His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.His — Israel's.Watchmen — Priests and teachers; he mentions only the teachers, because ignorance was most shameful in them, but hereby he supposes the gross ignorance of the people.Bark — They are also slothful and negligent in instructing the people, and do not faithfully reprove them for their sins. read more
Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.They look — They regard neither God's glory, nor the peoples good, but only the satisfaction of their own base desires.Quarter — In their several stations. read more
Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.Say they — Unto their brethren, fellow-priests, or other jolly companions.Fill ourselves — We will drink not only to delight, but even to drunkenness, as the word signifies, which shews their dreadful security and contempt of God, and their abandoning of all care of their own or peoples souls. read more
10, 11. His watchmen The people’s teachers. Are blind Can see nothing with a spiritual eye. Dumb dogs An image from shepherds’ bad watchdogs, which fail to give notice of danger. Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber An exact description of the miserable, outcast curs to be observed, even to this day, in every Eastern town or city. They are nobody’s dogs, allowed to lounge about and greedily devour garbage thrown into the street. What a comparison! Such are the shepherds which the... read more
12. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine The canine figure is dropped, but the same sensual character in the religious teachers is kept up. Drunkenness is now the vice charged. Strong drink On this, see note on Isaiah 5:11. The disgrace attending this vice among the clergy of this day and of this land is its rightful punishment. Any man who makes a beast of himself by habits of indulgence in intoxicating drinks, becomes a moral outcast in all good circles of society; but much more the... read more
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge - Isaiah 56:12
I will: Isaiah 5:22, Isaiah 28:7, Isaiah 28:8, Proverbs 31:4, Proverbs 31:5, Hosea 4:11, Amos 6:3-Joshua :, Matthew 24:49-Colossians :, Luke 12:45, Luke 12:46, Luke 21:34, Titus 1:7 to morrow: Isaiah 22:13, Isaiah 22:14, Psalms 10:6, Proverbs 23:35, Proverbs 27:1, Jeremiah 18:18, Luke 12:19, Luke 12:20, 1 Corinthians 15:32 Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 2:29 - make Job 24:23 - whereon Psalms 30:6 - And Proverbs 30:15 - Give Ezekiel 34:3 - eat Daniel 4:4 - was Amos 9:10 - The evil Malachi 1:10 - even... read more