24:1 - 27:13. Israel. Judgment and Mercy.

Z4  A¹  24:1-23. Judgment.
    A²  25:1 - 27:13. Mercy.

24:1-23. Israel. Judgment.

A¹  B  e¹  1. Land.
        f¹  2. People.
       e²  3,4-. Land.
        f²  -4-12. People.
         C  13-16-. Yahaveh glorified from the ends of the earth.
    B  e³  -16. Land.
        f³  17,18. People.
       e4  19,20. Land.
        f4  21,22. People.
         C  23. Yahaveh glorified on Mount Zion.

649-588 B.C.

Isaiah 24)

1 Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty, and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad the inhabitants thereof.

2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower (see Ex. 22:25,27. Deut. 15:2; 24:10,11); as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.

3 The earth shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord has spoken this word.
4 The earth mourns (see 3:26) and fades away,

the inhabitable world languishes and fades away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. (see Gen.9:16. The Pentateuch was as well known to Isaiah as to the kings in whose reign he prophesied)
6 Therefore has the curse devoured the earth (some codices read "Because of a curse the earth mourns"), and they that dwell therein are laid waste: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
7 The new wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted do sigh.
8 The mirth of drums ceases, the noise of them that rejoice ends, the joy of the harp ceases.
9 They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.
10 The city of desolation is broken down (Heb. tohu. Same word as "without form" in Gen.1:2): every house is shut up, that no one may come in.
11 There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
12 In the city is left astonishment, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

13 When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.
14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea [saying], (see Ps. 109:5)
15 “Wherefore glorify you all the Lord in the fires (or, valleys), even the name of the Lord God of Israel (see Gen. 33:20. Ex. 24:10. Num. 16:9) in the maritime countries of the sea.
16 From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous One.” (i.e. the One referred to in v.15; or, the nation, as in 26:2. Cp. Acts 3:14; 7:52; 22:14)

But I said, “My leanness, my leanness, woe to me! the traitors have betrayed; yes, the traitors have betrayed.”

17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare (not a play on words, but a solemn warning. Translate - scare, lair, snare), are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that comes up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare (see Luke 21:35, and cp. Jer. 48:43,44): for the windows from on high have open (see Gen.7:11), and the foundations of the earth do shake. (see 58:12. Cp. 40:21)

19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved (Heb. bursting, burst up), the earth is moved exceedingly. (Heb. tottering, totters)
20 The earth shall reel to and fro (Heb. staggering, staggers) like a drunkard, and shall be removed (Heb. rocks to and fro) like a cottage; and the revolt thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the ground.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit (not the same word as in vv.17,18. Here, Heb. bõr, a dug-out pit, or dungeon), and shall be shut up in the prison, even after many days shall they be visited. (i.e. with judgments foretold in the preceding verses. Cp. 10:3; 26:14,16; 29:6)

23 Then the moon shall be blush (for shame), and the sun ashamed (for fear), when the Lord God shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before is elders in glory (or, "[shall be] a glory").

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