K5 m¹ 1. The spoiler.
n¹ 2. Yahaveh. Prayer to.
m² 3,4. The spoiler.
n¹ 5,6. Yahaveh. Praise to.
m³ 7-9. The spoiler.
n³ 10-12. Yahaveh. Answer of.649-588 B.C.
Isaiah 33)
1 Woe (5th of 6 woes) to you you plunderer, and you were not spoiled; and you traitor, and they dealt not treacherously with you! when you shall cease to spoil, you shall be spoiled; and when you shall make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with you.
2 O Lord (Yahaveh), be gracious unto us; we have waited for You: be You their arm (put for the strength and defense put forth by it) every morning (i.e. continually), our salvation also in the time of trouble.
3 At the noise of the tumult the peoples fled; at the lifting up of Yourself nations were scattered.
4 And Your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the locusts: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.
5 The Lord is exalted; for He dwells on high: He has filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.
6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of your times, and strength of salvation: the love (or reverence) of the Lord that is his treasure.
7 Behold, their valiant ones shall cry outside: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
8 The highways are desolate (see 7:3), he that walks along the path ceases (see note on "path", 2:3): he has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities, he regards no mortal.
9 The earth mourns and languishes (see 3:26): Lebanon is ashamed and withered: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.
10 "Now will I rise", may the Lord say; "now will I be exalted; now will I lift up Myself.
11 You all shall conceive chaff, you all shall bring forth stubble: your breath as a fire (Heb. ruach), shall devour you.
12 And the peoples shall be as the burnings of lime (i.e. fuel for lime-kilns): as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire." (these are the common fuel used in lime-kilns in Palestine)
L5 o¹ 13-17. The king. Seen in the Land.
p¹ 18,19. Enemy not seen.
o² 20,21-. The glorious Yahaveh. Seen in Zion.
p² -21. Enemy not seen.
o³ 22. Yahaveh. Present to save.
p³ 23. Enemy. Destroyed.
o4 24. Yahaveh. His People forgiven.
13 Hear, you all (i.e. the heathen) that are far off, what I have done (i.e. in the destruction of Senacherib's army); and, you all that are near, acknowledge My might.
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has surprised the hypocrites. Who for us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? (the answer implied being the negative)
15 He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly (this is not the answer to v.14, but the subject of the Promise in v.16, "He...shall dwell on high". Hence it is emphatic. See Deut. 10:17; 16:19; 27:25); he that despises the gain of oppressions, that shakes his hands from holding of bribes, that stops his ears from hearing of murderers (fig., by which "blood" is first put for blood-shedding, and, secondly, blood-shedding put for those who shed it), and shuts his eyes from seeing evil;
16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
17 Your eyes shall see the King in His beauty (see v.22): they shall behold the land that is very far stretching.
18 Your heart shall meditate terror. Where is the counter? where is the weigher? where is he that counted the towers? (referring to Sennacherib's besieging army)
19 You shall not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive (see Deut.28:49,50); of a jabbering tongue (fig., put for the language spoken by it), that you can not understand.
20 Gaze upon Zion, the city of our feast-days (see Lev.23. Num.15, &c): your eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tent that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.
21 But there the glorious the Lord will be to us a place of broad rivers and streams;
wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall mighty (or, noble) ship pass thereby.
22 For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us.
23 Your tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. (referring to the spoil taken from the dead of the Assyrian host. See 2 Kings 19:35)
24 And the inhabitant shall not say, “I am sick:” the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. (see Ex. 23:21; 32:32. Num. 14:19)