Hear ye indeed … see ye indeed ; literally, In hearing hear … in seeing see— with the force of "Listen and bear; look and see;" "Attend, "that is," with the outward souse, and catch all that sense can catch, but without perception of the inward meaning". This is what they would do. Isaiah is bidden to exhort them, in grave irony, to do it. read more
A mission of hardening. Dean Plumptre says, "No harder task, it may be, was ever given to man. Ardent dreams of reformation and revival, the nation renewing its strength like the eagle, were scattered to the winds; and he had to face the prospect of a fruitless labor, of feeling that he did but increase the evil against which he strove. It was the very opposite mission of that to which St. Paul was sent, to open men's eyes, and turn them from darkness to light'" ( Acts 26:18 ). Mr. Hutton,... read more
The shadow of sacred truth. We may view these words in— I. THEIR NATIONAL ASPECT . Thus regarded, they point to: 1. Painful and guilty obduracy. The prophet should speak, but the people would disregard; all that was froward and perverse in them would repel and reject the Divine message; their reception of the truth would only end in spiritual deterioration and greater moral distance than ever from deliverance ( Isaiah 6:9 , Isaiah 6:10 ). 2. Protracted impenitence and... read more
Make the heart of this people fat. Isaiah is commanded to effect by his preaching that which his preaching would, in fact, effect. It would not awaken the people out of their apathy, it would not stir them to repentance; therefore it would only harden and deaden them. The words have a national, not an individual, application. Shut their eyes ; literally, besmear their eyes ; or, seal them up . Such sealing has been employed by Oriental monarchs as a punishment. And convert ; ... read more
Then said I, Lord, how long? Either, "How long am I to continue this preaching?" or, "How long is this blindness and callousness of the people to continue?" Isaiah assumes that he has not heard as yet God's final purpose; that there is some merciful intention kept in reserve, which is to take effect after the close of the period of judgment. The cities … the houses; rather, cities … houses . An entire desolation of the whole land, and extermination of its inhabitants, is not... read more
The loving-kindness of God shown in his judgments. "I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right , and flat thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me," says the psalmist ( Psalms 119:75 ). No doubt, at last God must simply punish the obdurate and impenitent; but for the most part he sends his judgment upon men in mercy, either to turn them from their sins, or to refine and improve their characters. I. EVEN WHEN GOD SIMPLY PUNISHES , IT IS IN LOVING - KINDNESS TO ... read more
And the Lord have removed men far away. The Assyrian and Babylonian policy of deportation is pointed at. Pul had attacked the kingdom of Israel ten or twelve years before Uzziah's death, and had perhaps made the Assyrian policy known, though he had allowed himself to be bought off ( 2 Kings 15:19 , 2 Kings 15:20 ). And there be a great forsaking ; rather, and the desolation be great ; i.e. till a great portion of Judah be depopulated. read more
But yet in it shall be a tenth , etc.; rather, and should there still be in it a tenth ; i.e. should there still remain, after the great deportation, a tenth part of the inhabitants, "this again shall be burned up," i.e. shall be destined to further judgment and destruction. The trials of the Jewish nation under the Persian, Egyptian, and Syrian monarchies may be intended. As a teil tree, and as an oak , etc.; rather, as the terebinth tree and as the oak—trees which shoot up again... read more
This chapter Isaiah 6:1-13 contains a very sublime description of the manifestation of Yahweh to Isaiah, and of a solemn commission to him to declare his purposes to the Jews. It has been supposed by many to be a solemn “inauguration” to the prophetic office, and to have been the “first” of his prophecies. But this supposition is not to be considered as just. It is evident Isaiah 1:1 that he prophesied “before” the death of Uzziah, and there is reason to suppose that the order of “time” is... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 6:8-13
THE PROPHET ENTRUSTED WITH A SPECIAL MISSON . We do not know what special call Isaiah had had previously. Perhaps he had been brought up in the "schools of the prophets." Perhaps, when the "word of the Lord" came to him, he had accepted the fact as sufficient call. Now, however, he had, in vision, a clear and distinct call and mission (verses 8, 9). He was told to "go," and instructed as to what he was to say (verses 9, 10). As before (Isaiah 1-5.), while in the main he was to... read more