8 daughter of Zion This is a frequently used reference to Jerusalem: both the city and its inhabitants.
10 ye rulers of Sodom, ye people of Gomorrah The people of Judah are being addressed here!
Epic Bible Study Isaiah: The Prophet's Lips
- Thread starter GodIsSalvation
- Start date
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
8 daughter of Zion This is a frequently used reference to Jerusalem: both the city and its inhabitants.
10 ye rulers of Sodom, ye people of Gomorrah The people of Judah are being addressed here!
11 [To what purpose] laamaah liy. 'What is it to me; or what profit or pleasure can I have in them?' God here replies to an objection which might be urged by the Jews to the representation which had been made of their guilt. The objection would be, that they were strict in the duties of their religion, and that they even abounded in offering victims of sacrifice. God replies in this and the following verses, that all this would be of no use, and would meet with no acceptance, unless it were the offering of the heart. He demanded righteousness; and without that, all external offerings would be vain. The same sentiment often occurs in the Old Testament.
Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to hearken than the fat of rams. (1 Sam 15:22)
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats..)
To what purpose shall frankincense be brought unto me from Sabah? Or the rich aromatic reed from a far country?
Your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, Nor your sacrifices pleasant unto me. (Jer 6:20. )
For I desired mercy and not sacrifice; And the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings. (Hos 6:6).
I hate, I despise your solemn feast days, And I will not smell in your solemn assemblies; Though ye offer me your burnt-offerings, And your meat-offerings I will not accept them; Neither will I regard the thank-offerings of your fat beasts.
Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; For I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, And righteousness as a mighty stream. (Amos 5:21-24.) (from Barnes' Notes, in Public Domain via E-Sword.)
12 [When you come to appear before me] The temple was in Jerusalem, and was regarded as the habitation, or dwelling-place, of the God of Israel. Particularly, the most holy place of the temple was deemed the place of his sacred abode. The Shekinah-from shaakan, to dwell-the visible symbol of his presence, rested on the cover of the ark, and from this place he was accustomed to commune with his people, and to give responses to their requests. Hence, 'to appear before God,' Hebrew 'to be seen before my face,' leeraa°owt paanaay for °et paanaay, means to appear in his temple as a worshipper. The phrase occurs in this sense in the following places:
Ex 34:23-24; Deut 31:11; 1 Sam 1:22; Ps 42:3.
[Who hath required this] The Jews were required to appear there to worship God
(Ex 23:17; Deut 16:16); but it was not required that they should appear with that spirit and temper. A similar sentiment is expressed in Ps 50:16.
[At your hand] From you. The emphasis in this expression is to be laid on your. 'Who has asked it of you?' It was indeed the duty of the humble, and the sincere, to tread those courts, but who had required such hypocrites as they were to do it? God sought the offerings of pure worshippers, not those of the hypocritical and the profane.
(from Barnes' Notes, in Public Domain via E-Sword.)
Verses 14-16: When people seek to live a lifestyle of obedience out of love of God; God delights in their worship and their offerings. But, when people practice a formula religion without seeking a personal relationship; God is insulted by their efforts.
Last edited:
W
weakness
Guest
The Lord has me studying Isaiah too,for about a month.i think it is very applicable for us now.
love sermon audio! a blessing
i've been listening to exposition from there on Isaiah for about two weeks now.
17 judge defend שִׁפִט֣וּ The Hebrew verb (Shah phat) means judge, pass sentence or try the fact in the context of a hearing at court. When, as in this instance, it is applied to a group or class of people (in a general sense); it means defend or plead the cause of. It is addressed not only to those who sit in judgement; but to all people who want to please God; and especially to the hypocrites, who don’t really want to please God, who have been addressed since verse one.
18 Here Isaiah changes his tone from scolding those who have been doing wrong to encouraging those among them who might be persuaded to change.
W
weakness
Guest
22 Thy silver is become dross Silver is a figure of the written Word of God. Dross is the collected impurities skimmed off as the metal purified. I think that what is intended here is that the insincere formal observance of selected portions of God’s Word polluted NOT the Word itself but perverted its intended meaning.
thy wine mixed with water Wine is a figure of either the Holy Spirit Himself, or His work. Perhaps, the intent here is that their attitudes impeded or figuratively diluted the work of the Spirit of God.
If you suppose that I don’t know what I am talking about here, you are probably right! I’m trying to fit the most frequently used metaphor for the words silver and wine into the context of the verse; but I’m not satisfied with the way it works out. It’s still my best shot.
23 Thy princes those charged with leadership and instruction of the people. See: Lv 19:15, Dt 27:19.
26 Even God’s warning of pending judgement is mingled with the promise of restoration.
[And I will restore ...] That is, I will give you such judges as the nation had in former days-in the times of Moses, Joshua, etc. Most of the charges in this chapter are against the magistrates. The calamities of the nation are traced to their unfaithfulness and corruption, Isa 1:17-23 . God now says that he will remove this cause of their calamity, and give them pure magistrates.
[Thy counselors] Thy advisers; that is, those occupying places of trust and responsibility. When this should be, the prophet does not say. The Jewish commentators suppose that he refers to the time after the return from captivity, and to such men as Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah; and to the times of Hyrcanus and Herod. Jerome supposes that the times of the Messiah are referred to. It is impossible to determine which is the correct opinion; though, as the Babylonian captivity was the punishment of those national sins which the prophet was denouncing, it is more probable that he refers to the time immediately succeeding that punishment, when the nation would be restored. I am inclined, therefore, to the opinion, that the prophet had reference solely to the prosperity of the Jewish nation, under a succession of comparatively virtuous princes, after the Babylonian captivity.
[Thou shalt be called ...] The principal cause of your wickedness and calamity, that is, your unfaithful rulers being removed and punished, you shall afterward be distinguished as a city of righteousness.
[The faithful city] That is, faithful to Yahweh-faithful in keeping his laws, and maintaining the rites of his religion as formerly; compare Isa 1:21. (from Barnes' Notes, in Public Domain via E-Sword.)
[SUP]27 [/SUP]Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
27 Zion shall be released by decree, and those who return in righteousness.
Zion usually is another name for Jerusalem; but, here it refers to Judah and Jerusalem.
released by Cyrus as foretold by God through Isaiah See Is 44:28.
by decree See: 2Ch 36:22, Ezr 1:1-7.
those who return from captivity See Ezr 1:3.
in righteousness The time of Ezra and Nehemiah was a time of general national righteousness.
28 Speaking of the Babylonian conquest.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the terebinths which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
of the terebinths (terpentine trees)These were groves for idolatrous worship.
for the gardens These were places where the groves were planted.
In regards to the times Isaiah speaks of, I believe it is triplicate. Remember, all prophesies speak towards the future. For Isaiah it is a very recurring theme for his prophecies to have a triplicate quality. Not all the prophecies in Isaiah are designed in this way, but a lot of them are.
The first part of the triplicate is the time era Isaiah was closest to, the era of Kings and Chronicles. The corruption of Israel and Judah and their enslavement and scattering and gathering thereof. The promise of a Messiah coming and the fulfillment thereof by the people returning to God and God returning the people to the promised land.
The next time era in the triplicate is the time era of Jesus, the Gospels, and the first apostles (ie: Acts, Paulline letters, etc.) Again we see in that time era a time of mass iniquity, the scattering of Israel and the early church, and the gathering of people to God. The promise of the Messiah coming again and the fulfillment thereof by Jesus being crucified, resurrected, ascending to heaven, and the spread of the Gospel as recorded in the Book of Acts and the Letters of the apostles.
The last part of the triplicate is the end of days, the time era described in many prophecies, but most clearly described in the book of Revelation. A time when the earth is full of evil. A time when the people are scattered, but yet again God shall gather his people out of the four winds. The promise of the coming of the Messiah Jesus and the fulfillment thereof in his coming in full glory to abolish the earth and heaven and to resurrect and save the righteous forever.
Daniel 12:6-7
[SUP]6 [/SUP]And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
[SUP]7 [/SUP]And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
The first part of the triplicate is the time era Isaiah was closest to, the era of Kings and Chronicles. The corruption of Israel and Judah and their enslavement and scattering and gathering thereof. The promise of a Messiah coming and the fulfillment thereof by the people returning to God and God returning the people to the promised land.
The next time era in the triplicate is the time era of Jesus, the Gospels, and the first apostles (ie: Acts, Paulline letters, etc.) Again we see in that time era a time of mass iniquity, the scattering of Israel and the early church, and the gathering of people to God. The promise of the Messiah coming again and the fulfillment thereof by Jesus being crucified, resurrected, ascending to heaven, and the spread of the Gospel as recorded in the Book of Acts and the Letters of the apostles.
The last part of the triplicate is the end of days, the time era described in many prophecies, but most clearly described in the book of Revelation. A time when the earth is full of evil. A time when the people are scattered, but yet again God shall gather his people out of the four winds. The promise of the coming of the Messiah Jesus and the fulfillment thereof in his coming in full glory to abolish the earth and heaven and to resurrect and save the righteous forever.
Daniel 12:6-7
[SUP]6 [/SUP]And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
[SUP]7 [/SUP]And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
Isaiah 6
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
[SUP]2 [/SUP]Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
[SUP]6 [/SUP]Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
[SUP]7 [/SUP]And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
[SUP]11 [/SUP]Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
[SUP]12 [/SUP]And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
[SUP]2 [/SUP]Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
[SUP]6 [/SUP]Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
[SUP]7 [/SUP]And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
[SUP]11 [/SUP]Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
[SUP]12 [/SUP]And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.
[SUP]2 [/SUP]And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
In the last days the time of the Messiah Isaiah prophesies both the first and the second coming of the Messiah; frequently speaking of both in the same verse.
all nations shall flow unto it. This was certainly fulfilled at the first coming.
(See Ac 2:5 ); and will be fulfilled again at the second coming. Zc 14:17.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
At the time of the second coming of the Lord, there will be a general turning to God; not only by Israel; but by all people.
and he will teach us of his ways God, Himself, will instruct them.
for out of Zion shall go forth the law The law usually refers to Genesis through Deuteronomy; but, here it refers to the entire body of Scripture (including the New Testament). See Ps 96:1-12.
and the Word of the LORD See: Jn 1:1 and Jn 1:14.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
And he shall judge among the nations See Ps 96:13.
Verses 2-4: Isaiah is citing Mi 4:1-3.
Micah is a younger contemporary of Isaiah, who also prophesied in Judah.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
See Jn 1:1-9.
Just a little note here. If anyone was wondering why the subtitle of the thread is "the prophet's lips" I picked it as an allusion to Isaiah 6:5. It is also somewhat poetic, being that Isaiah is noted for his strong language and what in our modern time would be considered cuss words, and yet he is undeniably one of the greatest writers/speakers ever in all history.
Enter into the rock Seek a hiding place from God’s wrath (But of course there is none). The same idea is found in Rv 6:15-16. Another reading would be to view Enter into the rock as na exhortation to repentance (the Rock being a figure of Jesus); but that does NOT seem to fit the context here.
I think it could mean both to enter the rock, meaning Jesus, but also the hiding of the people in the mountains as corresponds to Revelation. Also to compare to the immediate time frame.
Zechariah 14:5
[SUP] 5 [/SUP]And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
Isaiah 7
1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
[SUP]2 [/SUP]And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;
[SUP]4 [/SUP]And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,
[SUP]6 [/SUP]Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:
[SUP]7 [/SUP]Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
[SUP]11 [/SUP]Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
[SUP]12 [/SUP]But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
[SUP]14 [/SUP]Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
[SUP]15 [/SUP]Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
[SUP]16 [/SUP]For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
[SUP]17 [/SUP]The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.
[SUP]18 [/SUP]And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
[SUP]19 [/SUP]And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.
[SUP]20 [/SUP]In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.
[SUP]21 [/SUP]And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;
[SUP]22 [/SUP]And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.
[SUP]23 [/SUP]And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns.
[SUP]24 [/SUP]With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.
[SUP]25 [/SUP]And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.
1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
[SUP]2 [/SUP]And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;
[SUP]4 [/SUP]And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,
[SUP]6 [/SUP]Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:
[SUP]7 [/SUP]Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
[SUP]11 [/SUP]Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
[SUP]12 [/SUP]But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
[SUP]14 [/SUP]Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
[SUP]15 [/SUP]Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
[SUP]16 [/SUP]For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
[SUP]17 [/SUP]The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.
[SUP]18 [/SUP]And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
[SUP]19 [/SUP]And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.
[SUP]20 [/SUP]In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.
[SUP]21 [/SUP]And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;
[SUP]22 [/SUP]And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.
[SUP]23 [/SUP]And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns.
[SUP]24 [/SUP]With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.
[SUP]25 [/SUP]And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.
That rendition of Zechariah 14:5 is a corrupted version of the original. This what Zechariah really said:
The valley between the hills will be filled in, yes, it will be blocked as far as Jasol [Azal], it will be filled in as it was by the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Zechariah 14:5, New Jerusalem Bible
He was describing a landslide that has since filled in the Kidron Valley between the well of En-Rogel and Azal River/Valley/Town, just like Uzziah's landslide filled in the king's gardens. Click the right link in my signature for more info.
I do not believe it is a corrupted version. I investigated your link, and it is unclear whether they found the real valley of Azal or not. Either way, it's somewhat of a moot point. The point in my opinion is to show how people have fled or will flee in the past and future at the great wrath of the Lord, even asking the mountains to fall upon them.
I think either reading of the verse still maintains this point though so it is fair to study.
Also to note on the most recent passage, Isaiah 7. Note verses 14-16. One of the most clear OT prophecies about Jesus. Isaiah is a good book indeed for the messianic prophecies, and Isaiah himself is referenced a fair number of times in the Gospels.
Matthew 1:22-25
[SUP]22 [/SUP]Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
[SUP]23 [/SUP]Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
[SUP]24 [/SUP]Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
[SUP]25 [/SUP]And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.
Matthew 1:22-25
[SUP]22 [/SUP]Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
[SUP]23 [/SUP]Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
[SUP]24 [/SUP]Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
[SUP]25 [/SUP]And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.
Isaiah 8
1 Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.
[SUP]2 [/SUP]And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]The Lord spake also unto me again, saying,
[SUP]6 [/SUP]Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;
[SUP]7 [/SUP]Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
[SUP]8 [/SUP]And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
[SUP]11 [/SUP]For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
[SUP]12 [/SUP]Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
[SUP]14 [/SUP]And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
[SUP]15 [/SUP]And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
[SUP]16 [/SUP]Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
[SUP]17 [/SUP]And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
[SUP]18 [/SUP]Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
[SUP]19 [/SUP]And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
[SUP]20 [/SUP]To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
[SUP]21 [/SUP]And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
[SUP]22 [/SUP]And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
1 Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.
[SUP]2 [/SUP]And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]The Lord spake also unto me again, saying,
[SUP]6 [/SUP]Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;
[SUP]7 [/SUP]Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
[SUP]8 [/SUP]And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
[SUP]11 [/SUP]For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
[SUP]12 [/SUP]Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
[SUP]14 [/SUP]And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
[SUP]15 [/SUP]And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
[SUP]16 [/SUP]Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
[SUP]17 [/SUP]And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
[SUP]18 [/SUP]Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
[SUP]19 [/SUP]And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
[SUP]20 [/SUP]To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
[SUP]21 [/SUP]And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
[SUP]22 [/SUP]And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
1 For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water.
stay and the staff מַשְׁעֵ֖ן וּמַשְׁעֵנַ֑ה everything needed for support This was fulfilled during the siege of Nebucadnezzar (B.C. 597) and again by Titus (A.D. 70).
From Is 6:1, we know that Isaiah is giving this prophesy before B.C.726; so, the people are given at least 120 years warning to change their ways.
[SUP]2 [/SUP]The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
[SUP]3 [/SUP]The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
Verses 2 and 3: All those ‘honorable’ men whose council was followed, instead of seeking the Lord, will be taken away. The Hebrew language has a grammatical construction called the historical future; where a future event is spoken of in the perfect or present tense to express the certainty of its occurrence. See Is 1:26.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
And I will give children This speaks not of age; but of wisdom and competence I will commit the land to the government incompetent kings. This would naturally occur when the wise and great were removed; compare
Eccl 10:16: 'Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child;' compare Isa 3:12.
And babes shall rule ... again this speaks not of age; but of wisdom and competence. This was fulfilled by the succession of weak and wicked kings that succeeded Hezekiah, until the the temple was taken by Nebuchadnezzar
[SUP]5 [/SUP]And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
And the people shall be oppressed During the reign of the inept kings of verse 4, society would be totally corrupt and oppressive.
Every one by another they will use the courts and wickedness to take advantage of each other.
The child shall behave himself proudly children will not respect their elders
The ancient The old man.
And the base The man of low station. literally the man that is despised
[SUP]6 [/SUP]When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:
take hold of an idiom for supplication or request