Isaiah33
King James Version · Public Domain
1Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
2O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
3At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.
4And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.
5The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.
6And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.
7Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
8The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.
9The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.
10Now will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.
11Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.
12And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
13Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.
14The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
15He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
16He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
17Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.
18Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.
20Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.
21But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.
22For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.
23Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.
24And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Isaiah 33.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: God's judgments against the enemies of his church. (1-14). The happiness of his people. (15-24).
vv1-14
Here we have the proud and false destroyer justly reckoned with for all his fraud and violence. The righteous God often pays sinners in their own coin. Those who by faith humbly wait for God, shall find him gracious to them; as the day, so let the strength be. If God leaves us to ourselves any morning, we are undone; we must every morning commit ourselves to him, and go forth in his strength to do the work of the day. When God arises, his enemies are scattered. True wisdom and knowledge lead to strength of salvation, which renders us stedfast in the ways of God; and true piety is the only treasure which can never be plundered or spent. The distress Jerusalem was brought into, is described. God's time to appear for his people, is, when all other helpers fail. Let all who hear what God has done, acknowledge that he can do every thing. Sinners in Zion will have much to answer for, above other sinners. And those that rebel against the commands of the word, cannot take its comforts in time of need. His wrath will burn those everlastingly who make themselves fuel for it. It is a fire that shall never be quenched, nor ever go out of itself; it is the wrath of an ever-living God preying on the conscience of a never-dying soul.
vv15-24
The true believer watches against all occasions of sin. The Divine power will keep him safe, and his faith in that power will keep him easy. He shall want nothing needful for him. Every blessing of salvation is freely bestowed on all that ask with humble, believing prayer; and the believer is safe in time and for ever. Those that walk uprightly shall not only have bread given, and their water sure, but they shall, by faith, see the King of kings in his beauty, the beauty of holiness. The remembrance of the terror they were in, shall add to the pleasure of their deliverance. It is desirable to be quiet in our own houses, but much more so to be quiet in God's house; and in every age Christ will have a seed to serve him. Jerusalem had no large river running by it, but the presence and power of God make up all wants. We have all in God, all we need, or can desire. By faith we take Christ for our Prince and Saviour; he reigns over his redeemed people. All that refuse to have Him to reign over them, make shipwreck of their souls. Sickness is taken away in mercy, when the fruit of it is the taking away of sin. If iniquity be taken away, we have little reason to complain of outward affliction. This last verse leads our thoughts, not only to the most glorious state of the gospel church on earth, but to heaven, where no sickness or trouble can enter. He that blotteth out our transgressions, will heal our souls.
Key Words
הוֹי: oh!
שָׁדַד: properly, to be burly, i.e. (figuratively) powerful (passively, impregnable); by implication, to ravage
לֹא: not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
בָּגַד: to cover (with a garment); figuratively, to act covertly; by implication, to pillage
תָּמַם: to complete, in a good or a bad sense, literal, or figurative, transitive or intransitive
נָלָה: to complete
חָנַן: properly, to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow; causatively to implore (i.e. move to favor by petition)
קָוָה: to bind together (perhaps by twisting), i.e. collect; (figuratively) to expect
זְרוֹעַ: the arm (as stretched out), or (of animals) the foreleg; figuratively, force
בֹּקֶר: properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning
Cross References
Isaiah 33Sennacherib breaking his covenant with Hezekiah despite the payment of tribute.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The dramatic destruction of Sennacherib's army, fulfilling the doom of the unprovoked spoiler.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The retributive principle that those who spoil others will ultimately be spoiled themselves.
Supported by JFB
The weeping ambassadors of peace sent to Rabshakeh during the Assyrian siege.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Echoes the classic liturgical question and answer regarding who may dwell in God's holy presence.
Supported by JFB
Paul's triumphantly adapted query 'Where is the scribe?' celebrating God's defeat of worldly wisdom.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The severe image of divine wrath turning enemies into 'burnings of lime' or bone-ash.
Supported by JFB
The solemn realization of eternal burnings and unquenchable fire facing the hypocrites and wicked.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Saints defined by clean hands, pure hearts, and refusal of deceitful gain.
Supported by JFB
The terrifying threat of a fierce, invading nation whose foreign tongue cannot be understood.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jerusalem, lacking literal rivers, is watered by the secure and quiet streams of God's presence.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Hezekiah's trust and divine deliverance, demonstrating that the fear of the Lord is stability.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Highways lying desolate and travelers ceasing, representing extreme national terror and ruin.
Supported by John Calvin
Sharon and Lebanon, here desolate under judgment, are later restored to magnificent beauty.
Supported by JFB
The linkage of physical healing and restoration to the ultimate forgiveness of iniquity.
Supported by Matthew Henry