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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 28:9-13

The prophet here complains of the wretched stupidity of this people, that they were unteachable and made no improvement of the means of grace which they possessed; they still continued as they were, their mistakes not rectified, their hearts not renewed, nor their lives reformed. Observe, I. What it was that their prophets and ministers designed and aimed at. It was to teach them knowledge, the knowledge of God and his will, and to make them understand doctrine, Isa. 28:9. This is God's way of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 28:10

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept ,.... Signifying, that they must be dealt with as children were, when first instructed in the rudiments of a language, first had one rule given them, and then another, and so one after another till they had gone through the whole: line upon line, line upon line ; who are taught first to write one line, and then another; or to draw one line, and write after that, and then another; or where to begin one line, and, when finished,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 28:10

For precept must be upon precept - The original is remarkably abrupt and sententious. The hemistichs are these: - לצו צו לצו צו כי latsav tsav latsav tsav ki לקו קו לקו קו lakau kau lakau kau שם זעיר שם זעיר sham zeeir sham zeeir For, - Command to command, command to command. Line to line, line to line. A little there, a little there. Kimchi says צו tsau , precept, is used here for מצוה mitsuah , command, and is used in no... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:7-10

JUDAH 'S SINFULNESS . The reformation effected by Hezekiah was but a half-reformation. It put away idolatry, but it left untouched a variety of moral evils, as: 1. Drunkenness. Judah was no whir behind Ephraim in respect of this vice. The very priests and "prophets" gave way to the disgusting habit, and came drunk to the most solemn functions of religious teaching and hearing causes. 2. Scorn and mockery of God's true prophets. The teaching of Isaiah was made light of by the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:7-13

The mockers and the prophet. Here, it appears, the scene changes to Jerusalem. And we should compare the picture of drunkenness and luxury with that in Amos 6:1-7 and Micah 2:11 . I. THE PRIESTS AND PROPHETS OF THE TIME . They are seen reeling and staggering in the midst of, or as they come from, their most sacred functions. It is a strong and indignant description of drunkenness in general (cf. Proverbs 20:1 ). What more humiliating than the spectacle! To have "put... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:9-10

The objections of unbelievers to such as preach the truth. The argumentum ad hominem , to which Isaiah's adversaries had recourse, is one very generally employed by those who are indisposed to receive religious teaching. "Who are you," the teacher is asked, "that you should set yourself up to teach us? On what grounds do you suppose that you are so much wiser than we? We are not babes—not tied to our mothers' apron-strings, not mere children without experience of life. We think that... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:9-13

Indocility. When God speaks man may well listen, whatsoever strains the Divine Teacher may employ. But man is often found to be, not only an inapt, but even an unwilling, scholar. Such were they who are here terribly rebuked. I. THE DESIGN OF GOD 'S TEACHING . God had been saying, "This is the rest," etc. ( Isaiah 28:12 ). The end of all God's instruction is to give rest to his human scholars. Peace was the promise of the old covenant ( Numbers 6:26 ; Numbers 25:12 ). ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:10

For precept must be upon precept ; rather, for it is precept upon precept (Lowth, Cheyne). The whole teaching is nothing but an accumulation of precept upon precept, rule upon rule, one little injunction followed up by another, here a little, there a little. The objectors profess to find in the prophet's teaching nothing grand, nothing broad—no enunciation of great leading principles; but a perpetual drizzling rain of petty maxims and rules, vexatious, cramping, confining; especially... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:10

Need for the reiteration of truth. "Line upon line." It is not difficult to set forth the practical applications of this passage; but we cannot be quite sure that we know the exact original bearing of the words. Three suggestions have been made. 1. , Isaiah 28:9 may refer to God's favor to the Jews; then Isaiah 28:10 describes the abundant revelation made to them, with rules and duties related to all the conditions and emergencies of life. 2. , Isaiah 28:9 may refer to the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:10

Mockers of religion. A different explanation to that given in the previous homily is finding favor in modern times. The passage is supposed to represent the drunkards mocking Isaiah over their cups. "Does he not know what respectable persons he is dealing with, not like children who need leading-strings, but educated priests and prophets? They have caught up from Isaiah one of his favorite words (probably), and repeat it with a sneer. He is always interfering with moral and political... read more

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