Hanes - Six MSS. of Kennicott's, and perhaps six others, with four of De Rossi's, read חנם chinnam , in vain, for הנס Hanes ; and so also the Septuagint, who read likewise יגעו yageu , labored, for יגיעו yaggiu , arrived at. read more
Were - ashamed - Eight MSS. (one ancient) of Kennicott's, and ten of De Rossi's, read הביש hobish , without א aleph . So the Chaldee and Vulgate. But a shame "But proved even a shame" - Four MSS. (three ancient) after כי ki , add אם im , unless, which seems wanted to complete the phrase in its usual form. read more
The burden - משא massa seems here to be taken in its proper sense; the load, not the oracle. The same subject is continued; and there seems to be no place here for a new title to a distinct prophecy. Does not burden of the beasts of the South in this place relate to the presents sent by Hoshea king of Israel to the South - to Egypt, which lay south of Judea, to engage the Egyptians to succor him against the king of Assyria? Into the land of trouble and anguish "Through a land of... read more
Their strength is to sit still "Rahab the Inactive" - The two last words, שבת הם hem shabeth , joined into one, make the participle pihel המשבת hammeshabbeth . I find the learned Professor Doederlein, in his version of Isaiah, and note on this place, has given the same conjecture; which he speaks of as having been formerly published by him. A concurrence of different persons in the same conjecture adds to it a greater degree of probability. read more
For ever and ever "For a testimony for ever" - לעד leed . So the Syriac, Chaldee, Vulgate, and Septuagint, in MSS. Pachom. and 1. D. 2: εις μαρτυριον , which two words have been lost out of the other copies of the Septuagint. read more
In oppression "In obliquity" - בעקש beakesh , transposing the two last letters of בעשק beoshek , in oppression, which seems not to belong to this place: a very probable conjecture of Houbigant. read more
Swelling out to a high wall "A swelling in a high wall" - It has been observed before, that the buildings of Asia generally consist of little better than what we call mud walls. "All the houses at Ispahan, "says Thevenot, Vol. II., p. 159, "are built of bricks made of clay and straw, and dried in the sun; and covered with a plaster made of a fine white stone. In other places in Persia the houses are built with nothing else but such bricks, made with tempered clay and chopped straw, well... read more
He shall not spare "And spareth it not" - Five MSS. add the conjunction ו vau to the negative; ולא velo . read more
At the rebuke of five shall ye flee "At the rebuke of five, ten thousand of you shall flee" - In the second line of this verse a word is manifestly omitted, which should answer to one thousand in the first: the Septuagint supply πολλοι , רבים rabbim . But the true word is רבבה rebabah , as I am persuaded any one will be convinced, who will compare the following passages with this place: - "How should one chase a thousand; And two put ten thousand ( רבבה ) to flight?" ... read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 30:1
And that cover with a covering "Who ratify covenants" - Hebrews "Who pour out a libation." Sacrifice and libation were ceremonies constantly used, in ancient times by most nations in the ratifying of covenants: a libation therefore is used for a covenant, as in Greek the word σπονδη , for the same reason, stands for both. This seems to be the most easy explication of the Hebrew phrase, and it has the authority of the Septuagint, εποιησατε συνθηκας . read more