To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; And I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, Who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts ? II 12 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomina- 13 tion unto me; effective transition from the last words of v. 9. The word for "ruler is the same as the Arabic kadi (found again in iii. 6, xxii. 3) and means strictly "decider," i.e. judge. law of our God] Parallel to word of the LORD, as in ii. 3. The reference is not to the Mosaic Law, but to the prophetic revelation which follows (cf. v. 24, viii. 16, xxx. 9). The word Torah (primarily "direction," then "instruction 66 or teaching") was perhaps originally employed of the oral directions given by the priests on points of ritual or ethics (see esp. Hag. ii. 11; Jer. ii. 8, viii. 8, xviii. 18; Ezek. vii. 26); but is frequently used of the prophetic teaching (Jer. xxxi. 33; Is. xlii. 4, &c.). It appears always to denote religious instruction, even in such cases as Prov. i. 8, iii. 1, xiii. 14, &c. Of the Mosaic Law, Deut. i. 5, iv. 8, and very often. 11. sacrifices] the general term for animal sacrifices; burnt-offerings, those entirely consumed on the altar; of the more ordinary kinds the deity received the fat and the blood. I am full of] am sated with. The idea of sacrifice as the food of the gods seems to belong to the original conception of the rite, and lingered long in the popular consciousness even of Israel (Ps. 1. 13). See Robertson Smith, Religion of the Semites, p. 224 (Revised Ed.). 12. to appear before me] R.V. marg. (following one Hebr. MS.) suggests to see my face, which is grammatically easier. It is thought that here and elsewhere the traditional text has substituted the passive for the active so as to avoid the appearance of anthropomorphism. On either view the phrase is a technical one, denoting the act of worship in the sanctuary: Ex. xxiii. 15, 17, xxxiv. 20, 23; Deut. xvi. 16, xxxi. II; I Sam. i. 22. to tread] Better to trample; the idea of desecration is implied. This ending of the question seems weak: LXX. transfers the clause to the beginning of the next verse: 'My courts ye shall no more trample; to bring oblations is vain, &c." 66 13. oblations] The word is technically used of the meal-offering, but may embrace sacrificial gifts of every description (Gen. iv. 4). incense is an abomination] Or (according to the Hebrew accentuation), "it is abominable incense to me." The word "incense meant originally the sacrificial smoke. 14 15 16 17 The new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; It is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: They are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide Yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: Wash ye, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; Cease to do evil; learn to do well; Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. new moon and sabbath (R.V.). Cf. 1 Sam. xx. 5, 24; 2 Ki. iv. 23; Am. viii. 5; Hos. ii. 11; Num. xxviii. 11, &c.; Ex. xx. 8; Gen. ii. 2, 3, &c. assemblies (lit. "calling together") is the word rendered "convocation" in the Pent. (see esp. Lev. xxiii.). it is iniquity...meeting] Render as R. V. I cannot away with (endure) iniquity and the solemn meeting (festal gathering), i.e. the combination of the two. The construction is still harsh (but see a somewhat similar combination in 1 Sam. xv. 23). LXX. has "fasting and idleness"; apparently com we açlah. The true reading may have been çôm waaçārāh, "fasting and solemn assembly " (Joel i. 14, ii. 15). solemn meeting]("throng," Jer. ix. 2), cf. 2 Ki. x. 20; Am. v. 21; Joel i. 14. A slightly different form is used in the Law for the great gathering on the last day of the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles (Lev. xxiii. 36; Deut. xvi. 8, &c.). The original meaning of the word is probably "tempus clausum." (See Robertson Smith, Rel. of the Semites, Revd. Ed. p. 456.) 14. appointed feasts] the stated festivals dependent on the season of the year; see Gen. i. 14. trouble is literally burden. 15. your hands ("spread forth" in the attitude of prayer) are full of blood] a symbol of cruel wrongs perpetrated or tolerated, including the guilt of actual murder (v. 21). 16, 17. In opposition to this false service of God, Jehovah calls for moral reformation and enunciates the true conditions on which the restoration of His favour depends. 17. relieve the oppressed] E. V. seems here to follow the LXX. The Hebrew must be translated set right the oppressor (R.V. marg.)— restrain him within the bounds of justice. fatherless...widow] those who have no natural protectors, and are 66 66 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: 18 Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good 19 of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, Ye shall be devoured with the sword: For the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. always exposed to wrong when the administration of justice is weak or corrupt (cf. v. 23; ch. x. 2). To defend such is specially the duty of the judge, but it is also an obligation lying on every one who has influence in the community. The prophet addresses his hearers ("rulers" and 'people" v. 10) as members of the state; and his demand is that by seeking judgment " they shall exercise the fundamental virtue of citizenship. The righteousness which he requires is social righteousness, iustitia civilis, a public life so ordered as to secure for each individual his personal rights. The prophet's passion for justice is always inspired by a deep sense of the value of the human personality in the sight of God. 18-20. Jehovah condescends to plead. ; but this 18. let us reason together] more accurately, let us implead one another (Acts xix. 38, A.V.). The idea is that of a legal process in which each party maintains his own case (see ch. xliii. 26). It is felt by some comm. that the legal figure is inconsistent with an absolute offer of forgiveness in the two clauses which follow. The difficulty would be obviated by the subtle and attractive rendering (proposed, but now withdrawn, by Cheyne) "let us bring our dispute to an end is unsupported by grammar or usage. The second member of each sentence might be taken as an indignant question, "If your sins are... shall they be white... ?"-o -or as an ironical concession, Though your sins be...let them be white...!" The idea of pardon, however, may be retained, provided it be understood as conditioned by the alternative of VV. 19, 20. 66 scarlet and crimson are really synonyms for one colour, properly "crimson." The dye in question was obtained from the dried and powdered bodies of an insect (coccus ilicis, in Hebr. tôla'ath shānî= "bright worm "). There is perhaps no other instance of red used as a general symbol for sin, though white is the natural emblem of innocence (Ps. li. 7). "Sword" is here taken as 20. ye shall be devoured with the sword] an acc. of instrument, a construction of more than doubtful validity in Hebr. A more idiomatic rendering is: ye shall be made to eat the sword. An exactly similar expression is used by the Arabs, although Hebr. analogies are wanting. 20 21 22 23 24 How is the faithful city become a harlot ! It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; Thy silver is become dross, Thy wine mixt with water: Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: Neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. 21 ff. The elegy (qînah, distinguished by a peculiar rhythm and by the opening word 'ĉkah, “how") is a frequent vehicle of prophetic utterance. This is the clearest instance in the genuine writings of Isaiah, and it is characteristic of the city prophet' (Cheyne), that the subject is not the nation but the idealised capital. Isaiah is in a good sense 'laudator temporis acti.' He laments the degeneracy of Jerusalem, looking back probably to the days of David, when it was the abode of judgment and righteousness. 21. a harlot] The idea conveyed is perhaps rather deterioration of character than infidelity to the marriage bond with Jehovah, an image not used by Isaiah (as by Hos.). righteousness (çédeq) is the principle of right action in individuals or the community; judgment (mishpat) the embodiment of that principle in judicial decisions, use and wont, and the like. These qualities constituted the "faithfulness," trustworthiness, of the city. 22. silver and wine may refer to the great men of the city (v. 23) but more naturally to the "judgment" and "righteousness" of v. 21;— all that was best in her, purity of morals, excellence of character, &c. The word for mixt occurs only here. The phrase is usually illustrated by the Latin "castrare vinum," the verb being taken as connected with that for "circumcise." wine] better choice drink, found elsewhere only in Hos. iv. 18. 23. Thy princes are rebellious] In the Heb. a paronomasia, borrowed from Hos. ix. 15. The "princes" (sârîm) are the civil and military officials of the monarchical constitution, as distinguished from the zěqēnîm (sheikhs or elders) of the old tribal system. The charge brought against them is that as a class they are corrupted by systematic bribery. They are companions of thieves, conniving at extortion and receiving in return a share of the spoil. Hence the fatherless and widows, having no bribes to offer, can obtain no redress; they cannot even find access to the seat of judgment. 24. Such men are adversaries and enemies of Jehovah, thwarting His wishes and purposes for His people. the Lord]"the Master" or the Sovereign. The title, used absolutely as here (ha-'Adôn), is almost peculiar to Isaiah, and is used by him only in introducing a threat (ch. iii. 1, x. 16, 33, xix. 4; cf. Ex. xxiii. 17, xxxiv. 23). 25 26 27 Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, And avenge me of mine enemies : And I will restore thy judges as at the first, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. the mighty One of Israel] Israel's Strong One, a rare word in Hebr., first found in Gen. xlix. 24. See on ch. x. 13. ease me] Better appease myself, and so again, avenge myself. By a bold anthropopathy the divine Being is compared to a man thirsting for vengeance. 25 resumes the first figure of v. 22, the judgment on Zion being likened to the smelting of impure ore. turn (or bring back) my hand] not in mercy, but, as usual, in judgment. purely] R.V. throughly, lit. "as with lye," i.e. potash, which was used as a flux to facilitate the separation of the metals. The grammar is still suspicious. Some, by transposing two consonants, obtain the sense "in the furnace." 26. The result will be the establishment of a pure administration in Jerusalem, as in the olden time, Zion once more worthy of her ancient name, citadel of righteousness (Cheyne), faithful city. The last expression, carrying us back to v. 21, marks the close of the strophe. Two things are noteworthy in this passage. (1) The ideal is political. The salvation of Israel is secured when all public offices are filled with good men ("judges " and "counsellers "). (2) The ideal will be realised by a restoration of the best days of the past. In later prophecies Isaiah looks forward to a state of things far transcending anything that had been achieved in Israel's previous history. Such an anticipation as this is most naturally assigned to an early period of his career, before his eschatological conceptions had assumed a definite form. 27 describes the salutary and 28 the judicial aspect of the chastisement in more abstract terms than those hitherto employed. her converts] lit. "those in her who turn"; cf. "Remnant-shall-turn" in ch. vii. 3. redeemed] A very rare word with Isaiah (only again in xxix. 22). It is doubtful whether the meaning is that she shall be redeemed from her own sins, or from the troubles they shall have brought upon her. So it is uncertain whether judgment and righteousness (cf. v. 21) are the virtues of the redeemed people, or the attributes of God manifested in the redemption. The former idea is most in accordance with Isaiah's use of the words, but the latter, which is common in the later parts of the book, undoubtedly gives the best sense in this connexion. |