Isaiah 29 - Introduction

God's heavy judgment upon Jerusalem. The unsatiableness of her enemies. The senselessness and deep hypocrisy of the Jews. A promise of sanctification to the godly.

Before Christ 712.

THE second section of the discourse, contained in the present chapter, directed wholly to the Jews of Jerusalem, is nearly the same argument with that preceding. Herein the prophet denounces upon Jerusalem, and principally upon Sion, the more excellent part of the city, under the mystical name of Ariel, a grievous calamity which was to happen to it in process of time; the beginning whereof it should experience in the time of Sennacherib's expedition, shortly to take place, but with such ill success, that the enemies of the Jews, when they seemed almost, in their own imagination, to have attained their hope, should find themselves, by the divine judgment, utterly deluded and disappointed. In the mean time, the prophet convinces the Jews of their inattention and stupidity, their ignorance of the true doctrine of salvation, and of the divine revelation contained in it; and he denounces upon them the judgment of blindness and hardness of heart, giving the pious a lively hope, that the Gentiles should be called in their stead to the communion of the kingdom of God. This section may be divided into two parts; the first containing the denunciation of the temporal judgment to be inflicted on this people, Isaiah 28:1. The second, the spiritual judgment: in the former part we have, first, a preface which contains an address to the people of Jerusalem with a deploration of the calamity about to come upon them, for the punishment of their insolence and hypocrisy; Isaiah 28:1. Secondly, the declaration of that judgment whereby Jerusalem should be besieged by an incredible number of enemies, and should learn to speak humbly;—middle of Isaiah 28:1 to Isaiah 28:5. This declaration consists of various articles. Thirdly, the event of these hostile undertakings with respect to the enemies themselves, who, while they besieged Jerusalem, should either be destroyed with great slaughter, or at least experience that their joy on the expectation of taking the city and destroying the state was merely imaginary, Isaiah 28:6. The latter part, exhibiting the spiritual judgment, is two-fold; for, it either describes that judgment directly and clearly, in various articles, as well with respect to those who concealed their hypocrisy in the cause of religion with zeal for the traditions of their fathers, Isaiah 28:9 as to those who openly denied the hope of their fathers, and placed all their hope of safety in wealth, in craftiness, and their own self-approving wisdom, Isaiah 28:15. Or, it declares that judgment indirectly and obliquely; namely, from the calling of the Gentiles to be substituted in the place of the disobedient Jews; Isaiah 28:17.