Nazarene Commentary 2000©
21st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures©
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21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures©
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THE PROPHET ISAIAH
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:
THE COMING DESOLATION
Isaiah 24:1-6 – The Land to Be Emptied
IS24:1 Behold! YeHoWaH is making the land vacant
and causing it to become desolate!
He will distort its surface
and disperse
those who dwell there.
| 947 | YeHoWaH is making the land vacant: Or, KJV: earth empty; NJB: lays the earth waste; JPS: strip the earth bare; RHM: emptying the earth; LXX: lay waste the world [OIKOUMENE]. The verses are much abused by some. There is the temptation to view the whole matter regarding the earth as a globe. The Hebrew [A’RETS] and the Greek words often rendered “earth” may also mean “land.” Usually this refers to those who inhabit the land as here in chapter twenty-four. It is likely this “land” includes many inhabitants, including Babylon and Judah. |
| 948 | Causing it to become desolate: Or, RHM: laying it waste; NJB: makes it a desert; BAS: unpeopled. The land of Judah and Jerusalem will become an uninhabited wasteland. Note the Mosaic Curse at Deuteronomy 28:63. Return to Isaiah 1:7; 5:5. [Jeremiah 4:6; Ezekiel 6:6] |
| 949 | Distort its surface: Or, KJV: turneth upside down; NJB: buckles its surface; JPS: twist its surface; RHM: overturn; LXX: lay bare the surface of it. [2 Kings 21:13] The land or ground itself will “twist” in contortions from lack of cultivation. |
| 950 | Disperse: Or, LXX: scatter [DIASPEREI]; BAS: sending the people in all directions. The LXX Greek is the source of the word for the Disapora of the Jews, as well as the source for the English “disperse.” Note the quote at Nehemiah 1:8 regarding the Mosaic Curse of Deuteronomy 28:64. [Jeremiah 9:16] |
IS24:2 It will happen just so
– as the people so the priest, as the servant so his master, as the servant-girl so her mistress, as the buyer so the seller, as the lender so the borrower, as the debtor so the creditor.
| 951 | It will happen just so: The following phrases demonstrate the desolation across all religious, social and economic classes. Note Revelation 13:16, 17. |
IS24:3 Vacant!
Vacant! Will be the land! Yes, plundered! Plundered!
For YeHoWaH Himself has made the statement!
| 952 | Vacant: Or, ravaged, bare, emptied, LXX: completely laid waste. |
| 953 | Plundered: That is, plundered by the Babylonians and later the Romans. Or, LXX: utterly spoiled; RHM: pillaged; NJB: despoiled. Note the curse for disobeying the Law at Leviticus 26:31; Deuteronomy
29:28. |
| 954 | Statement: Or, word, spoken. |
IS24:4 The
land mourns and fades away.
The inhabited land deteriorates and fades away.
The exalted among the land’s people deteriorate.
| 955 | The land mourns and fades away: Or, LXX: the earth [GE] mourns and the world [OIKOUMENE] is ruined; JPS: earth is withered, sear;
the world languishes, it is sear; NJB: earth is mourning, pining away; BAS: sorrowing and wasting away, the world is full of grief and wasting away. [Isaiah 3:26; 33:9; Jeremiah 4:28; Lamentations 1:4; Hosea 4:3] |
| 956 | The inhabited land deteriorates and fades away: Or, KJV: world languishes. |
| 957 | The exalted among the land’s people deteriorate: Or, LXX: the lofty ones of the earth are mourning; NJB: the pick of earth’s people are withering away; KJV: the haughty; BAS: high ones of the earth come to nothing; YLT: Languished have they—the high place of the people of the land. Social position – royalty and intelligentsia – with their arrogance and egotism doe not save. Return to Isaiah 2:11. |
IS24:5 Yes, the land under their feet has become polluted,
all because they have set aside laws,
gone beyond the commandment,
and broken the most ancient of covenants.
| 958 | The land under their feet has become polluted: Or, KJV: the earth also is defiled; NJB: the earth is defiled by the feet of its inhabitants;
RHM: profaned; LXX: she has sinned by reason of her inhabitants; BAS: earth has been made unclean by those living in it. The reason is given in the next phrase. God is the Ultimate Environmentalist. [Leviticus 18:24, 25; Numbers 35:33; Jeremiah 3:1; Lamentations
4:13] |
| 959 | All because they have set aside laws: Or, LXX: transgressed the Law; RHM: set aside laws; JPS: transgressed
teachings; BAS: because the laws have not been kept by them; DAR: violated the laws. The reason for the curse on the Jews as outlined in Deuteronomy chapter 28 is because of their failure to keep God’s law. [2 Kings 17:7; Ezekiel 20:13; 22:13; Daniel
9:5] See notes on Galatians 3:13; 4:21; 5:3; 6:13. |
| 960 | Gone beyond the commandment: Or, KJV: changed the ordinance;
NJB: violated the decree; JPS: violated laws; RHM: gone beyond the statue; BAS: the orders have been changed. [Micah 3:11] |
| 961 |
Broken the most ancient of covenants: Or, LXX: everlasting [AIONION] covenant; RHM: broken the age-abiding covenant; JPS: broke the ancient covenant. Most suggest Genesis 9:16 and the Rainbow Covenant which included laws against murder and eating blood.
[Genesis 9:1-16] |
IS24:6 This is the reason a curse devours the land.
This is the reason the land’s inhabitants are punished.
This is the reason the land’s inhabitants are charred leaving few survivors. | 962 | This is the reason a curse devours the land: That is, land of the Jews. Or, JPS: curse consumes the earth; BAS: For this cause the earth is given up to the curse. Note how Joshua 23:15 alludes
to the Mosaic Curse at Leviticus 26:16 and Deuteronomy 28:15. |
| 963 | This is the reason the land’s inhabitants
are punished: Or, NJB: pay the penalty; KJV: they that dwell therein are desolate; BAS: those in it are judged as sinners; BAS: held guilty. |
| 964 | The land’s inhabitants are charred leaving few survivors: Or, KJV: the inhabitants of te earth are burned, and few men left; NJB: burnt up and few people left; JPS: earth’s dwellers have dwindled, and but few men are left; RHM: the men left remaining – are few; LXX: the dwellers in the earth shall be poor, and few men shall be left; BAS: the rest are small in number. This verse has been much abused. It clearly states that there will be survivors among those charred or burnt by war. Return to Isaiah 10:22. Note the Mosaic Curse on the Israelites at Leviticus 26:22; Deuteronomy 4:27; 28:62. |
Isaiah 24:7-12 – The End of Rejoicing
IS24:7 The new wine mourns and withers on the vine.
All merry-making has turned to groans.
| 965 | The new wine mourns and withers on the vine: Or, RHM: mourneth the new wine, withereth the vine; JPS: the new wine fails, the vine
languishes; BAS: new wine is thin, the vine is feeble. [Jeremiah 8:13; Joel 1:10] |
| 966 | All merry-making has turned
to groans: Or, KJV: all the merryhearted do sigh; NJB: once merry-hearted are sighing; LXX: merry of the soul [PSYCHEN]; BAS: all the glad-hearted make sounds of grief; YLT: Sighed have all the joyful of heart. Return to Isaiah 16:10 and see Isaiah 32:12. |
IS24:8 Happy music has stopped.
The sound of revelers has stopped.
The merriment of the harp has stopped.
[Revelation 18:22]
| 967 | Happy music has stopped: Or, LXX: the mirth of timbrels has ceased; JPS: stilled is the merriment of timbrels; NJB: the cheerful sound of tambourines is silent; BAS: pleasing sound of all instruments of music has come to an end. |
| 968 | The sound of revelers has stopped: Or, RHM: ended is the noise of the uproarous; JPS: ended the clamor of revelers. |
| 969 | The merriment of the harp has stopped: Or, LXX: the sound of the harp has ceased; RHM: ceased hath the mirth of the lyre. [Jeremiah 7:34; 16:9] There may be an echo of this phrase at Revelation 18:22. |
IS24:9 There is singing where there is no wine, for there is only bitterness to drink.
| 970 | There is singing where there is no wine, for there is only bitterness to drink: Or, LXX: strong drink has become bitter to them that
drink it; JPS: they drink their wine without song; liquor tastes bitter to the drinker; NJB: liquor will taste bitter. Possible the meaning is that despite drinking wine and strong drink the grief and agony cannot be forgotten. |
IS24:10 The desolate city has collapsed.
Every house is boarded up so it cannot be entered.
| 971 | The desolate city has collapsed: Or, NJB: the city of nothingness is ruins; JPS: towns are broken, empty; LXX: all the city has become
desolate. Note Revelation 16:19. |
| 972 | Every house is boarded up so it cannot be entered: Or, LXX: one shall shut
his house to that none shall enter; JPS: every house is shut. |
IS24:11 People cry for wine in the streets.
All joy has turned black.
The land’s gladness has deserted.
| 973 | People cry for wine in the streets: Or, NJB: people shout in the streets to try to get wine; JPS: even over wine, a cry goes up in
the streets; LXX: there is a howling for the wine everywhere. Wine both uplifts the heart and serves as a pain-killer. [Proverbs 31:6, 7] |
| 974 |
All joy has turned black: Or, JPS: the sun has set on all joy; RHM: darkened is all joy; NJB: all joy has vanished. |
| 975 |
The land’s gladness has deserted: Or, NJB: happiness has been banished from the country; RHM: departed the gladness of the earth. |
IS24:12 In the city nothing is left for desolation,
and gates are smashed to ruins. | 976 |
In the city nothing is left for desolation: Or, LXX: cities shall be let desolate; JPS: desolation is left in the town; NJB: nothing but rubble in the city. |
| 977 | Gates are smashed to ruins: Or, JPS: the gate is battered to ruins. [Isaiah 32:14; Jeremiah 9:11; Lamentations 1:4; 2:9; Micah 1:9] |
Isaiah 24:13-16 – YHWH Glorified
IS24:13 When this happens in the land – among all the people – there will be something like the shaking of an olive tree,
like gleaning after the harvest.
| 978 | Shaking of an olive tree: Or, LXX: as if one should strip an olive tree; JPS: as when the olive tree is beaten out. This imagery may be two-fold: a] the rarity of survivors; and, b] famine. Return to Isaiah 17:6. Note the law in Deuteronomy 24:20. |
IS24:14 They will raise their voices – rising in a quivering note
– on account of the magnificence of YeHoWaH.
They will call out shrilly from the western sea.
| 979 | Rising in a quivering note: Or, NJB: they raise their voices; RHM: a tremulous note. |
| 980 | Magnificence of YeHoWaH: Or, LXX: glory [DOXE]; JPS: majesty; RHM: splendour of Yahweh; NJB: in Yahweh’s honour; YLT: excellency of Jehovah. They do not cry out
to a nameless deity but to a God they know by Name. [Psalm 83:18 KJV] |
| 981 | Call out shrilly from the western sea:
Or, NJB: they shout from the west; JPS: shout from the sea. The Mediterranean Sea is to the west of Jerusalem. |
IS24:15 For this reason all of you glorify YeHoWaH
from the eastern horizon.
From the coastlands of the sea [glorify] the Name of YeHoWaH,
God of Israel.
| 982 | Eastern horizon: Or, JPS: with lights; RHM: regions of light; NJB: in the east; BAS: east. |
| 983 | Glorify the Name of YeHoWaH: Or, RHM (NJB; DAR; YLT): Name of Yahweh. When God’s people turn to Him and repent they glorify not “the LORD”
but Yehowah. |
IS24:16 From the farthest reaches of the land we hear melodies: “The One vindicated is beautiful!”
But, then, I responded: “I am wasting away from famine!
I am wasting away from famine! O, my agony!
The deceitful have deceived deceivers!
Yes, traitors have betrayed the traitorous!” | 984 | The One vindicated is beautiful: Or, JPS: glory to the righteous; RHM: beauty to the righteous one; NJB: glory to the Upright One. Some see the “righteous” as the Jews themselves, while others see YHWH. The
Hebrew for righteous/vindicated is TSADDIYQ Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #6662]. [Exodus 15:11; Ezra 9:15; Revelation 15:2; 19:2] |
| 985 | I am wasting away from famine: Or, KJV: my leanness, my leanness; NJB: what an ordeal; RHM: ruin to me; JPS: waste away. Return to Isaiah 10:16; 17:4. |
| 986 | My agony: Or, JPS: woe is me; NJB: what misery for me; BAS: the curse is on me. |
| 987 | The deceitful have deceived deceivers: Or, KJV: the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; NJB: traitors have betrayed, the traitors have acted most treacherously; RHM: traitors have traitors betrayed; JPS: the
faithless have acted faithlessly; BAS: the false ones go on in their false way. |
| 988 | Traitors have betrayed the traitorous:
Or, JPS: faithless have broken faith. |
Isaiah 24:17-20 – The Land and Its Inhabitants
IS24:17 Horror and pit and snare are upon all of you,
O inhabitants of the land!
| 989 | Horror and pit and snare are upon all of you: Or, KJV: fear; RHM: terror; JPS: trap. The Hebrew here is an example of the rhyme: PHAD WA-PAHATH WA-PAH. |
IS24:18 So it will happen that the one fleeing
the sound of horror will fall into the pit! And the one crawling out of the pit will be captured in the snare! For the lofty windows have opened,
and the earth’s foundations are being shaken.
| 990 | The one fleeing: A series of events, one leading to the other, illustrate the impossibility of escaping capture. |
| 991 | For the lofty windows have opened: That is, God’s punishment is unleashed from above. Or, LXX: windows of heaven; JPS: sluices are
opened on high; NJB: the sluice-gates above are opened. Perhaps an echo of Genesis 7:11. [Proverbs 27:4] |
| 992 | Earth’s
foundations are being shaken: Or, NJB: quaking; JPS: earth’s foundations tremble. This is described by the following phrases. [Deuteronomy 32:22; Psalm 18:7, 15] |
IS24:19 The land
is broken – shattered!
The land is shattered – smashed! The land is shaken – dissolved!
| 993 | The land is broken – shattered: Other words used in these poetic stanzas are: breaking, crumbling, tottering, crash, cracking
jolting, lurching. The poetic language may describe the result of God’s anger on the inhabitants of the land; and, a literal description of a land absent cultivation, as drying earth crumbling on the feet of conquering armies. [Jeremiah 4:24; Nahum 1:5;
Habakkuk 3:6] |
IS24:20 The land staggers, staggering like a drunk, rocking back and forth like a flimsy hut
– from the sheer weight of the transgression upon her!
So she will collapse and never rise again!| 994 | Rocking back and forth like a flimsy hut: Or, KJV: removed like a cottage; NJB: shaking
like a shanty; RHM: night-hut; LXX: shaken like as a storehouse of fruits; BAS: tent; YLT: lodge. That is, a flimsy hut for temporary use. On the staggering drunk note Isaiah 19:14; 29:9. |
| 995 | From the sheer weight of the transgression upon her: Or, LXX: for iniquity has prevailed upon it; JPS: its iniquity shall weigh it down; RHM: so shall be heavy upon her her transgression; NJB:
so heavy will be the sin on it. [2 Kings 21:16; 2 Chronicles 36:16] Some of these sins are listed at Hosea 4:2 and elsewhere: deceit, murder and bloodshed, theft, adultery. See also note on Romans 1:24-32. Those who claim to be God’s People can make no argument that God is an absolute forgiver. |
Isaiah 24:21-23 – Celestial Phenomenon
IS24:21 In that day it will happen that YeHoWaH will turn his attention to
the celestial armies in heaven,
including
the kings of the earth
[Revelation 19:19] upon the earth.
| 996 | Turn his attention to: RHM: bring punishment; LXX: bring his hand upon; YLT: layeth a charge. See notes on Isaiah 23:17. |
| 997 | Celestial armies in heaven: Or, LXX: host of heaven; NJB: armies of the sky above; RHM: upon the host of the height, in the height; KJV:
punish the host of the high ones that are on high. Some see God’s final judgment against the satanic hosts [Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 12:7-12; 20:1-3], while others would limit the language to the royalty and priesthood of Judah. [Psalm 76:12; Haggai
2:22] Prophetic truths may be involved with both. |
| 998 | The kings of the earth: Compare allusions at Revelation
6:15; 17:2, 18; 18:3, 9; 19:19. These are possibly the “heavens” of the parallel poetic phrase. |
IS24:22 Then all
will be gathered together
[Revelation 16:14] like a crowd of shackled prisoners gathered to the prison
– lowered into a deep dungeon.
There they will wait a long time before their judgment.
| 999 | Will be gathered together: The LXX Greek [SYNAGOGEN AUTES EIS] is the same as that at Revelation 16:14 [SYNAGOGAGEIN AUTOUS EIS].
[Again at Revelation 16:16.] Both deal with punishment of political powers. |
| 1000 | Like a crowd of shackled prisoners
gathered to the prison: Or, LXX: they shall gather the multitude thereof into prisons; RHM: swept together in a crowd, fettered for a pit; NJB: herded like prisoners in a dungeon. |
| 1001 | Lowered into a deep dungeon: Or, KJV: shut up in the prison; JPS: locked up in a prison; NJB: like prisoners in a dungeon and shut up in gaol; RHM: lowered into a dungeon; LXX: shut them into
a strong hold. Some see Satan and the demons abyssed as at Revelation 20:1-3, while others believe these kings will rise in the judgment to their own condemnation. [For details see the Biblical Article God and Judgment.] Compare notes on Revelation 21:24. |
| 1002 | There they will wait a long time before their judgment: Or, LXX: after many generations they shall be visited [EPISCOPE]; RHM: after many days shall they be punished; NJB: and after long years punished; JPS: remembered. Compare Hebrews 9:27. [Job 14:12-14; Revelation 20:11-14] No matter who they are all humanity will be raised to their own judgment. See the Biblical Article God and Judgment. |
IS24:23 Then the shining moon will be ashamed,
and then the brilliant sun will be embarrassed.
And all because
YeHoWaH
of [angelic] armies
has become king
[Revelation 19:6]
in Mount Zion, and
in Jerusalem, [Revelation 14:1; 21:22] and
glorified by His elders in His presence.
[Revelation 4:11, 12]| 1003 | Shining moon will be ashamed: Or, RHM: then shall blush the silvery moon; JPS: the moon shall be ashamed;
NJB: moon will be confused; KJV: moon shall be confounded; BAS: veiled. The poetic language may refer to the lofty kings above. |
| 1004 |
Brilliant sun will be embarrassed: Or, KJV: the sun ashamed; JPS: abashed; RHM: turn pale the glowing sun; BAS: put to shame. Compare Revelation 21:23. |
| 1005 | Has become king: Or, LXX: for the Lord shall reign. The LXX Greek [HOTI BASILEUSEI KYRIOS] should not be overlooked as it is repeated at Revelation 19:6 – HOTI EBASILEUSEN KYRIS. [See Revelation 19:6 in Nazarene
Apocalypse 2000©] The following phrase [in Mount Zion… in Jerusalem] are echoed at Revelation 14:1; 21:22]. The whole phrasing from the LXX must form a conflated paraphrase in Revelation. |
| 1006 | Glorified by His elders in His presence: Or, RHM: before his Elders in glory; JPS: the Presence will be revealed to His elders; NJB: the Glory will radiate on their
elders; KJV: before his ancients gloriously; BAS: before his judges he will let his glory be seen. The LXX Greek is KAI ENOPION TON PRESBYTERON DOXASTHESETAI, and so the possibility of a conflate in PRESBYTEROI ENOPION TOU… TEN DOXAN cannot be ignored.
If the “elders” of Isaiah 24:23 are the same as the 24 celestial elders of Revelation 4:4, 10, 11 then the latter may be understood to be – not elders of the Christian Church – but appointed angels serving God’s Throne. Opinions
are divided on the subject. |
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Nazarene Commentary 2000©
Mark Heber Miller
©2000 All Rights Reserved
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