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Isaiah 30

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

INTRODUCTION TO Isaiah 30 This chapter contains a complaint of the Jews for their sins and transgressions; a prophecy of their destruction for them; a promise of grace and mercy, and of happy times, to the saints; and a threatening of utter and dreadful ruin to the wicked. The Jews are complained of for their rebellion against God, their slighting...

Isaiah 30:1

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord,.... The Jews, who were, by national adoption, and by outward profession of religion, the "children" of God, but were apostates from him, had turned their backs upon him, deviated from his law, and departed from his worship and ordinances; and therefore a woe is pronounced against them, or they are...

Isaiah 30

Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry

The prophecy of this chapter seems to relate (as that in the foregoing chapter) to the approaching danger of Jerusalem and desolations of Judah by Sennacherib's invasion. Here is, I. A just reproof to those who, in that distress, trusted to the Egyptians for help, and were all in a hurry to fetch succours from Egypt, ver. 1-7. II. A terrible...

Isaiah 30:2

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

That walk to go down into Egypt,.... That walk out of their own land to go thither; who sent messengers thither to form an alliance, and get help and assistance, or went in person, to secure themselves from present danger. Jarchi refers this to the times of Hoshea, the son of Elah, king of Israel, who sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, 2 Kings...

Isaiah 30:3

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame,.... They should be disappointed of the help and assistance they expected from him, and so be ashamed of their ally, and of confidence in him: and the trust in the shadow of Egypt [your] confusion; they should be confounded, when they should find themselves unsupported by the Egyptians, in whom...

Isaiah 30:4

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

For his princes were at Zoan,.... That is, the princes of the king of Judah, or of the people of Judah; though it can hardly be thought that princes should be sent ambassadors into Egypt, to enter into an alliance, or request help, without the knowledge, leave, and consent, and indeed order, of the king, under which character they went, as appears...

Isaiah 30:5

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

They were all ashamed of a people [that] could not profit them,.... The princes, the ambassadors that were sent unto them, and the king or people, or both, that sent them, who hoped for and expected great things from them, but, being disappointed, were filled with shame; because either the Egyptians, who are the people here meant, either could not...

Isaiah 30:6

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

The burden of the beasts of the south,.... Some think this begins a new prophecy, and this the name and inscription of it. The Septuagint version is, "the vision of the four footed beasts in the wilderness;'' and Kimchi's note is, "this prophecy, which he prophesied, that the beasts of the south should go out, meaning the beasts of the wilderness,...

Isaiah 30:7

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose,.... Not sending help in time, or such as did no service; though they made a show of help, and attempted to help them, or seemed to do so, yet failed to do it: therefore have I cried; proclaimed or published, either the Lord by the prophet, or the prophet in the name of the Lord, which is...

Isaiah 30:8

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book,.... Meaning their sins, their rebellion against God, their trust in an arm of flesh, and contempt of the divine word; or the prophecy of their destruction, for these things; and both may be meant; which the Lord orders to be written before their eyes, in some public place, as in the...

Isaiah 30:9

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

That this [is] a rebellious people,.... This, with what follows, is what the Lord would have written and engrossed, and remain for ever; or this is a reason why he would have it, for so the words be rendered, "for", or "because, this [is] a rebellious people (l)"; rebellious against God and his commands; they are called "rebellious children"...

Isaiah 30:10

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Which say to the seers, See not,.... The same with the prophets in the next clause, which explains this: and to the Prophets, prophesy not unto us right things; things agreeable to the mind and will of God, and which ought to be done; not that they, in so many words, said this, but this was the language of their hearts and actions. The Targum is,...

Isaiah 30:11

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Get ye out of the way: turn aside out of the path,.... These two expressions mean one and the same thing; either that the prophets would go out of their usual way of threatening ruin and destruction; or that they would go out of the way of the people, and not stand in it to hinder them pursuing their own lusts and pleasures; or that they would go...

Isaiah 30:12

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel,.... The prophet introduces his message with the phrase they objected to: ministers of the word must not seek to please men, nor should they be deterred from the use of phrases, because disliked by natural men: as, in our days, men do not love to hear the name of Christ so often mentioned, or his Gospel,...

Isaiah 30:13

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall,.... Or, "as a falling breach" (m); contempt of the word of God, and trusting in wickedness, rejecting the counsel of God, and placing confidence in the creature, these would be the cause of ruin; which ruin is signified by the breach of a falling wall, or by a breach in a wall, by...

Isaiah 30:14

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And he shall break it as the breaking of the potter's vessel,.... That is, their confidence in an arm of flesh, and they that place it there; and this either God shall do, or the enemy, and God by him; or rather it may he rendered impersonally, "it shall be broken"; and may refer to the wall to which the ruin of this people is compared, that that...

Isaiah 30:15

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel,.... This is still repeated, though displeasing to the carnal Jews, who, notwithstanding their ill behaviour to the Lord, condescends to give them the best advice, as follows: in returning and rest shall ye be saved; or "may be saved" (o); this is the right and the only way, namely, by...

Isaiah 30:16

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

But ye said, No, for we will flee upon horses,.... Hither and thither to get help and assistance; go down to Egypt for it on them, or thither for them, as some render it; and then face the enemy, and, if we can not conquer him, will flee from him, and so provide for our safety; this is man's way of salvation, as opposed to God's way; see Hosea 1:7...

Isaiah 30:17

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

One thousand [shall flee] at the rebuke of one,.... A troop of horse, consisting of a thousand men, shall flee upon the attack and onset of a single person, so dispirited should they be, and so possessed of the fear of the enemy; what was promised to them with respect to their enemies is here turned against them, Leviticus 26:7: at the rebuke of...

Isaiah 30:18

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you,.... Or "yet" (q), or "nevertheless" though such an utter destruction shall be made, there are a few that the Lord has a good will unto, and therefore waits till the set time comes to arise and have mercy on them; he has taken up thoughts and resolutions of grace and favour...