Westminster Annotations, Isaiah · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Vers. 1. MY welbeloved,] God, the Churches love…, Ezek. 16. 8. to him he singeth, as David, Psal. 101. 1. of his goodnes to her, her unthankfulnes to him.
a song] That it may be the better remembred, Deut. 31. 19, 21.
a vineyard] His Church. Psal. 80. 8. Jer. 2. 21. Matth. 21. 33. Mar. 12. 1. Luk. 13. 6. and 20. 9.
a very fruitfull hill.] Heb. the …orn of the sonne of oyl, as Job 42. 14. In a rich and fat soil. Deut. 8. 7.—9. and 11. 9.—12. Psal. 16. 6. and 88. 9.
V. 2. he] He spared for no pains or cost about it, either for the manuring or fencing of it, vers. 4.
fenced it,] Or, made a wall about it.
the choysest] Heb. Sorek. Gen. 49. 11. Chap. 16. 8. Jer. 2. 21. See Judg. 16. 4.
made a winepresse] Heb. hewed out. of wood, or stone. Pro. 9. 1. Chap. 10. 15. and 22. 16.
grapes] Or, good grapes. as Mal. 1. 14.
wild grapes.] Heb. vile, stinking ones. So vers. 4.
V. 3. O inhabitants] God is content to make them Judges in their own cause. So 2 Sam. 12. 1,—6. Jer. 2. 5. Mic. 6. 3,—5. Matth. 21. 40.
V. 4. in it] Or, to it. or, for it. or, about it.
grapes,] Or, good grapes, as vers. 2.
wild grapes] Heb. vile, st…nking ones, vers. 2.
V. 5. I will take away] I will take no more charge of it, or care for it; but pluck …p the fence, expose it to spoyl, and let it go to ruine. Psal. 80. 12, 13.
trodden down.] Heb. for a treading. Chap. 28. 18.
V. 6. briars and thorns:] For want of weeding and manuring. Pro. 24. 30, 31. Chap. 7. 23. 24.
rain no rain] That it may …ther away with drought. Jer. 3. 3. Amos 4. 7.
V. 7. the vineyard] The application of the former parable.
his pleasant plant:] Heb. plant of his pleasures. or, his plant of pleasures. as Jer. 31. 20.
behold] The Judges, that should have righted and relieved the oppressed, were a worse disease to them then their oppressors themselves, Eccl. 3. 16.
oppression;] Heb. a scab. Chap. 3. 17.
a cry.] A cry of the oppressed, finding no relief, nor redresse, Exod. 22. 23, 27. Eccl. 4. 1. Jam. 5. 4.
V. 8. house to house,] Mic. 2. 2.
no place▪] No roome for any to dwell by them, as if the land were given to them alone. Ezek. 11. 15.
in the midst] Or, in the land. Chap. 7. 22.
V. 9. In mine ears] Or, This is in mine ears; or, hearing (as Chap. 22. 14.) saith the Lord.
Of a truth] Heb. If not, &c. A defective, but emphaticall form of swearing, If this, or that, be not. meaning, let me not live, or the like. So Psal. 95. 11. Chap. 14. 24. and 22. 14.
many houses] Their houses shall stand empty, the inhabitants being expelled, or destroyed, Amos 5. 13. and 6. 9. - 11. and their lands lye wast and barren. Chap. 7. 23. Hagg. 1. 6.
V. 10. bath,] A measure for liquid things, containing neer upon eight gallons: so that a whole acre of vines yeelded not one gallon of wine.
homer] A measure containing ten ephaes: which epha was for dry things, as the bath for liquid, much about our bushel; so that the land should not yeeld them above the tenth of their seed. See Ezek. 45. 10, 11.
V. 11. rise up early] Sparing no pains to follow their lusts: and spending on them the time allotted to labour, Psal. 104. 22, 23. Prov. 23. 29, 30. Eccl. 10. 16. 17.
continue untill] Or, stay late by it in the evening. Continue sitting by it, as Psal. 127. 2. are never weary of it; never give over, Deut. 32. 19.
enflame them.] Or, pursue them. Psal. 10. 2.
V. 12. the harp] They abandon themselves to all manner of delights: having no regard of Gods judgements, either present on others, or hanging over their own heads. Chap. 22. 12, 13. Amos 6. 4. - 6. Matth. 24. 38, 39.
they regard] Psal. 28. 5.
V. 13. are gone] Shall go out of hand, Amos 6. 7. or, are as sure to go as if gone already, as Jer. 9. 1. Joh. 3. 18.
no knowledge:] For want of due consideration, vers. 12. Chap. 27. 11. Jer. 8. 7. Luk. 19. 44.
their honourable] Heb. their glory (their great men, whom they glory in) are men of famine.
their multitude] Those that so revelled and rioted before, vers. 11, 12.
V. 14. hell] Or, the grave. Psal. 16. 10.
self,] Heb. soul. as Jer. 51. 6.
opened her mouth] The grave gapeth wide to swallow them down suddenly together, Job 21. 12, 13. Psal. 55. 15. as Numb. 16. 30,—32.
pomp,] Heb. shout. Chap. 24. 8.
rejoyceth] Or, revelleth. Chap. 22. 2.
V. 15. the mean man] Chap. 2. 9, 11, 17.
the eyes of] Their countenance shall be cast down, Gen. 4. 6. Lam. 2. 10.
V. 16. shall be exalted] He shall be his just judgement on wicked doers manifest and magnifie both his power and his purity. Lev. 10. 2, 3. Psal. 9 16.
God that is holy,] Or, the holy God. Heb. the God the holy.
V. 17. the lambs] Gods lambs, the godly, Joh. 21. 15. shall feed quietly in their wonted places; and coming out of captivitie enjoy their lands and means again, out of which they had by cruel Tyrans been expelled, Ezek. 34. 14, 15. Or, in the time of the captivitie, being left, fed at large there, whence they had been expelled by the richer sort, now either slain, or led captive. Jer. 52. 16. Zeph. 3. 12.
their manner,] Or, beside their folds. Mic. 2. 12.
V. 18. draw iniquitie] That by all means, and with all their might, apply themselves tothe practise of evil, Psal. 36. 4. Mic. 2. 1.
with a care rope:] They labour in it, as a beast at plough and cart, Job 4. 8. Jer. 9. 5.
V. 19. say,] Scoffe at Gods menaces, and jest at his judgements, as things that never shall be effected, Jer. 5. 11, 12. Ezek. 12. 23. Amos 5. 18. 2 Pet. 3. 3.
V. 20. that] Heb. that say concerning evil. It is good, &c. Mal. 1. 8.
call evil good,] That perverting the nature of things, condemn all that is good, and approve all that is evil, Amos 5. 10. Mic. 3. 2.
V. 21. wise in] Prov. 3. 7. Rom. 12. 16.
in their own] Heb before their face.
V. 22. mightie to] That vaunt themselves in their drinking and abilitie to beare much, as a matter of valour, Hab. 2. 15, 16.
mingle] Or, fil out and pour in. Pro. 9. 2. 5. Chap. 19. 14.
V. 23. justifie the wicked] Prov. 17. 15.
take away] Cast and condemn him as guiltie. Job 27. 5. Psal. 94. 21.
V. 24. as] Joel 2. 5. Chap. 47. 14.
the fire] Heb. the tongue of fire. See 1 King. 18. 38.
their root] they and their issue shall both be destroyed. as Hose. 9. 16. Or, they shall be utterly destroyed, as Job 15. 30. and 18. 16. Jer. 11. 19.
go up as] As rotten things, that moulder to dust, and so flying up into the ayre, are dispersed, Psal. 22. 15. Chap. 9. 18.
cast away] Jer. 8. 9.
V. 25. stretched forth] Chap. 31. 3.
the hils] So great were their plagues, that the very senslesse creatures might seem sensible of them, though the people themselves were not, vers. 12. Jer. 4. 24. Joel 2. 10.
torn in] Or, as dung (Ps. 83. 10. Jer. 8. 2.) in the streets. Ch. 7. 22.
For all] Chap. 9. 12, 17, 21. and 10. 4.
his hand] As he threatned. Levit. 26. 21, 24, 28.
V. 26. an ensign] Chap. 11. 12. and 13. 2. and 18. 3.
they shall] They shall repair to Gods standard, to serve under him, as at his whistle, Chap. 7. 18, 19. Zech. 10. 8.
swiftly.] Heb. lightly. Chap. 19. 1. Jer. 4. 24.
V. 27. shall be] They shall be all ready and lively; and no way slacked, or impeached in the execution of Gods work. Joel 2. 7, 8.
V. 28. bent,] Heb. trodden. as Chap. 21. 15. Jer. 50. 14.
wheels] The wheels of their chariots, Chap. 66. 15.
V. 29. a lion,] Or, the roaring of a lion. as Dan. 4. 33. Lam. 2. 7.
V. 30. against them,] Or, over them. as a lion roareth over his prey, Chap. 31. 4. Jer. 2. 15. and 25. 30.
like the roaring] With an hideous noise; like that of the sea. Psal 93. 3. Chap. 17. 12, 13.
behold darknesse] No glimps of light, that is, of hope or comfort, shall from any place appear. Chap. 8. 22. and 50. 10. Joel 2. 10. Amos 5. 20. and 8. 9.
sorrow] Or, distresse.
and the light] Or, when it is light, it shall be dark in the destructions thereof, as Hos. 10. 2.
in the heavens] From whence comforts and refreshings might be expected to distil, as the rain or dew, alluded to in the word here used. Deut. 32. 2. and 33. 28. 2 Sam. 23. 4. Psal. 72. 6. Prov. 19. 22.