อิสยาห์ 28:8 วิจารณ์

In this chapter, I. The Ephraimites are reproved and threatened for their pride and drunkenness, their security and sensuality (Isa 28:1-8). But, in the midst of this, here is a gracious promise of God's favour to the remnant of his people (Isa 28:5, Isa 28:6). II. They are likewise reproved and threatened for their dulness and stupidity, and unaptness to profit by the instructions which the prophets gave them in God's name (Isa 28:9-13). III. The rulers of Jerusalem are reproved and threatened for their insolent contempt of God's judgments, and setting them at defiance; and, after a gracious promise of Christ and his grace, they are made to know that the vain hopes of escaping the judgments of God with which they flattered themselves would certainly deceive them (Isa 28:14-22). IV. All this is confirmed by a comparison borrowed from the method which the husbandman takes with his ground and grain, according to which they must expect God would proceed with his people, whom he had lately called his threshing and the corn of his floor (Isa 21:10) (Isa 28:23-29). This is written for our admonition, and is profitable for reproof and warning to us.

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 28 In this chapter the ten tribes of Israel and the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, are threatened with divine judgments, because of their sins and iniquities mentioned. The ten tribes, under the name of Ephraim, for their pride and drunkenness, Isa 28:1 the means of their destruction, the Assyrian monarch, compared to a hail storm, and a flood of mighty waters, Isa 28:2 which destruction, for their sins, is repeated, and represented as sudden and swift; when they would be like a fading flower and hasty fruit, Isa 28:3 and then, as for the two tribes, though they had a glorious prince at the head of them, who had a spirit of wisdom and judgment for government, and of valour and courage for war, Isa 28:5 yet the generality of the people, led on by the example of priest and prophet, went into the same sensual gratifications as they of the ten tribes did, Isa 28:7 and became sottish and unteachable, and were like children just taken from the breast, and to be used as such, Isa 28:9 and though the doctrine proposed to be taught them was such as, if received, would be of the greatest advantage to them, for their comfort and refreshment, yet it was refused by them with the utmost contempt; which was to be their ruin, Isa 28:12, wherefore the rulers of Jerusalem are threatened with the judgments of God, which should come upon them night and day, the report of which would be a vexation to them; and from which they should not be screened by their covenant with death and hell, or by their shelters and coverings with lies and falsehood, in which they placed their confidence, Isa 28:14 in the midst of which account, for the comfort of the Lord's people, stands a glorious prophecy, concerning the sure foundation laid in Zion, on which all that are built are safe and happy, Isa 28:16 and the certainty of these judgments is illustrated by the method which the ploughman takes in sowing his corn, and threshing it out; for which he has instruction and direction from the Lord of hosts, Isa 28:23.

Whom shall he teach knowledge?.... Not the drunken priest or prophet, who were both unfit for teaching men knowledge; but either the true and godly priest or prophet of the Lord, or the Lord himself, before spoken of as a spirit of judgment, Isa 28:6 namely, by his prophets and ministers, the latter seem rather intended; whom may or can such an one teach the knowledge of God, and of themselves; the knowledge of the law, and of the Gospel; the knowledge of divine truths, of things necessary to salvation, and the conduct of human life; of Jesus Christ, and the way of salvation by him, and of him, as a foundation of the Lord's laying in Zion, hereafter mentioned in this chapter? who are capable of receiving such instructions? it intimates the stupidity and sottishness of the Jews, whose minds were so impaired by excessive drinking, that they were not able to take in the knowledge of these things: and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? or "hearing"; the hearing of the word, or the word heard, the report of the Gospel; so the word is used in Isa 53:1 this will never be understood, believed, and received, unless the arm of the Lord is revealed, or his power be exerted; prophets and ministers may speak to the ears of men, but they cannot give them an understanding of divine things, God only can do that: here it designs, as before, the unteachableness of the people of the Jews, being in the circumstances they were, as appears by what follows: them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts; signifying, that one might as well take children from the breast, such as are just weaned, and instruct them, as to pretend to teach these people the knowledge of divine things, or cause them to understand sound doctrine, that which is agreeable to law and Gospel; so sottish were they become through excessive drinking. Some understand this as a serious answer to the questions, and of persons in a metaphorical sense, who desire and thirst after the sincere milk of the word, as children just taken from the breast, and deprived of it, do; and who are afflicted and distressed, and without the milk of divine comfort, and are like weaned children, humble, meek, and lowly; see Mat 11:25. Jarchi makes mention of such an interpretation as this, "them that are weaned from the milk"; from the law, which is called milk: "and drawn from the breasts"; drawn from the disciples of the wise men. It may be understood of such who departed from the sincere milk of the word; and embraced the traditions of the elders.

(Verse 5 and following) On that day, the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory and a diadem of rejoicing to the remnant of his people, and a spirit of judgment to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. But these also reel because of wine and stagger because of strong drink: priest and prophet reel because of strong drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they stagger because of strong drink; they reel while having visions, they totter when rendering judgment. For all the tables were filled with vomit and filth, so that there was no longer any place. LXX: On that day the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of his people. They shall put away in the spirit of judgment all wickedness and forbid every deed of violence. For they are deceived by wine, they stagger because of strong drink; priest and prophet reel with strong drink, they are confused with wine, they stagger because of strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. All tables are covered with filthy vomit. No place is clean. After the entire land of Samaria, that is, the ten tribes, was destroyed by the flooding Assyrians and trampled underfoot, the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and devoured like a temporary fig tree, then the remaining people of Israel, that is, the two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, will be the crown of victory; and the spirit of judgment will be upon the king who sits in judgment, undoubtedly King Hezekiah of Judah; and their strength, who have avenged all the populated regions and returned from battle, will be their protection within the city. The prophet speaks about what we are going to read in the same passage (below chapter 37), when 185,000 armed soldiers from the Assyrian army were destroyed by an angel striking them. But these people too, that is, Judah and Benjamin, were intoxicated with the wine of idolatry, and having despised the religion of the temple, they worshipped the idols of demons and did not recognize the Lord who sees everything. For all their tables and their whole religion were filled with vomit and filth, so that not only in the temple, but on the top of mountains and in wooded places, they filled everything with the filth of idolatry, and the Lord did not have a place of dwelling in them. Let this be said according to the letter. Furthermore, according to tropology, let us follow the previous understanding and not leave aside the untouched Seventy Interpreters. For the heretics, devoured by the mouth of the devil, who have climbed the mountain of pride, the Lord will be the crown of glory; but for those who dwell in the Church, and compared to the multitude of many wanderers, they are few in number. However, there will be a spirit of judgment over judgment: for the Lord will cleanse the filth of the sons and daughters of Zion with the spirit of judgment. But if anyone has blood, he will be cleansed not by the breath of judgment, but by the fire of purification, and he will be a strength to the people and will prevent them from being killed by those who are intoxicated with the wine of dragons and have gone astray because of their drunkenness. We have often said that wine is made from grapes. But drunkenness refers to any drink that can intoxicate and disturb the mind, which Aquila properly translated as ebriety, whether it is made from wheat, barley, millet, the juice of fruits, the fruit of palm trees, or any other kind. Therefore, the priests and prophets of the heretics lost their minds because of wine, and they were consumed because of alcohol, like Prisca and Maximilla, and their leader Montanus; and they did not know what to say. They are intoxicated by wine when they wrongly understand and distort the holy Scriptures. They are consumed by alcohol when they misuse worldly wisdom and the snares of dialecticians, which should be called not so much chains as phantasms, that is, certain shadows and images that quickly perish and dissolve. Those who believe that profit is piety and do everything out of greed will be cursed. The Apostle spoke about this phantasm, saying: 'Giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy' (I Tim. IV, 1, 2). The third explanation is that after the Lord destroyed the Scribes and the Pharisees and their companion Judas, who was a thief from the beginning, he personally carried the money of the poor in a small wallet (John XII and XIII): then there is hope and a crown of glory for those who believe in the Lord from among the Jews, undoubtedly signifying the apostles, whom he has reserved for the preaching of the Gospel and has not immediately allowed to shed their blood for Christ. For all the scribes and Pharisees, as we have said above, were drunk with wine and cider, both the priests and the false prophets. But their schemes and traps were in vain, for even Judas himself, who betrayed [Jesus], did it for the sake of money, and the priests who corrupted the betrayer with money did it out of fear of their own lowly status. For he himself, making a whip out of cords, cast out of the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep, and overturned the tables of the money changers, saying to them: It is written, 'My Father's house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13). According to that Hebrew interpretation, in which we have said: For all their tables are filled with vomit and filth, so that there is no more room for heretics, scribes, and Pharisees, it can be understood that we say all their doctrine and all their mysteries are filled with vomit and filth, since they do not digest the food of the holy Scriptures, nor do they make it vital for the whole body; but they bring forth unripe and fetid things, so that God finds no place in them. But I wonder what Theodotion meant when he rendered the Hebrew word, Cisoa, which Aquila interpreted as 'vomit of filth,' and Symmachus only as 'vomit.' He said, 'vomit of dysalia,' which word I cannot find in Greek literature, unless he has invented a new term for a new thing. For it is also compounded in the Hebrew language, because vomit is called CI and Soa is filthy (also rendered as filth). Therefore, whatever causes nausea and vomiting can be called δυσαλία.

Third, he sets out the manner of their ignorance: for all the tables were full of vomit, for they gorged themselves in their temples until they vomited, as if they were devoted entirely to idols; and filth, namely, of all their shameful vices: as a dog that returns to his vomit (Prov 26:11), and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

One of those pretended prophets spoken of on the preceding chapter, having contrasted and opposed Jeremiah, receives an awful declaration that, as a proof to the people of his having spoken without commission, he should die in the then current year; which accordingly came to pass its the seventh month, vv. 1-17.

(Isa. 28:1-29) crown of pride--Hebrew for "proud crown of the drunkards," &c. [HORSLEY], namely, Samaria, the capital of Ephraim, or Israel. "Drunkards," literally (Isa 28:7-8; Isa 5:11, Isa 5:22; Amo 4:1; Amo 6:1-6) and metaphorically, like drunkards, rushing on to their own destruction. beauty . . . flower--"whose glorious beauty or ornament is a fading flower." Carrying on the image of "drunkards"; it was the custom at feasts to wreathe the brow with flowers; so Samaria, "which is (not as English Version, 'which are') upon the head of the fertile valley," that is, situated on a hill surrounded with the rich valleys as a garland (Kg1 16:24); but the garland is "fading," as garlands often do, because Ephraim is now close to ruin (compare Isa 16:8); fulfilled 721 B.C. (Kg2 17:6, Kg2 17:24).