Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 5

Verse 1

My cousin. So the prophet calls Christ, as being of his family and kindred, by descending from the house of David. (Challoner) (Menochius) --- Hebrew and Septuagint, "beloved." Dod may also mean a near relation. (Calmet) --- Isaias being of the same tribe, sets before us the lamentations of Christ over Jerusalem, Luke xix. 41. (Worthington) --- The Hebrews had canticles of sorrow, as well as of joy. The prophet thus endeavours to impress more deeply on the minds of the people what he had been saying. The master of the vineyard is God himself, ver. 7. (Calmet) --- Hill. Literally, in the horn, the son of oil. (Challoner) --- The best vines grew among olive and fig trees. (Doubdan 21.) --- Septuagint, "in a horn, (mountain) in a fat soil." (Haydock)

Verse 2

Stones. They burn and starve in different seasons, Colossians xii. 3. --- Choicest. Hebrew sorek. (Haydock) --- There was a famous valley of this name, Judges xvi. 4. The angels guarded the vineyard, in which Abraham, Moses, &c., were found. --- Tower. To keep the wine, &c., Matthew xxi. 33. It denotes the temple, (Calmet) Scriptures, &c. (Menochius) --- Wild. Sour, Deuteronomy xxxii. 32.

Verse 3

Judge. God condescends to have his conduct scrutinized, chap. xli. 1.

Verse 4

Was it. "Why has it produced wild grapes, while I looked?" &c.

Verse 5

CHAPTER V.

Down. By the Chaldeans, and after the death of Christ. (Calmet) --- when God withdraws his aid, man is unable to stand. Yet he falls by his own fault, which God only permits. (Worthington)

Verse 6

It. During the whole of the captivity, the land might keep its sabbaths, Leviticus xxvi. 34. (Calmet) --- The people shall be deprived of saving doctrine. (Menochius)

Verse 7

Israel. This comparison is very common, Psalm lxxix. 9., and Matthew xx. 1. (Calmet) --- The preceding parable is explained. (Menochius) --- Cry. For vengeance, Jeremias xii. 8., and Genesis iv. 10., and xviii. 20. (Calmet)

Verse 8

Even. Septuagint, "to take from your neighbour: shall," &c. (Haydock)

Verse 9

Things. Unjust practices. --- Inhabitant. What will your avarice avail, (Haydock) since you must abandon all? (Calmet)

Verse 10

Measure. Hebrew, "both." --- Thirty. Hebrew, "a chomer shall yield an epha."

Verse 11

To follow. Hebrew, "for shecar," (Calmet) palm wine, (Theodoret) or any inebriating liquor. (St. Jerome in chap. xxviii.) Our version is conformable to Aquila and Symmachus. (Haydock) --- Numbers vi. 3., and Ecclesiastes x. 16.

Verse 12

Work. Chastisement, ver. 19., and chap. xxviii. 21. (Calmet) --- They are admonished to observe the festivals of the Lord, and not to indulge in riotousness. (Worthington)

Verse 14

Hell. Or the grave, which never says enough, Proverbs xxx. 15. Isaias alludes to what should happen under Nabuchodonosor, as if it were past. (G.[Calmet?])

Verse 16

Justice. All will be taught to adore him. (Haydock)

Verse 17

Strangers. Ammonites, &c., (Calmet) shall occupy part of the land. (Haydock)

Verse 18

Cart. Fatiguing themselves with iniquity, (Wisdom v. 7.; Calmet) and delaying your conversion. (St. Isidore) (Menochius)

Verse 19

It. The Jews were often guilty of the like insolence, Jeremias xvii. 15.

Verse 21

Conceits. Blind guides, Matthew xv. 14.

Verse 22

Drink. Hebrew, "mix shecar." People generally mixed wine and water. They also strove who could drink most, and the Greeks had a feast for this purpose, (Calmet) which they styled Choas, for the measure which was to be swallowed down. (Aristophanes, Acharn. act. iv. 4. and 5. ultra) --- Cyrus the younger boasted to the Greek ambassadors, that "he could drink and bear more wine than his brother." (Plut.[Plutarch?] in Artax.)

Verse 23

Justice. Declaring the righteous guilty, ver. 20. (Haydock)

Verse 25

Still. After the ruin of Jerusalem, the people were led away. (Calmet) --- Grievous sins must be severely punished, as was that of the murderers of Christ. (Worthington)

Verse 26

Off. Like a king, leading all his subjects to battle. (Calmet) --- Whistle. He alludes to the custom of leading forth bees by music, chap. vii. 18. (St. Cyprian) --- Earth. The Chaldeans, (chap. xli. 9., and Jeremias vi. 22.) and not the Romans, as some would suppose. --- Swiftly. Like an eagle, Daniel vii. 4., and Jeremias xlviii. 40.

Verse 27

Broken. They shall march incessantly, Ezechiel xxvi. 7., and xxx. 11.

Verse 28

Hoofs. They were hardened, but not shod. (Xenophon) (Amos vi. 13.)

Verse 29

Lion. Nabuchodonosor is compared to one, ver. 26., and Jeremias iv. 7.

Verse 30

Mist. Denoting calamity. Hebrew, "ruin." Septuagint, "indigence." (Calmet)