Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 33

Verses 1-24

“Your Eyes Will See the King” (33:1-24)

The oracles of Isaiah have been arranged by the editors of the material in such a way that prophecies of judgment frequently are interrupted by either prophecies or hymnic pieces that look beyond the current historical period to God’s gracious and marvelous intention of salvation in the future. Chapters 29, 30, and 32 contain alternating materials of this type, as though they were planned to be read in services of worship wherein the prophecies of judgment would be used as occasions for repentance, which would then be followed by the statement of the promises of God. Chapter 33 has similarly disparate material, with verses being set alongside one another in a fairly disjointed fashion so that again we must assume that the arrangement may have been purposive for use in public worship. Verse 1 is a lament addressed to an unnamed destroyer and reminds one of 10:5-11. This is immediately followed in verses 2-4 with a prayer of the people for God to be gracious because they are in trouble. Then verses 5-6 make the positive declaration about God’s beneficent intentions.

In the next section, verses 7-9 also refer to a current historical situation in which there is a cry for help; verses 10-16 represent the Lord’s answer. Finally, in the third portion (vss. 17-24) the future situation of peace in Jerusalem is pictured, with the Messianic king present. None of the inhabitants will be sick, and all the people will be forgiven for their sins (vs. 24). The climax is the picture of the peaceful Jerusalem in verse 20 and the public acclamation indicating the reason for this happy state: “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler, the Lord is our king; he will save us” (vs. 22). Verse 23 is an isolated fragment, the context of which is not preserved.