Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 25:5
Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; [even] the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.
5. Render: As heat in a dry place (cf. Isa 32:2) Thou humblest the pride of aliens; ( as) heat by the shadow of a cloud the song of the tyrants is brought low. The meaning is that as natural heat, however intense, is abated by an intervening cloud, so Jehovah has means of bringing to an end the fiercest oppression to which His people can be exposed.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thou shalt bring down the noise – The tumult; the sound which they make in entering into battle; or the note of triumph, and the sound of revelry. The phrase may refer either to their shout of exultation over their vanquished foes; or to the usual sound of revelry; or to the hum of business in a vast city.
Of strangers – Of foreigners (see the note at Isa 25:2).
As the heat in a dry place – The parallelism here requires that we should suppose the phrase with the shadow of a cloud to be supplied in this hemistich, as it is obscurely expressed in our translation by the word even, and it would then read thus:
As the beat in a dry place (by the shadow of a cloud),
The noise of the strangers shalt thou humble;
As the heat by the shadow of a cloud,
The exultation of the formidable ones shalt thou bring low.
The idea thus is plain. Heat pours down intensely on the earth, and if unabated would wither up every green thing, and dry up every stream and fountain. But a cloud intervenes, and checks the burning rays of the sun. So the wrath of the terrible ones, the anger of the Babylonians, raged against the Jews. But the mercy of God interposed. It was like the intervening of a cloud to shut out the burning rays of the sun. It stayed the fury of their wrath, and rendered them impotent to do injury, just as the intense burning rays of the sun are completely checked by an interposing cloud.
The branch of the terrible ones – This is a very unhappy translation. The word zamiyr is indeed used to denote a branch, or bough, as derived from zamar, to prune a vine; but it also has the I sense of a song; a song of praise, or a song of exultation, from a second signification of zamar, to sing; perhaps from the song with which the work of the vineyard was usually accompanied. See the verb used in this sense in Jdg 5:3; Psa 9:12; Psa 30:5; Psa 47:7; and the word which occurs here (zamir) used in the sense of a song in Psa 119:54; 2Sa 23:1; Job 35:10. Here it is undoubtedly used in the sense of a song, meaning either a shout of victory or of revelry; and the idea of the prophet is, that this would be brought low by the destruction of Babylon, and by the return of the captive Jews to their own land.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. Of strangers – “Of the proud”] The same mistake here as in Isa 25:2: see the note there. See Clarke on Isa 25:2. Here zedim, the proud, is parallel to aritsim, the formidable: as in Ps 54:5, and Ps 86:14.
The heat with the shadow of a cloud – “As the heat by a thick cloud”] For choreb, the Syriac, Chaldee, Vulgate, and two MSS. read kechoreb, which is a repetition of the beginning of the foregoing parallel line; and the verse taken out of the parallel form, and more fully expressed, would run thus: “As a thick cloud interposing tempers the heat of the sun on the burnt soil; so shalt thou, by the interposition of thy power, bring low and abate the tumult of the proud, and the triumph of the formidable.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The noise; the tumultuous noise, as the word properly signifies, which he called their blast in the foregoing verse; by which he means their rage and furious attempts, which are commonly managed with much noise and clamour.
Of strangers; of those strange and heathen nations that fought against Gods people.
Even the heat with the shadow of a cloud; with as much ease as thou dost in the course of thy common providence allay the heat of a dry season and place, either by the shadow of thy clouds, or by the rain which falleth from black and shadowy clouds.
The branch; the arm or power, as a branch is the arm of a tree. Or, the prince or commanders; for the word branch is sometimes put for a person of eminent place and power, as Psa 80:15; Isa 4:2; Zec 3:8; 6:12. But others render the word, the song, as it is used, Son 2:12, their jovial and triumphant song.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. Translate, “As the heatin a dry land (is brought down by the shadow of a cloud, so) thoushalt bring down the tumult (the shout of triumph over their enemies)of strangers (foreigners); and as the heat by the shadow of the cloud(is brought low), so the branch (the offspring) of the terrible onesshall be brought low.” PARKHURSTtranslates the Hebrew for “branch,” the exultingsong. JEROMEtranslates the last clause, “And as when the heat burns under acloud, thou shalt make the branch of the terrible ones to wither”;the branch withering even under the friendly shade of a cloudtypifies the wicked brought to ruin, not for want of natural means ofprosperity, but by the immediate act of God.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers,…. Such as are strangers to God and godliness, to Christ, his Gospel, and truths, to the Spirit and his operations of grace; the clamour and noise of such against true religion, and the professors of it, their persecuting rage and fury, this the Lord in his own time will bring down, and cause to cease, and it shall be heard no more:
as the heat in a dry place: which parches the earth, and burns and dries up the grass and fruits of it; to which persecution is compared:
[even] the heat with the shadow of a cloud; as that is brought down, and caused to cease by the shadow of a cloud, sheltering from the scorching beams of the sun, and by letting down rain, which moistens the earth; so the Lord protects his people from the fury of persecution, and abates it by the interposition of his power and providence; and at last puts an end to it:
the branch of the terrible ones shall be made low; meaning the most eminent of them; a branch being put for a most eminent person, Isa 4:2 perhaps the pope of Rome is meant, the head of the antichristian party, the principal of the terrible persecutors, who shall be brought low and destroyed by Christ, at his coming. Some render it, “the song of the terrible ones shall be brought low” d; it will be brought a note lower; their triumphing will be at an end; the voice of harpers and musicians, of pipers and trumpeters, will be heard no more among them; but instead thereof weeping and howling,
Re 18:9.
d “cantus fortium humiliabitur, vel humiliabit se”, Vatablus; see Cant. ii. 12.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
5. As the heat in a dry place. If the Lord did not aid when violent men rush upon us, our life would be in imminent danger; for we see how great is the rage of wicked men, and if the Lord overturn walls, what can a feeble man do against him? These things therefore are added in order to magnify the grace of God, that we may consider what would become of us if the Lord did not render assistance.
Yet there are two ways in which commentators explain this passage. Some understand it to mean, that wicked men will be consumed by God’s indignation, in the same manner as the violence of the heat burns up the fields which are in themselves barren. Others render it in the ablative case, As if by heat, and make the meaning to be, “Though wicked men, relying on their power, are so violent, yet the Lord will prostrate them in a moment, as if they were overpowered ‘by heat in a dry place.’” But I consider the meaning to be different, for, after having shewn how great is the rage of wicked men against believers, he adds:
Thou wilt bring them down, O Lord. Alluding to the metaphor of the deluge, which he had formerly used, he says, “Thou wilt quench their heat, which would otherwise consume us, even as rain, or a shower, falling from heaven, quenches the heat that scorched the thirsty fields.” And thus the passage flows naturally; for the other interpretation is forced, and does violence, as the saying is, to the letter.
The noise of the strong ones will he lay low. (140) This clause is tortured in various ways. Some think that זמיר ( zĕmīr) means seed; others that it means a root; as if he had said, that God will not only destroy wicked men, but will utterly root them out. This meaning would be probable, were it not opposed by the metaphor of the heat. In my opinion, therefore, it is more correctly interpreted by others to mean “singing and shouting,” or “cutting off,” although even those interpreters do not fully succeed in getting at the meaning of the Prophet. He therefore confirms the preceding statement, that the violence of wicked men, or the shouting which they haughtily and daringly set up, will presently be laid low, as the heat of the sun is overpowered by the falling rain, which is meant by the shadow of a cloud
(140) Bogus footnote
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers . . .The thought of Isa. 25:4 is reproduced with a variation of imagery, the scorching heat in a dry (or parched) land. This is deprived of its power to harm, by the presence of Jehovah, as the welcome shadow of a cloud hides the suns intolerable blaze. (Comp. Isa. 32:2.) It is noticeable that the LXX. in both passages gives Sion for dry place (Heb. tsayn), perhaps following a various reading, perhaps interpreting.
The branch of the terrible ones . . .Better, the song. The Hebrew noun is a rare one, but is found in this sense in Song Son. 2:12. The triumph song of the dread oppressors is thought of as blighting the world like a spell of evil; but this also is to be brought low, and hushed in silence.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. Noise of strangers The roar of a battle engagement. The “strangers” are the hostile ones, probably Chaldeans, the same as the “terrible ones.” The branch, etc., should read the song (strange, it was rendered “branch”) of the terrible ones their triumphal song of the battle. The parallelism here is peculiarly inverted and difficult. We may properly read it thus: “As heat with natural stillness comes down into a dry place, so shalt thou, Jehovah, bring down, or make more quiet, the battle roar; as heat is lessened by an overshadowing cloud, so wilt thou lessen the boasting song of victory.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 25:5 Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; [even] the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.
Ver. 5. As the heat in a dry place. ] Where the insolonce of these strangers from the life of God, the Antichristian rabble, the stir and ado they make, is resembled to a heat and drought that doth parch and scorch the godly; God’s protection of his to a thick shadow.
The branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
shalt bring: Isa 10:8-15, Isa 10:32-34, Isa 13:11, Isa 14:10-16, Isa 17:12-14, Isa 30:30-33, Isa 49:25, Isa 49:26, Isa 54:15-17, Isa 64:1, Isa 64:2, Psa 74:3-23, Psa 79:10-12, Jer 50:11-15, Jer 51:38-43, Jer 51:53-57, Eze 32:18-32, Eze 38:9-23, Eze 39:1-10, Dan 7:23-27, Dan 11:36-45, Rev 16:1 – Rev 19:21, Rev 20:8, Rev 20:9
as the heat: Isa 18:4, Isa 49:10, Psa 105:39, Jon 4:5, Jon 4:6
branch: Isa 14:19, Job 8:16-19
Reciprocal: Isa 17:13 – but Isa 25:11 – he shall bring Isa 29:5 – the multitude Isa 29:20 – the terrible Jer 49:16 – terribleness
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 25:5. Thou shall bring down the wise of strangers The tumultuous noise, as the word properly signifies; the rage and furious attempts of those heathen nations that fought against Gods people. As the heat in a dry place With as much ease as thou dost allay the heat of a dry place, by the shadow of thy clouds, or by the rain which falls from black and shadowy clouds. Here again, as in Isa 25:2, instead of strangers, Bishop Lowth reads, the proud. The branch of the terrible ones Their arm or power, as a branch is the arm of a tree; shall be brought low Shall be humbled and broken.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
25:5 Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the {f} heat in a dry place; {g} [even] the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.
(f) Meaning, that as the heat is abated by the rain, so shall God bring down the rage of the wicked.
(g) As a cloud shades from the heat of the sun, so God will assuage the rejoicing of the wicked against the godly.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
As a passing cloud provides relief from the heat during a drought, so the Lord gives His people relief by humbling the song of their ruthless foreign enemies.
"In either the sudden intensity of the cloudburst or the steady, enervating heat, life is threatened. Unless one has a stronghold against the flood (cf. Mat 7:24-27) or a shade from the heat [Psa 121:5], there is no hope." [Note: Oswalt, p. 462.]