Isaiah 65:4 - Exposition

Which remain among the graves . The rock tombs of Palestine seem to be meant. Persons " remained among" these, in spite of the ceremonial defilement thereby incurred, either with the object of raising the dead, and obtaining prophecies from them, or of getting prophetic intimations made to them in dreams (see Jerome's 'Comment.,' ad loc. ) . And lodge in the monuments ; or, in the crypts. " N'tsurim may refer to the mysteries celebrated in natural caves and artificial crypts" (Delitzsch). An account of such mysteries is given by Chwolsohn in his' Die Ssabier und der Ssabismus,' vol. it. pp. 332, et seq. Which eat swine's flesh . Not in mere defiance of the Law, but in sacrificial meals ( Isaiah 66:17 ) of which swine's flesh formed a part. Swine were sacrificial animals in Egypt (Herod; 2.47, 48), in Phoenicia (Lucian, 'De Dea Syra,' § 54), and with the Greeks and Romans. They do not appear to have been employed for the purpose either by the Assyrians or the Babylonians. It was probably in Palestine that the Jews had eaten "swine's flesh," at sacrifices to Baal or Astarte (Ashtoreth). In later times to do so was regarded as one of the worst abominations (1 Macc. 1:41-64; 2 Macc, 6; 7.). Broth of abominable things . Either broth made from swine's flesh, or from the flesh of other unclean animals, as the hare and rabbit (Le Romans 11:5 , Romans 11:6 ), or perhaps simply broth made from the flesh of any animals that had been offered to idols ( Acts 15:29 ).