Isaiah 33:1-9

Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

describe the Assyrian spoiler: strong as he is, he shall fall before Yahweh, who is stronger (Isaiah 33:2; Isaiah 33:10). The time is the autumn of 713 BC

Verse 1 Woe to thee that spoilest and thou (wast) not spoiled ie Though thou wast not spoiled though Verse 1. Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou (wast) not spoiled - i:e., Though thou wast not spoiled-though thou wast not dealt treacherously with (note, Isaiah 24:16); thy spoiling and treachery are therefore without excuse, being unprovoked.

When thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled - when God has let thee do thy worst, in execution of His plans, thine own turn shall come (cf. Isaiah 10:12; Isaiah 14:2; Habakkuk 2:8; Revelation 13:10).

Verse 2. O Lord, be gracious unto us ... He speaks interceding for His people, separating Himself in thought for a moment from them, and immediately returns to his natural identification with them in the word our.

Every morning - each day as it dawns: "The Lord's mercies are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:23), especially during our danger, as the parallel, "time of trouble," shows.

Verse 3. At the noise of the tumult the people fled. The approach of Yahweh is likened to an advancing thunderstorm (Isaiah 29:6; Isaiah 30:27), which is His voice (Revelation 1:15), causing the people to flee.

The nations - the Assyrian levies.

Verse 4. And your spoil shall be gathered. The invaders' "spoil" shall be left behind by them in their flight, and the Jews shall gather it.

(Like) the gathering of the caterpillar - rather, the wingless locust: chaciyl (H2625), from chaacal (H2628), to consume. The locust in its larva state. The destructive kinds of locusts that visited Bible lands are probably but two or three species, the most destructive being the Acridium peregrinum and the OEdipoda migratoria. Some of the nine or ten different Hebrew names for locusts must therefore stand for different stages in the life of the locust. Yekeq (H3218) also is translated in the English version "caterpillar." 'As it gathers'-the Hebrew word for "gathering" [ 'ocep (H625)] is properly used of the gathering of the fruits of harvest (Isaiah 32:10).

As the running to and fro of locusts - namely, in gathering harvest-fruits.

Shall he run. "He" is Yahweh, who has 'lifted up himself' (Isaiah 33:3: cf. Isaiah 33:5, beginning). A continuous, uninterrupted, and irresistible assault is implied, such as is that of locusts. Calvin, Maurer, etc., translate, 'they (the Jews) shall run upon.' The English version better accords with the Hebrew singular ( showqeeq (H8264) bow (H871a)), and with the context (Isaiah 33:3; Isaiah 33:5).

Upon them - `it;' i:e., upon the prey.

Verse 6. Wisdom - sacred; i:e., piety.

Shall be the stability of thy times - Hezekiah's, or rather Zion's (Isaiah 33:5).

The fear of the Lord (is) his treasure. "His" refers to the same. Such changes from the pronoun possessive of the second person to that of the third are common in Hebrew poetry.

Treasure - not so much material wealth as piety shall constitute the riches of the nation (Proverbs 10:22; Proverbs 15:16). Treasure - not so much material wealth as piety shall constitute the riches of the nation (Proverbs 10:22; Proverbs 15:16).

Verse 7. Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without; the ambassadors of peace. From the vision of future glory Isaiah returns to the disastrous present: the grief of the "valiant ones" (parallel to, and identical with, "the ambassadors of peace"), men of rank: Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Zoah the recorder, sent with presents to sue for peace; but standing "without" the enemy's camp, their suit being rejected (2 Kings 18:14; 2 Kings 18:18; 2 Kings 18:37). The "highways" deserted through fear, "the cities" insulted, the lands devastated.

Cry - (Isaiah 15:4.)

Verse 8. He hath broken the covenant. When Sennacherib invaded Judea, Hezekiah paid him a large sum to leave the land; Sennacherib received the money, and yet sent his army against Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:14; 2 Kings 18:17).

He hath despised the cities - he makes light of them, as unable to resist him (Isaiah 10:9; Isaiah 36:19). He easily captures them.

Verse 9. The earth mourneth - (Isaiah 24:4.)

Lebanon - personified.

Is ashamed (and) hewn down. The allusion may be to the Assyrian cutting down its choice trees (Isaiah 14:8; Isaiah 37:24).

Sharon - south of Carmel, along the Mediterranean, proverbial for fertility (Isaiah 35:2).

Bashan - afterward called Batanea (Isaiah 2:13).

Shake off (their fruits) - or, understand their leaves; they lie as desolate as in winter.