Isaiah 10:1

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 10:1-4

Whether they were the princes and judges of Israel of Judah, or both, that the prophet denounced this woe against, is not certain: if those of Israel, these verses are to be joined with the close of the foregoing chapter, which is probable enough, because the burden of that prophecy (for all this his anger is not turned away) is repeated here (Isa. 10:4); if those of Judah, they then show what was the particular design with which God brought the Assyrian army upon them?to punish their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 10:1

Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees ,.... Or, "O ye that decree", &c.; הוי being a sign of the vocative case, and an interjection of calling, as Aben Ezra observes; though the Targum and other versions understand it of a threatening denounced; and is to be understood as lying against lawgivers and judges, political rulers and governors of the people, that made unrighteous laws; laws which were not agreeable to the law of God, nor right reason; and were injurious to the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 10:1

Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees (comp. Isaiah 1:17 , Isaiah 1:20 , Isaiah 1:26 ; Isaiah 5:23 , etc.). The perversion of judgment from the judgment-seat is the sin rebuked. It was certainly prevalent in Judah, it may also have been practiced in Israel. And that write grievousness , etc. Translate, and unto the writers that enregister oppression . The decrees of courts were, it is clear, carefully engrossed by the officials, probably upon parchment, every outward... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 10:1-4

The prophecy begun in Isaiah 9:8 terminates with this stanza, which contains a warning against injustice and oppression, addressed to Israel and Judah equally, and accompanied by the threat of a "day of desolation," when those who have refused to make God their Refuge will have no resource, but to go into captivity with the "prisoners," or to perish with the "slain." A foreign conquest, accompanied by slaughter, and the deportation of captives, is not obscurely intimated. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 10:1-4

The helplessness of man under the wrath of God. The anger of the Lord is here expressly declared against the oppressor. We are again reminded: 1. That God judges those who are in authority over men; that however these may be placed above the reach of human justice, they will not escape Divine retribution. 2. That God especially requires an account of our treatment of the suffering and the dependent. Whoso wrongs the widow or the orphan must expect a fearful reckoning with the pitiful... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 10:1

Wo unto them that decree unrighteous decrees - To those who frame statutes that are oppressive and iniquitous. The prophet here refers, doubtless, to the rulers and judges of the land of Judea. A similar description he had before given; Isaiah 1:10, Isaiah 1:23, ...And that write ... - Hebrew, ‘And to the writers who write violence.’ The word translated “grievousness,” עמל ‛âmâl, denotes properly “wearisome labor, trouble, oppression, injustice.” Here, it evidently refers to the judges who... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Isaiah 10:1-2

Isaiah 10:1-2. Wo, &c. The first four verses of this chapter are closely connected with the foregoing, and ought to have been joined thereto, being a continuation of the subject treated of in it. We have here the fourth evil charged on the people, and the punishment of it. The sin complained of is the injustice of the magistrates and judges, who decreed unrighteous decrees That is, made unjust laws, and gave forth unjust sentences, which is termed in the next clause, writing... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Isaiah 10:1-4

The fall of Israel (9:8-10:4)Isaiah now describes the situation in the northern kingdom Israel, which becomes weakened by enemy attacks and finally is conquered by Assyria. The northerners refuse to acknowledge that God is the one who has brought this catastrophe upon them. They make a show of self-assurance by saying they will rebuild, bigger and better, whatever their enemies have destroyed (8-12).Because the people refuse to repent, God will punish them further. His purpose is to remove the... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Isaiah 10:1

write = ordain, or register; legalize iniquities. grievousness = oppression. prescribed = written. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Isaiah 10:1

Actually, the first four verses of this chapter could have been logically included with the previous chapter, since they form the fourth stanza, following the first three in Isaiah 9, each stanza followed by the refrain: "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is outstretched still."Of course, it should be remembered that both chapter and verse divisions in the Bible are in many instances arbitrary and illogical; but long usage has made it a practical impossibility to change or... read more

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