Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 30:17
One thousand [shall flee] at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on a hill.
17. Their flight will be disgraceful. The words at the rebuke of five seem to weaken the force of the preceding hyperbole; hence some critics would insert “a myriad” in the second clause, after Lev 26:8; Deu 32:30.
beacon means “flag-staff” (elsewhere “mast”), cf. ch. Isa 33:23.
18 is frequently explained as a concluding threat “Therefore will the Lord wait before having mercy on you”; will postpone your deliverance. But this interpretation does violence to the terms of the verse, which is really the introduction of a new section, full of glorious promises. The “waiting” of Jehovah is that of anxious expectancy for the opportune moment of intervention; His “exaltation” denotes His readiness to act. The emendation “he will be silent” for “he will be exalted” is unnecessary. It is difficult, however, to explain the conjunction “therefore,” after Isa 30:17; unless we can hold that it has adversative force (= “even under these circumstances,” “nevertheless”). The new passage seems to belong to a different time, and to continue another train of thought: see Isa 29:15-24.
a God of judgment ] or “justice.”
that wait for him ] Cf. ch. Isa 8:17; Psa 33:20, &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
One thousand … – The sense of this is, that you shall be easily alarmed and overcome by those who are inferior in numbers and strength. The number one thousand, is put for a large indefinite number; probably meaning all.
At the rebuke of one – The number one here is put to denote a very small number; a number in the ordinary course of warfare entirely disproportionate to those who would be vanquished. There is probably a reference here to the prediction in Deu 32:30 :
How should one chase a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Except their Rock had sold them
And Yahweh had shut them up?
At the rebuke of five – Of a very small number.
Till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain – The word rendered beacon ( toren), (Greek histos, a mast), denotes properly the mast of a ship Isa 33:23; Eze 27:5; then anything resembling a mast, a flagstaff, or a beacon of any kind. It may refer to a staff or mast erected on a promontory to warn sailors, or to be a landmark – as it is not improbable that the masts of ships would be employed for that purpose; or it may refer to a flagstaff, erected on a conspicuous place, to which the nation could rally in time of war. On the sea coasts of America such beacons are often erected. Those which I have seen consist of a pole erected on an eminence or rising ground, with a cask or barrel painted white on the top. The idea seems to be, that of a long pole erected for any purpose, and which was standing alone, stripped of its leaves and branches, and without ornament. So would be the few, solitary, and scattered Jews when driven before their enemies.
And as an ensign on a hill – (see Isa 5:26, note; Isa 11:12, note). The idea is, that those who should escape would be few in number, and would stand alone, as a beacon in view of all the nations, to admonish them of the justice of God, and the truth of his threatening – like an ensign floating on a hill that can be seen from afar. What a striking description is this of the condition of the Jews in our times, and indeed in all ages since their dispersion! Their strength, and influence, and power as a people are gone. They stand as beacons to warn the nations of the evils of a want of confidence in God, and of his justice.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 30:17
Till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain
Israels past, present, and future
I.
THE PAST.
1. Sins of Gods people (Isa 30:1-2; Isa 30:9-12). Rejecting His Word; trusting in arm of flesh.
2. Judgment on them (Isa 30:16-17).
3. Mercy to them in things spiritual and temporal (Isa 30:19-21; Isa 30:26; Isa 30:29; Isa 23:1-18; Isa 24:1-23). Deliverance from their enemies (Isa 30:30-33). Especially destruction of Sennacheribs army (Isa 30:31).
4. Glory to God, who is exalted–in His judgments–in His mercies.
II. THE PRESENT.
1. The people now left as a beacon. upon the top of a mountain (marg., tree bereft of branches). Condition bare, and seen of all. And as an ensign, on an hill. Word for ensign same as sign in Num 26:10. The people cannot be hid.
2. Now God waits for the set time, for the filling up of His peoples sins Hos 5:15); for the filling up of His judgments; for the fulness of the Gentiles to be come in (Rom 11:25); for the showing mercy in the end.
III. THE FUTURE. It will be as the past, but greater.
1. Sin still continues in unbelief of Messiah, in pride, worldliness, and self-righteousness.
2. Judgment on these sins up to the end.
3. Mercy when they cry. Deliverance from their enemies, as prophesied Isa 66:13-16.
4. Glory to God, the God of judgment, the Father of mercies. He shall be exalted, as prophesied in Isa 2:10-11; Isa 2:17-22.
5. Beacon and ensign–refer to again. Israel conspicuous now, will be more so in the last days, as a landmark amidst waves of trouble and strife. Ensign, the same word as rendered pole in Num 21:8-9. See again in Exo 17:15, Jehovah-Nissi. See Isa 31:9; Isa 11:11-12; Isa 18:3; Isa 49:22; Isa 62:10. Israel the rallying centre of the nations, in the midst of them the royal standard of the King, high on Gods hill, in the which it pleaseth Him to dwell (Psa 60:4; see Zec 8:2-3; Zec 8:22-23).
IV. THE BLESSING.
1. To the Jew first.
2. And also to the Gentile.
3. Note the correspondence between Gods waiting and His peoples waiting. (Flavel Cook, B. A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 17. At the rebuke of five shall ye flee – “At the rebuke of five, ten thousand of you shall flee”] In the second line of this verse a word is manifestly omitted, which should answer to one thousand in the first: the Septuagint supply , rabbim. But the true word is rebabah, as I am persuaded any one will be convinced, who will compare the following passages with this place: –
“How should one chase a thousand;
And two put ten thousand () to flight?”
De 32:30.
“And five of you shall chase a hundred;
And a hundred of you shall chase () ten thousand.”
Le 26:8.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Shall flee; which words are fitly supplied out of the following clause.
At the rebuke; either,
1. At his real rebuke, upon his assault or onset; or rather,
2. At his verbal rebuke, upon his mere threats, as fearing that he will proceed from words to blows.
Shall ye flee; all of you, how numerous soever.
Till ye be left as a beacon, & c.; till you be generally destroyed, and but a few of you left.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. One thousandA thousand atonce, or, “As one man” [MAURER].
rebukethe battle cry.
shall yeat the rebukeof five shall ye, namely, all (in contrast to the “onethousand”) flee so utterly that even two shall not be lefttogether, but each one shall be as solitary “as a signalstaff” [G. V. SMITH],or “a banner on a hill” (Isa 5:26;Isa 11:12). The signal staff waserected to rally a nation in war. The remnant of Jews left would bebeacons to warn all men of the justice of God, and the truth of Histhreatenings. GESENIUS(from Lev 26:8; Deu 32:30)arbitrarily inserts “ten thousand.” “At the rebuke offive shall ten thousand of you flee.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
One thousand [shall flee] at the rebuke of one,…. A troop of horse, consisting of a thousand men, shall flee upon the attack and onset of a single person, so dispirited should they be, and so possessed of the fear of the enemy; what was promised to them with respect to their enemies is here turned against them, Le 26:7:
at the rebuke of five shall ye flee; being attacked by a very small number, the whole army should run away: this denotes with what ease they should be routed, and put to flight; and is to be understood, not of what would be at the present time, but of what should come to pass hereafter, when the Chaldean army should come against them;
till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain; or, “as the mast of a ship”, so the Septuagint and other versions. Jarchi says it signifies a high tree, or tall piece of wood fixed in the earth, like a ship’s mast p, set up to give warning of an enemy’s approach, and when, and where, sometimes fires used to be kindled; hence the Targum is,
“till ye are left as a burning torch on the top of a mountain.”
The Syriac version renders it, “as a wild ass”, solitary and alone:
and as an ensign on a hill; erected as a trophy of victory. The design of the metaphors is to show that there should be few that should escape falling into the enemy’s hand, here and there one, that should he scattered about, and be very thin, as beacons and signs are, and should be warnings to others of pursuing the same foolish and sinful methods and practices.
p So Ben Melech says, it is a high piece of wood in a ship, on which they hang an ensign or flag; and so he interprets the ensign in the next clause of a veil, so called, because they lift it up upon the mast.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
17. A thousand, as one, shall flee at the rebuke of one. Because the Jews, on account of their vast numbers, relied on their forces, as men are wont to do when they possess any power, therefore the Prophet threatens that all the protection which they have at home will be of no more avail to them than foreign aid, because the Lord will break and take away their courage, so that they shall not be able to make use of their forces. For what avail arms and a vast multitude of men? What avail fortresses and bulwarks, when men’s hearts fail and are dismayed? It is therefore impossible for us to be strong and powerful, unless the Lord strengthen and uphold us by his Spirit. This statement occurs frequently in the law, that when they should revolt from God, a vast number of them would be put to flight by a very small number of enemies. But there is this difference between the law and the prophets, that the prophets apply to a particular subject what Moses announced in general terms, as we have formerly explained. (296)
Here two observations must be made. First, we shall have just as much courage as the Lord shall give us; for we immediately lose heart, if he do not support us by his power. Secondly, it is the result of the righteous vengeance of God, that we are terrified by men, when he could not prevail upon us to fear him; that, when we have despised God’s word and warnings, we fall down in terror at the words and threatenings of men. But we must also add, thirdly, God needs not extensive preparations to chastise us; for, if he lift up but a finger against us, we are undone. A small and feeble army will be sufficient to destroy us, even though we be well prepared, and have great numbers on our side. Next, he threatens that there will be no end to these calamities till they have been reduced to the last extremity, and until, amidst the frightful desolation of the earth, but few tokens of God’s compassion are left.
As the mast of a ship on the top of a mountain. This may be explained in two ways. Some consider the metaphor to be taken from trees which have been cut down; for, when a forest is cut down, lofty trees are left which may be of use for building ships. But הר, ( hār,) “a mountain,” probably denotes also a rock or promontory, against which ships are dashed, and to which they adhere, and on which a “mast,” the emblem of shipwreck, is afterwards seen. (297)
As a banner on a hill. Another metaphor is now added, borrowed from trophies erected to commemorate the defeat of enemies. In short, the Prophet declares that they will be so few that all that remains shall be an indication of very great ruin. As if he had said, “This great multitude which you now have dazzles your eyes; but there will be such ruin and decrease that you shall no longer have the face of a people.” We are thus reminded how humbly and modestly we ought to conduct ourselves, even though we have great wealth and numerous forces; for if our mind be puffed up, God will speedily beat down our pride, and render us more feeble and cowardly than women and children, so that we shall not be able to bear the sight even of a single enemy, and all our strength shall melt away like snow.
(296) Bogus footnote
(297) Bogus footnote
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17) One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one.The hyperbole is natural and common enough (Deu. 32:30; Jos. 23:10; Lev. 26:8); but the fact that the inscription of King Piankhi Mer. Amon., translated in Records of the Past, ii. 84, gives it in the self-same words (many shall turn their backs on a few; and one shall rout a thousand) as his boast of the strength of Egypt, may have given a special touch of sarcasm to Isaiahs words.
As a beacon upon the top of a mountain.Literally, as a pine. As with a poets eye, the prophet paints two of the most striking emblems of solitariness: the tall pine standing by itself on the mountain height, the flag-staff seen alone far off against the sky. (Comp. the lowlier imagery of Isa. 1:8.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 30:17 One thousand [shall flee] at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.
Ver. 17. One thousand shall flee. ] See Deu 32:30 , with the note.
Until ye be left as a beacon.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
One thousand shall flee. Reference to Pentateuch (Lev 26:8.)
shall flee. The Figure of speech Ellipsis is correctly supplied from the next clause.
rebuke = threat.
ye flee = ye [all] flee.
a beacon = a pole, or mast.
ensign = flagstaff.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
thousand: Lev 26:8, Lev 26:36, Deu 28:25, Deu 32:30, Jos 23:10, Pro 28:1, Jer 37:10
till ye: Isa 1:7, Isa 1:8, Isa 37:3, Isa 37:4, Neh 1:2, Neh 1:3, Zep 3:12, Zec 13:8, Zec 13:9, Mat 24:21, Mat 24:22
a beacon: or, a tree bereft of branches, or, boughs, or a mast, Isa 6:13, Isa 27:11, Joh 15:2-6, Rom 11:17
Reciprocal: Deu 1:42 – for I am not Deu 28:20 – vexation Jos 7:4 – fled 1Sa 17:24 – sore 2Ch 24:24 – came Isa 19:16 – like Isa 33:10 – now will I be exalted Isa 36:9 – and put Jer 4:29 – shall flee Jer 41:18 – for they Jer 46:6 – not Jer 52:8 – General Lam 4:19 – persecutors Eze 11:8 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
30:17 One thousand [shall flee] at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the {p} top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.
(p) Whereas all the trees are cut down save two or three to make masts.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The threat of only one man would so terrify a thousand Judahites that they would flee. The presence of only a few of the enemy would drive multitudes from their land (cf. Lev 26:8; Deu 32:30). Again, a double illustration (at the end of the verse) stressed a complete overthrow (cf. Isa 30:14). A deserted flag or signal on a hilltop would be all that was left to indicate the former presence of the people of Judah (cf. Isa 6:11-12). This is probably another reference to the remaining remnant. [Note: Delitzsch, 2:33.]