which is to fall on Edom is suggested partly by the scenery of the Dead Sea, partly by the volcanic character of Edom itself, with its extinct craters and streams of lava. (Comp. Jer_49:18.) The prophet sees the destruction, as continuing not merely in its results, but in its process, the smoke of the burning craters rising up perpetually, and making the land uninhabitable.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv9–17 And the streams thereof; i.e. "the streams of the…
And the streams thereof; i.e. "the streams of the land of Edom." Though Edom has no perennial rivers, it has numerous torrent-courses to carry off the winter rains. (see 2Ki_3:20-22) These should run with pitch, instead of water. The general idea is that Edom should be visited with a destruction like that of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Gen_19:24; comp. Jer_49:18) But the prophet scarcely intends his words to be taken literally; he is making Edom a type or representation of God"s enemies, and the gist of his teaching is that a dreadful vengeance, an utter destruction, will come upon all who set themselves up against the Most High. In the next verse he declares that the vengeance will be eternal. (comp. Isa_66:24)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v16 Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord
Isa_34:16
Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord
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The Scriptures the Book of the Lord, to be diligently studied
I.
THE HOLY SCRIPTURE IS THE BOOK OF THE LORD.
II. THE SCRIPTURE IS A BOOK TO BE READ; carefully and diligently searched, consulted and sought unto. (T. Watson, D. D.)
The Holy Scripture is the Book of the Lord
1. This Book discovers what no mortal could ever have done, and nowise could be had but by Divine revelation.
2. The perfect holiness of the doctrine.
3. The efficacy of the doctrine in its searching and convincing the conscience (Heb_4:12); converting souls from their most beloved lusts, even when nothing can be expected from the world for such a change Psa_19:7); rejoicing the heart under the deepest distresses (verse 8). This is not from any virtue in the letters or syllables, but from the Spirit, whose instrument it is.
4. The miracles wherewith it has been confirmed.
5. There is an inward sensation of this in the spirits of those that have their senses exercised. (T. Watson, D. D.)
Seeking out of the Book of the Lord
What is presupposed in this seeking out of the Book of the Lord?
1. That man has lost his way, and needs direction to find it.
2. That man is in hazard of being led further and further wrong.
3. That men are slow of heart to understand the mind of God in His Word.
4. That the Book of the Lord has its difficulties which are not to be easily solved.
5. That we need highly to understand it; otherwise we would not be bidden search into it.
6. That we may gain from it by diligent inquiry. (T. Watson, D. D.)
Reasons for searching the Book of the Lord
1. Because the way of salvation is to be found only therein (Joh_5:39).
2. It is the only rule of our faith and lives (Isa_8:20). The lawyer studies his law books, the physician his medical books; and shall not a Christian study the Book of the Lord?
3. The Lord Himself dictated it and gave it us for that very end (2Ti_3:16-17; Rom_15:4).
4. We must be judged by the Scriptures at the great day (Joh_12:48). (T. Watson, D. D.)
The systematic investigation of Christianity
I. UNLESS THE GOSPEL BE MADE THE SUBJECT OF MUCH REFLECTION AND EARNEST INVESTIGATION IT CANNOT BE RIGHTLY UNDERSTOOD. Are those truths which have a reference to the grandest objects in existence so very easily to be comprehended as to require less attention than the ordinary facts and principles which are connected with business or literature?
II. Universally human nature is in a state of moral disorder and rebellion against God; and AS CHRISTIANITY HAS BEEN SENT FROM HEAVEN WITH THE EXPRESS DESIGN OF REMOVING THAT DISORDER AND EFFECTING A RECONCILIATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN, IT IS INDISPENSABLY REQUISITE THAT ALL SHOULD KNOW IN WHAT IT CONSISTS. (W. Keith)
Reading the Scriptures
I. The Scriptures should be read with A SERIOUS MIND. The argument by which Moses urged the Jews to attend to the laws of God may be applied to Scripture at large--It is not a vain thing: it is your life. When we read our Bible we stand in the presence of God: we are receiving His communications.
II. The Scriptures should be read with EARNEST PRAYER. Divine influence is needful to impress them upon our understandings and hearts.
III. Scripture should be read with PURE INTENTIONS. If any man will do His will, &c. Nothing resists the evidence or dislikes the principles of the Bible but sin.
IV. The Bible should be read with EXPECTATIONS AND DESIRES. We cannot place too much confidence in its authority, or anticipate too much comfort from its influence. All that may be expected from God may be expected from His Word. There He opens His resources and declares His will; there we read what He is, and what He can do, and what He intends to do. To read the Bible and expect nothing from its influence is to reflect dishonour upon it.
V. The Bible should be read with RETENTIVE MEMORIES. It is intended not so much for present entertainment, as for future wisdom and holiness: its contents, therefore, should be stored and classed in the memory, to be drawn forth and applied as the different circumstances of life require. This study of the Scriptures produces incalculable advantages; it will afford--
1. The most valuable instruction.
2. The best impressions. There is an energy in the Bible which no man of feeling can withstand. The words which it contains are spirit and life. Under Divine influence it has counteracted carnal affections and vicious propensities; it has raised mens minds to God: it has filled them with love to mankind. So as Scripture makes men holy it makes them happy. In the midst of trouble they have an unfailing refuge. (Homilist.)
.
The recurrence of the figures of Isa_35:1-10.
Many of the figures in this beautiful prophecy of Israels restoration recur in the course of chaps, 40-66.,-- Isa_35:10, for instance, is repeated verbatim in Isa_51:11.(Prof. S. R. Driver, D. D.)
The manifold application of Isa_35:1-10.
Without any change of its essential meaning it may be applied to the restoration of the Jews from Babylon, to the vocation of the Gentiles, to the whole Christian dispensation, to the course of every individual believer, and to the whole blessedness of heaven. The ground of this manifold application is not that the language of the passage is unmeaning or indefinite, but that there is a real and designed analogy between the various changes mentioned which brings them all within the natural scope of the same inspired description. (J. A. Alexander.)
A joyous chapter
This chapter contains thirty-five distinct promises, among them twenty-two shalls--nine shalls of blessing and comfort; eight shalls of deliverance; five shahs of joy. It begins and ends with joy. (E. J. Banks.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v16 Isa_34:16. Seek ye out of the Book of the…
A CALL TO STUDY
Isa_34:16. Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord, and read, &c.
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On the supposition that a Divine revelation is given to man, its most convenient method will be that of a permanent written record, thus available for the use of successive generations. Disparagement of a book revelation proceeds from misconception of its nature and ends. Out of its existence flows the universal right to its perusal, unless it is restricted in terms. Not only the right, but the duty. By personal study every one should know it (Joh_5:39). Our Lord appealed to the conscience of the people, combined with their knowledge of the Word of God.
The duty is here urged in reference to the prediction of the downfall of Idumea. It was to become a desolation. Those into whose hands the prophecy falls are to search and read in the Book of the Lord, and compare the event. Nothing shall fail. Everything said shall find its mate, its corresponding fact; for God’s Spirit is the Author of the prediction. Idumea to-day is its confirmation.
We use the text in order to urge the study of Scripture as a Christian duty—
I. BECAUSE THE BOOK IS DIVINE.
2Ti_3:16; 2Ti_1:13. It is the Book of the Lord. The Bible is a collection of the records of Divine revelations made at various times, but bearing on its great design. The inducement to read a book often depends on the author. We believe him to be endowed with literary skill, or an authority on the subject of the book. And if God is, in some way, through the various writers, the Author of the Book, the authorship is an important reason for reading it (H. E. I. 522, 523). Consider who and what He is, and the solemn relations in which He stands to us (H. E. I. 561). Its subjects will be worthy of Him and important to us. It will be authoritative. From the uncertainties of human thought we find in the Lord’s Book a safe resting-place.
II. BECAUSE THE BOOK IS INTERESTING.
In its form, apart from its subject-matter. Some form it must have. It might have been in the form of didactic statement only, without illustrative facts or poetic beauties. It would not have been read with interest. Or it might have been in the catechetical form. However useful this method in fastening definite notions in carefully chosen words, it would have failed to be a book to which men and women would return with delight as they return to the Bible after the period of youth has passed away. It is made interesting by the varied forms in which truth is communicated. It is poetic, historical, biographical. Its teaching is usually so connected with events and persons as to present points of interest always fresh. The man finds a solution of the profoundest problems of time and eternity. The child finds in its narratives of persons and events a charm that never fails. To its interesting form is owing, in a large degree, its hold on those who read it from day to day (H. E. I. 607–609, 3860).
III. BECAUSE THE BOOK IS INSTRUCTIVE.
It contains a large amount of information, not only with regard to the Jewish nation, but also other nations of the ancient world. But this is not its main design. It is subordinate to the revelation of man as a sinner and of God as a Saviour. God’s character, man’s relation to Him, human duty, the future state, are all instructively treated; but they all find their place in relation to God’s great plan for man’s recovery, through the mediation of Christ, from misery and sin. And is not this the most important of all instruction? What would all history be, all science, all philosophy, if no voice from Heaven was heard respecting the most vital of all questions? Do you desire instruction respecting salvation? Search and read in the Book of the Lord.
IV. BECAUSE THE BOOK IS DIRECTIVE.
Is not the course of human life like that of a vessel exposed to winds that may drive her leagues out of her proper course? Does not man need careful guidance? Conscience is the captain, but conscience untaught and unguided will manage the ship uncertainly and erroneously (H. E. I. 1299–1307). The Book of the Lord is the directory for the conscience. No position demanding moral action can ever occur in which adherence to its direction will not issue safely. How pure its principles! How righteous its commands! How wise its directions! They touch our life at every point.
V. BECAUSE THE BOOK IS CONSOLATORY.
Sorrows are incident to human life. There are present troubles. Some are heart-breaking. We need help and comfort. The world does not contain it. Here is the balm that can heal every wound.
And there is the future. The prospect of death and eternity. Without the Book of the Lord men are uncertain and hopeless. It sheds clear light on both. How many, in the prospect, are delivered from fear and filled with hope! What comfort it affords under the bereaving stroke!
For all these reasons “seek ye out the Book of the Lord.” Bring every question to it. Read it daily, thoughtfully, for yourself, for others. In your youth. In your active manhood. In your old age.—J. Rawlinson.
THE BOOK THAT WILL ENDURE TESTING
Isa_34:16. Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord, and read, &c.
We may be sure that God would not give a revelation without affixing His seal to it; otherwise, it would be useless, there being no evidence of its Divine origin. Supposing a revelation given, what would constitute a satisfactory proof of its divinity? Evidently it must be some sign not capable of being counterfeited, some unmistakable indication that GOD has spoken to us. This might be given by some exertion of Divine power or some manifestation of Divine knowledge. As such, miracles and prophecy would furnish indubitable proof that a revelation was from God, and those which attest the Bible are its proper seals. Along with the internal evidence and the argument drawn from the success of the Gospel, they are so many buttresses supporting the edifice of revealed truth; but each is a distinct and sufficient support by itself. The Scriptures themselves appeal to the evidence of fulfilled prophecy in support of their reception as the Word of God, and one of the most pointed of these appeals is that before us. In this chapter Isaiah predicts the desolations that were to come upon the chief city of Edom. Placing himself forward in time amid the scenes he predicts, he challenges any one to compare the predictions in the Book of the Lord with the actual condition of the city; he is confident that “the Book” will bear that test, and will come out of it triumphantly.
I. Read the prophecy before us in the light of its fulfilment. The apologetic value of prophecy has often been discredited. Attempts have been made to explain it on natural grounds, as a sagacious forecast, a shrewd prognostication. But what natural sagacity could have foreseen that Edom, so powerful and prosperous in Isaiah’s time, would become a desolate waste? It has been well remarked that prophecy possesses as a proof of Divine revelation some advantages that are peculiar. Its fulfilment may fall under our own observation, or may be conveyed to us by living witnesses. The evidence from miracles can never be stronger than it was at first; but that of prophecy is increasing, and will go on increasing until the whole scheme of perdition is fulfilled. It is the accomplishment, and not the mere publication of a prophecy, which supplies a proof of the Divine origin of the Bible; and this evidence is constantly accumulating. The prophets themselves did not understand some of their oracles (1Pe_1:11-12). They were like documents written in colourless ink, to which some chemical preparation must be applied to make their characters legible. Their meaning could be seen only in their fulfilment. But all the prophetic writings are not thus obscure: many are clear and definite; more like the details of a historical narrative than the visions of prophecy. Nothing can be plainer than the description here given of the state to which Edom would be reduced. The wards of this lock are too intricate to be opened by any key which we choose to apply to it; but the fitting key has been found. “The whole,” says Alexander, “is a magnificent prophetic picture, the fidelity of which, so far as it relates to ancient Edom, is notoriously attested by its desolation for a course of ages.” The chief city in the region of Mount Seir was Selah or Petra, the Rock City. It was long unknown till it was discovered by Robinson, and since then it has been visited by successive travellers. It lay embedded among the hills. So nestled was it in its rocks “that it could only be approached by two narrow defiles. Dwellings cut out of the solid stone line the face of the cliffs, and the central space indicates that a large city once stood upon it.” Malachi speaks of its utter desolation (Mal_1:2-3), but afterwards it recovered for a time. Its condition for centuries as described by unbiased witnesses is a standing evidence of the truth of the prophetic Word.
II. We may test “the Book” in other fields. As a tourist verifies his guide-book and finds it trustworthy at every step, so in many regions do we find the prophetic Word made sure (2Pe_1:19-21). Babylon, Tyre, and the fortunes of the Jewish people, all bear witness to the truth of the prophecies. But especially in the career of our Lord and Saviour do we meet with remarkable fulfilments of Scripture. What could be more minute than some of the prophecies concerning Him? His miracles, His submission to unmerited suffering, His riding upon an ass, His being pierced, His being sold for thirty pieces of silver which should be applied for the purchase of the Potter’s Field, the lots cast on His vesture, and the vinegar given Him to drink, were all the subject of definite prediction.
III. The Bible will bear testing in its declarations concerning human nature. No book so unveils us to ourselves. We feel its truth in what it says about our noble origin, our lamentable fall, our sinfulness, and the strife within us between the flesh and the spirit. Because it tells us all that ever we did, we feel that it must be Divine.
IV. From all this two sound and important conclusions follow:—
1. We may put equal confidence in its declarations concerning God. Nothing but Divine knowledge and insight can so disclose the future and the hidden; and if we have found the Bible reliable when it tells us of earthly things, may we not believe it when it tells us of heavenly things?
2. We may be sure that its prophecies concerning the future of Christ’s kingdom and the destiny of the human race will in like manner be fulfilled to the letter (Psa_72:11; Psa_72:17; Rom_8:19; Rom_8:23). So many of the prophecies of God’s Word have already been accomplished, that we should feel confident that those not yet fulfilled are surely marching on to their fulfilment. The prospects of success in the mission-field are brighter in our day than ever they were. The Church is taking an interest in the enterprise quite unknown to former generations, and openings have been made into lands before closed alike against commerce and Christianity. But even if our hopes of success were less cheering, we would not despair. With so many Bible predictions behind us in the past now become history, we cannot but be encouraged to look for the fulfilment of those glowing promises concerning the future coming of the Redeemer’s kingdom which stand on the inspired page. Let us never lose sight of those grand predictions; let us cherish a hopeful and expectant spirit, and in the confidence of success descend to the spiritual harvest of the world (H. E. I. 1166–1168).—William Guthrie, M.A.
THE CERTAINTY OF GOD’S JUDGMENTS
Isa_34:16-17. Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord, &c.
The text occurs midway between a series of predicted judgments pronounced on Edom as the representative of the wicked world, and another series of blessings foretold concerning the Church of God, but it is evidently retrospective.
While a minute verification of these predictions of vengeance might form a solid, convincing argument for the validity of trust in the Bible as the rule of faith and practice, there is another and more general way of regarding the text. Search into a certain book is enjoined because it is the Book of JEHOVAH.
Human faith finds its ultimate basis in God Himself. The certainty of the Divine judgments may therefore be inferred from—
I. THE NATURE OF THE DIVINE BEING.
If the Bible be not merely a revelation from God, but a revelation of God, too much attention cannot be paid to those aspects of the Divine nature afforded by it which man may apprehend although he cannot comprehend them. “Canst thou by searching find out God?” &c. No; but enough may be learned of God to make us sure that it is madness to disobey Him or trifle with His commands.
1. The long-hidden Name of God. Proper names were made very expressive among the Jews. The name JEHOVAH was sacred above all others; they treated it with a superstitious reverence, not daring to pronounce it, &c. Doubtless they referred with awe to the time and circumstances of its communication to Moses (Exo_6:1-2). And so may we in thinking of the Divine judgments. JEHOVAH, it is said, “remembered His covenant,” and was about to redeem the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt “with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments” (Exo_6:1-8). JEHOVAH: what does the Name mean? Being—unconditioned, absolute, immutable, eternal Being. If, then, God changes not, but is JEHOVAH, to sin against Him is inevitably to call down judgment; for JEHOVAH’S will must be done on earth as it is in heaven.
2. Some of the attributes by the use of which we try to compass the Divine nature.
(1.) God is just. But sin, in all its forms, is a crying injustice, and affronts God so that the Divine majesty must assert itself in punishment.
(2.) God is good. But sin, as selfishness, is radically opposed to goodness in God, who has might, as well as right, on His side, and, therefore, pursues selfishness to its last resort.
(3.) God is holy. Separateness from all sin distinguishes Him in the midst of His relations to man. How, then, can sinners go unpunished? (H. E. I. 2281, 2282, 4478–4479, 4603–4610).
II. THE CHARACTER OF DIVINE LAW.
Law is a transcript of the Divine nature; the Divine character or handwriting making Him known to us; the far-reaching Hand of the Eternal. God reveals Himself in its sanctions, reward, and punishment. To obey is to reap reward; to disobey is to be laid hold of instantly by the outraged majesty of law. There is no human way of escape. Visible judgment may be deferred, but the Divine law is cognisant of all transgression. In the matter of the first sin, the formerly existing potentiality of punishment became an actually. The character of the Divine law may be seen—
1. In the physical world. The designer of a ship or bridge diverges from mathematical truth only to produce disaster.
2. In Providence.
3. In the Word of God.
APPLICATION.—If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? The Divine judgments cannot be evaded. “God is love;” but what love! God is “a consuming fire;” not sentimentally weak; not given to winking at transgression.
4. God’s grace magnifies His name and law. He condemned Christ as the Sin-Bearer to death. Thank God! the sinner may be pardoned, but the impenitent are surely handed over to punishment.—J. Macrae Simcock.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv11, 13, 16 will live there
will live there
"will live in the land of Edom"
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owl
See how you translated this in Isaiah 13:21.
raven
This is a large black bird. It is difficult to identify some of the precise kinds of birds mentioned in this passage. However, they were all birds that preferred to live in places where there were no people, so they symbolize deserted places.
in it
"there." This refers to Edom.
He will stretch over it the measuring line of ruin and the plumbline of destruction
This speaks of Yahweh as if he were a careful builder as he causes destruction in Edom. AT: "Yahweh will measure that land carefully; he will measure it to to decide where to cause ruin and destruction" (See: Metaphor)
measuring line ... plumbline
These are builders' tools. See how you translated similar words in Isaiah 28:17.
Her nobles ... her princes
"The nobles of Edom ... the princes of Edom"
all her princes will be nothing
This exaggerates the princes losing their royal status by saying that they will become nothing. AT: "all her princes will no longer rule" (See: Hyperbole and Generalization)
translationWords
kingdom
prince
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv9, 10, 11, 16 34:9 Edom’s judgment was similar to the judgment of…
34:9 Edom’s judgment was similar to the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:24; see also Jer 49:17-18).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.