The Prophet and His Day: Isaiah 1-39 - Free Bible Commentary

For morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or night,And it will be sheer terror to understand what it means."20The bed is too short on which to stretch out,And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in.21For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim,He will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon,To do His task, His unusual task,And to work His work, His extraordinary work.22And now do not carry on as scoffers,Or your fetters will be made stronger;For I have heard from the Lord GOD of hostsOf decisive destruction on all the earth.28:9-10 Isaiah’s words (or YHWH’s words through him) were attacked by (1) the religious leadershipor (2) those he addressed in vv. 7-8 (cf. Jer. 26:9-15; Amos 7:12; Mic. 2:6-11).28:10,13 This is a very cryptic reference. It involved the repetition of &7 (BDB 846, in Hos. 5:11 itmeans “command”) and &8 (BDB 876 II, in v. 17 it means “a measuring line”). The religious drunkardswere accusing Isaiah’s messages of being childish and difficult to understand (KB 1081 I #2). Verse 11is God’s reaction to their reaction to Isaiah’s message.28:11-13 This is Isaiah’s response to the religious elite and arrogant of his day in Jersualem.28:11 “Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue” This is God’s response to their rejection ofHis prophet. In essence He says, “If you are having a hard time understanding his basic ABC’s, waituntil you hear the Assyrian language” (cf. v. 13; 33:19; Jer. 5:15). Paul quotes this verse in I Cor. 14:21in his discussion of “speaking in tongues.”See my commentary on I Corinthians online at www.freebiblecommentary.org.28:12 “Here is rest, give rest to the weary” YHWH wanted His people to have “rest” (BDB 629) andpeace (cf. 11:10; 30:15; 32:17,18). The VERB (BDB 628, KB 679) is a Hiphil IMPERATIVE. This refersto Isaiah’s messages of hope and restoration, if only they would turn to YHWH, but they would not (v.12b)!Jesus gave a similar call to them in Matt. 11:28-29.28:13 YHWH’s only message to them was Isaiah’s message, which they rejected to their ruin.1. stumble backward, BDB 505, KB 502, Qal PERFECT, cf. 3:8; 59:142. be broken, BDB 990, KB 1402, Niphal PERFECT, cf. 8:153. be snared, BDB 430, KB 432, Niphal PERFECT, cf. 8:154. be taken captive, BDB 539, KB 530, Niphal PERFECT, cf. 8:15; 24:1828:14 “hear” This VERB (BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal IMPERATIVE) was both a call to obedience and anintroduction to judgment. They would not listen (cf. 28:12,14,22,23 [twice]; 29:18; 30:9,19,21,30; 32:3,9; 33:13,15,19; 34:1 [twice]. What a recurrent theme—God tries to instruct, but they refuse to listen!“Hear the word of the LORD” is the literary marker of a “judgment oracle.”277