Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 30:22
Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.
22. The renunciation of idolatry.
Ye shall defile ] i.e. “desecrate” (2Ki 23:8 ff.).
covering ornament ] Overlaying plating, as R.V. An idol consisted of a core of wood or inferior metal, overlaid with a costly layer of silver or gold. The latter part was of course the most valuable, and perhaps also the most sacred (see Deu 7:25 f.).
cast them away, &c.] scatter them as an unclean thing; Exo 32:20.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ye shall defile also – That is, you shall regard them as polluted and abominable. This is language which is often used respecting their treatment of the images and altars of idolatry when they became objects of abomination, and when they were induced to abandon them (see 2Ki 23:8, 2Ki 23:10, 2Ki 23:16). It is not improbable that before destroying them they would express their abhorrence of them by some act of polluting or defiling them, as significant of their contempt for the objects of degraded idolatry (see the note at Isa 2:20). The sense of the whole passage is, that the effect of the judgments which God was about to bring upon the nation would be, to turn them from idolatry, to which as a nation they had been signally prone.
The covering – The images of idols were usually made of wood or clay, and overlaid with gold. That gold and silver were used to plate them is apparent from Deu 7:25; and the whole process of making them from wood, and then of overlaying them with plates of gold and silver is described with graphic power and severity of irony in Isa 40:19-20; Isa 41:6-7.
Thy graven images of silver – Margin, The graven images of thy silver. Probably the construction in the text is correct, as meaning that the images were not made of entire silver, but of wood or clay, plated with silver.
And the ornament – The golden plates or the covering of the images.
Thy molten images – The word molten refers to those which were made by casting (see the notes at Isa 40:19-20).
Thou shalt cast them away – (see the note at Isa 2:20). This would be in accordance with the express direction of Moses; Deu 7:25 : The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire; thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein, for it is an abomination unto the Lord thy God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 22. Ye shall defile – “Ye shall treat as defiled”] The very prohibition of Moses, De 7:25, only thrown out of the prose into the poetical form: “The graven images of their gods ye shall burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or the gold that is on them; nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein; for it is an abomination to JEHOVAH thy God.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Ye shall defile, to show your contempt of it, and to make it unfit for your own or any others use.
The covering; the leaves or plates wherewith their wooden images were frequently covered; of which see Exo 38:17,19; Num 16:38,39.
The ornament; or, the coat or covering. Heb. the ephod, as this very word is rendered, Exo 28:8; 39:5, which was a costly and glorious robe. The idolaters spared no cost in the making and adorning their idols; and, among others, the image of Jupiter in Sicily had a coat put upon it made all of massy gold.
Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt so deeply abhor idolatry, that thou shalt east away with indignation all the monuments and instruments thereof.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. covering of . . . imagesrather,”images” (formed of wood or potter’s clay, and) “coveredwith silver.” Hezekiah, and afterwards Josiah, defiled them(2Ki 23:8; 2Ki 23:10;2Ki 23:14; 2Ki 23:16;2Ch 31:1; compare Isa 2:20;Deu 7:25).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver,…. Images made of solid silver, covered with rich and costly garments; or images covered and decorated with plates of silver; see Jer 10:4 these they not only pulled down and defaced, but defiled, to show their contempt and abhorrence of them:
and the ornament of thy molten images of gold; images made of solid gold, covered with an ephod, as the word here used signifies; such an one as the high priest wore, and Micah made for his house of idolatry, Ex 28:6:
thou shall cast them away as a menstruous cloth; which is not only filthy and loathsome, but defiling; whoever touched it were unclean by the law for a while; or as a woman in her monthly courses, who, during that time, was to be separate from her husband, Le 15:19, c. this is used to express the pollution and nauseousness of idols, and of the utter rejection of them:
thou shall say unto it, Get thee hence; Kimchi observes that some say the word signifies “dung; thou shall say to it, thou art dung”, and only fit for the dunghill, and to it thou shall go; at the same time cast it out, declaring abhorrence of idols, repentance for worshipping them, and signifying that they would have nothing more to do with them. This shows the efficacy of the word of God when it comes not in word only, but with the power and Spirit of God; it was fulfilled in some measure in Hezekiah’s time; see 2Ki 18:4, and after the Babylonish captivity, when the Jews left off idolatry, and never more returned to it; and when the Gospel prevailed in the Roman Pagan empire, and at the time of the Reformation, and will be more largely accomplished when Popery shall be utterly destroyed through the powerful ministration of the Gospel.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
22. Then shall you profane the covering. This shews that the heavenly direction will not be without effect; for they will bid adieu to their errors, and devote their minds to the pure worship of God; and the Prophet expressly mentions the outward profession of true godliness, by which they will openly proclaim that they have renounced idolatry. For, since statues and images are instruments of idolatry and superstition, they who are truly converted to God detest and abhor them, and, as far as lies in their power, profane them as we read that Jehu did, who profaned the altars of Baal, and turned his temple into a common sewer. (2Kg 10:27.) The example given by him and by others of the same class ought to be followed by godly princes and magistrates, if they wish to give a genuine proof of their repentance; for, although repentance is seated in the heart, and has God for a witness, it is shewn by its fruits. Isaiah has mentioned one class of them instead of the whole; for in general he shews that the proof of true repentance is, when men make it appear that they hold in abhorrence everything that is opposed to the worship of God. When he says that the idols are profaned, he does not mean that they were formerly sacred; for how could anything be sacred that dishonors God, and defiles men by its pollution? But, as men falsely imagine that they possess some sacredness, that is the reason why he says that they are “profaned,” and that they ought to be despised and rejected as things of no value and altogether unclean.
The covering (303) of the graven images of thy silver. When he speaks of the “silver” and “gold” of the graven images, he means that no loss or damage prevents believers from abhorring the worship of idols. Such considerations restrain many from casting away idols altogether, because they see that “gold” or “silver” or something else is lost, and they choose rather to keep their idols than to sustain the smallest loss. Covetousness holds them in its net, so that they are more willing to sin of their own accord, and to pollute themselves with these abominations, than to lose this or that. But we ought to prefer the worship of God to everything else, to set little value on gold, to cast away pearls, and to loathe everything that is accounted precious, rather than defile ourselves with such crimes. In short, nothing can be so valuable that it ought not to be despised and reckoned worthless by us, when it comes into competition with overturning the kingdom of Satan and restoring the worship of God. In this manner we actually shew whether the love of God and of religion dwells in our hearts, when a sincere abhorrence of our wicked ignorance drives us to throw away all that is polluted.
(303) Bogus footnote
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(22) Ye shall defile also . . .The first effect of the turning of the people was to be the putting away of what had been their besetting sin. The graven image possibly refers to the carved wooden figure which was afterwards overlaid with silver and gold. (Comp. Isa. 40:19.) These, which had been worshipped, were now to be cast aside, like that which was the very type of loathsomeness.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 30:22. Ye shall defile also the covering, &c. The meaning of these words is, that the people, at the period of time here marked out, should refrain from idolatry; not public only, but private and domestic also, which seems here particularly to be described; for the Jews, prone to idolatry even when it was publicly prohibited, did not fail to retain in their houses those little images of divination, which the Latins called Penates, and the Hebrews anciently Teraphim. It is remarkable, as we have before observed, that after their return from Babylon they never relapsed into idolatry. The beginning of this verse might be rendered, And you shall deem unclean, every one of you, the covering of his graven images, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
How very sweetly and blessedly doth the Prophet describe the sure effects of grace, in the hearts of those, where God’s words, like the good seed, have fallen into good ground! Everything that is filthy, they desire to cast away; and everything that is holy, they desire to follow. And the Lord goeth on to bless such souls, and to water the word sown in their hearts, with the continual dew of his blessing: there shall be rivers and streams of waters, Son 4:15 ; Psa 46:4 . And as all creation groaneth by reason of man’s sin, so shall the inferior creatures be made fat and full, by reason of man’s recovery by grace. Yea, so blessed shall be this day, that light, life, and joy shall burst forth, compared to former darkness, death, and sorrow, as the light of seven days, a fulness of glory. Reader! is it not so in the soul, when Jesus, the morning star, hath arisen, and a light, never more to be darkness, is made by almighty grace, in the circumstances of every poor sinner?
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 30:22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.
Ver. 22. Thou shalt defile also the covering. ] Thou shalt pollute the idols which thou hadst perfumed. Such a change is wrought in people by the Word preached, as is to be seen in all the reformed churches; cavete ab idolis, beware of idols.
Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth.
Thou shalt say unto them, Get thee hence.
a Piscat. Comparat idola scorto perpetuo monstro abominabili. – Zeged.
covering. Hebrew. zapha(zippoi). Reference to Pentateuch. Occurs only here, Exo 38:17, Exo 38:19, and Num 16:38, Num 16:39. App-92.
ornament. Hebrew. ‘aphuddah (rendered ephod). Reference to Pentateuch. Occurs only here, Exo 28:8, and Exo 39:5.
defile: Isa 2:20, Isa 2:21, Isa 17:7, Isa 17:8, Isa 27:9, Isa 31:7, 2Ki 23:4-20, 2Ch 31:1, 2Ch 34:3-7, Eze 36:31, Mic 5:10-14, Zec 13:2, Rev 19:20
thy graven images of silver: Heb. the graven images of thy silver, Isa 46:6, Exo 32:2-4, Jdg 17:3, Jdg 17:4
cast: Heb. scatter
as a: Lam 1:17, Eze 18:6
Get: Hos 14:8
Reciprocal: Gen 35:4 – hid them Lev 13:52 – burn Deu 7:25 – graven Deu 7:26 – but thou shalt Deu 9:21 – I took Isa 1:29 – ashamed Eze 7:19 – shall cast Eze 11:18 – General Eze 14:6 – turn Eze 18:31 – Cast Dan 3:1 – made Hos 6:1 – he hath torn Mat 18:8 – and cast Act 19:19 – and burned Rom 13:12 – cast Jam 1:21 – lay 1Pe 2:1 – laying
Isa 30:22. Ye shall also To show your contempt of it; defile the covering of thy graven images The leaves or plates, wherewith their wooden images were frequently covered: and the ornament of thy molten images Or, the coat, or covering; Hebrew, , the ephod, as the word is rendered, Exo 28:8; and Exo 39:5; which was a costly and glorious robe. The images also were of gold: for the idolaters spared no cost in the making and adorning of their idols. Thou shalt cast them away, &c. Thou shalt so deeply abhor idolatry that thou shalt cast away, with indignation, all the monuments and instruments thereof. This prophecy was fulfilled in some measure even before the Assyrian invasion, as we learn from 2Ch 31:1; Hezekiah inciting the people to destroy idolatry out of the land. Probably it was fulfilled still more upon the deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacheribs army, which, doubtless, would convince thousands of individuals of the almighty power of Jehovah, of the impotence of idols, and the sin and folly of worshipping them. But it was verified in the whole body of the Jewish nation, at their return from their captivity in Babylon, for they abhorred idols ever after. Add to this, it is accomplished daily in the conversion of souls, by the power of divine grace, from spiritual idolatry, to the fear and love of God. This deliverance from the love and practice of idolatry is the third blessing here represented as being conferred on the people, after the forementioned judgments. In the two following verses we have a fourth.
30:22 Ye shall {t} defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a polluted cloth; thou shalt say to it, {u} Be gone from me.
(t) You will cast away your idols which you have made of gold and silver with all that belongs to them, as a most filthy thing and polluted.
(u) Showing that there can be no true repentance, unless both in heart and deed we show ourselves enemies to idolatry.
They will demonstrate a change of attitude and commitment as well. Idolatry will no longer appeal to them, and they will abandon false gods.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)