Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth ,.... The Targum is, "my Word abhorreth;' the Messiah, the essential Word. These are the same as before. They are a trouble unto me ; as they were kept and observed, either when they should not, or in a manner unbecoming: I am weary to bear them ; because of the sins with which they made him to serve, Isaiah 43:24 . read more
And when ye spread forth your hands ,.... That is, in prayer, this being a prayer gesture: hence the Targum paraphrases it, "and when the priests spread out their hands to pray for you.' I will hide mine eyes from you ; will not look upon them, nor regard their prayer; see Lamentations 3:42 . yea, when ye make many prayers ; as the Scribes and Pharisees did in Christ's time, and thought to be heard for their much speaking, like the Gentiles, Matthew 6:7 . I will not hear ;... read more
Wash ye, make you clean, &c.; These two words are to be regarded as one, since they intend the same thing, and suppose the persons spoken to to be unclean, as they were, notwithstanding their legal sacrifices and ceremonial ablutions; and are designed to convince them of it, to bring them to a sense of their inability to cleanse themselves, to lead them to inquire after the proper means of it, and so to the fountain of Christ's blood to wash in, which only cleanses from it: put away... read more
Learn to do well ,.... Which men are naturally ignorant of; to do good they have no knowledge; nor can they that are accustomed to do evil learn to do well of themselves; but the Lord can teach them to profit, and of him they should ask wisdom, and desire, under the influence of his grace, to learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, and particularly to do acts of beneficence to all men, and especially to the household of faith; and also, the following ones, seek judgment ; seek... read more
Come now, and let us reason, together, saith the Lord ,.... These words stand not in connection either with the preceding or following, but are to be read in a parenthesis, and are thrown in for the sake of the small remnant God had left among this wicked people, in order to comfort them, being distressed with sin. These, seeing their sins in their dreadful colours, and with all their aggravating circumstances, were ready to conclude that they were unpardonable; and, seeing God as an angry... read more
If ye be willing and obedient ,.... The Targum adds, "to my Word": the Word made flesh, and dwelling among them; who would have gathered the inhabitants of Jerusalem to his ministry, to attend his word and ordinances, but their rulers would not: ye shall eat the good of the land ; the land of Canaan; as the Jews held the possession of that land, before the times of Christ, by their obedience to the laws of God, which were given them as a body politic, and which, so long as they observed,... read more
But if ye refuse and rebel ,.... The Targum is, "and do not receive my Word"; the Messiah, when come, neither his person, nor his doctrines and ordinances: ye shall be devoured with the sword ; of the Roman armies, as they were under Titus Vespasian; see Matthew 22:7 . for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it ; now, by Isaiah, as well as in former times, Leviticus 26:25 . read more
How is the faithful city become a harlot !.... The city of Jerusalem, in which were the temple, and the pure worship of God, and was in the tribe of Judah, which ruled with God, and was very faithful with the saints when the ten tribes revolted, and fell in with the sin of Jeroboam; but now, in Isaiah's time, was become like a treacherous wife to her husband, unfaithful to the Lord, went after other lovers, committed spiritual adultery, that is, idolatry, with stocks and stones; and in the... read more
Thy silver is become dross ,.... Meaning either that such persons, who had the appearance of goodness, looked like genuine silver, were now become reprobate, and, as the wicked of the earth, like dross, Jeremiah 6:30 or that the word of God, which is as silver purified seven times, was now corrupted with false glosses and human traditions, which were as dross: thy wine mixed with water F13 It being usual to mix water with wine, and drink it, and this being not at all reproachful,... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 1:13
Bring no more vain oblations ,.... As all such were, which were offered up without faith in Christ, in hypocrisy, and with dependence on them for pardon and atonement, and particularly when put an end to by the sacrifice of Christ; see Matthew 15:9 . The Targum renders it, "an oblation of robbery"; see Isaiah 60:8 . incense is an abomination to me ; instead of being of a sweet smell. This was burnt on the altar of incense, and put upon the sacrifices, Exodus 30:1 was typical of... read more