Isaiah 5:20

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 5:18-30

Here are, I. Sins described which will bring judgments upon a people: and this perhaps is not only a charge drawn up against the men of Judah who lived at that time, and the particular articles of that charge, though it may relate primarily to them, but is rather intended for warning to all people, in all ages, to take heed of these sins, as destructive both to particular persons and to communities, and exposing men to God's wrath and his righteous judgments. Those are here said to be in a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 5:20

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil ,.... That call evil actions good, and good actions evil; that excuse the one, and reproach the other; or that call evil men good, and good men evil; to which the Targum agrees. Some understand this of false prophets rejecting the true worship of God, and recommending false worship; others of wicked judges, pronouncing the causes of bad men good, and of good men evil; others of sensualists, that speak in praise of drunkenness, gluttony, and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 5:8-24

THE SIX WOES . After the general warning conveyed to Israel by the parable of the vineyard, six sins are particularized as those which have especially provoked God to give the warning. On each of these woe is denounced. Two have special punishments assigned to them ( Isaiah 5:8-17 ); the remainder are joined in one general threat of retribution ( Isaiah 5:18-24 ). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 5:11-22

The evil and the end of intemperance. When other evils have entered and other calamities have overtaken a state, intemperance is sure to make its black and hateful mark. These verses suggest— I. ITS TYRANNY . Such is its strength that it makes its devotees, t rise up early in the morning" ( Isaiah 5:11 ) in order to worship at its shrine. It is an unnatural and detestable action; the earliness of the hour of the day might well be pleaded as a proof of innocency ( Acts 2:15 ). But... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 5:18-23

Four grievous sins. The ungodly spirit finds very various modes of expression in willful and self-pleasing actions. Men's sins are repeated over and over again in every age, sometimes taking more open and defiant forms, and sometimes hiding behind a pleasant outward show of delicacy and refinement, but always the "abominable things which God hates." The coarse sins of Eastern peoples seem offensive to our sensitive Western nations; but the sins are here amongst us, only in a disguise which... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 5:18-24

Analysis of sin. I. THE VAIN AND WANTON MIND . A singular image is used. Men are described as drawing down upon themselves, as with stout and strong ropes, the burden of sin and guilt. Such is the effect of their mocking jests and speeches. Dramatically, the hearers of the prophet are represented as exclaiming defiantly, "Let his wrath hasten, let it speed, let us see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it I" Amos alludes to the same... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 5:20

Woe unto them that call evil good. This is the fourth woe. There are persons who gloss over evil deeds and evil habits by fair-sounding names, who call cowardice caution, and rashness courage, niggardliness thrift, and wasteful profusion generosity. The same men are apt also to call good evil; they brand prudence with the name of cunning, call meekness want of proper spirit, sincerity rudeness, and firmness obstinacy. This deadness to moral distinctions is the sign of deep moral... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 5:20

Giving false names. "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Light is here cast upon the secret of Israel's defection. The "woe" has come from many causes, but here is one too often forgotten root of evil—public estimate as expressed in public speech. I. THE MORAL INFLUENCE OF LANGUAGE . We are all deceived at times by a fair speech that covers foul things. There is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 5:20

Spiritual perversity. Antecedently we should hardly have expected that a being created in the image of God, a rational spiritual agent, would so far depart from all that is reasonable and right as to put evil for good, and good for evil, etc. Yet such is the case. We have to consider— I. THE FACT OF SPIRITUAL PERVERSITY . Human perversity is not found in the higher region only. We find it in things physical , notably in our treatment of the body. Men take noxious drugs,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 5:20

The importance of adequate impressions of sin. We seldom hear sin spoken about now as the old prophets spoke about it. We do not think about sin as the defiance of God, the attempted overthrow of his authority, the expression of the soul's hatred of God, and therefore calling for terrible vindications of the Divine power and claims. In reading biographies of very holy and devoted Christians, we have observed that they had deep and overwhelming impressions of the evil of sin—impressions quite... read more

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