Isaiah 24:1

Behold, the Lord maketh … waste The construction in Heb. is the fut. instans, "is about to empty." The metaphor of the verse (cf. Nahum 2:10) is exceedingly expressive, the words being "those which were used for cleaning a dirty dish" (G. A. Smith). Cf. 2 Kings 21:13. The language exhibits the fondness for assonance which is a marked peculiarity of the writer's style, far in excess of anything of the kind in Isaiah.

the earth Not "the land" (R.V. marg.) of Judah or Palestine. "The prophecy leaps far beyond all particular or national conditions."