Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 1:24
Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
24. Such men are adversaries and enemies of Jehovah, thwarting His wishes and purposes for His people. the Lord ] “the Master” or the Sovereign. The title, used absolutely as here ( h-’Adn), is almost peculiar to Isaiah, and is used by him only in introducing a threat (ch. Isa 3:1, Isa 10:16; Isa 10:33, Isa 19:4; cf. Exo 23:17; Exo 34:23).
the mighty One of Israel ] Israel’s Strong One, a rare word in Hebr., first found in Gen 49:24. See on ch. Isa 10:13. ease me ] Better: appease myself, and so again, avenge myself. By a bold anthropopathy the divine Being is compared to a man thirsting for vengeance.
25 resumes the first figure of Isa 1:22, the judgment on Zion being likened to the smelting of impure ore. turn (or bring back) my hand ] not in mercy, but, as usual, in judgment.
purely ] R.V. throughly, lit. “as with lye,” i.e. potash, which was used as a flux to facilitate the separation of the metals. The grammar is still suspicious. Some, by transposing two consonants, obtain the sense “in the furnace.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Therefore saith the Lord … – The prophet having stated the guilt of the nation, proceeds to show the consequences of their crimes; or to foretell what would happen. The name of God is repeated, to attract attention; to fill the mind with awe; and to give emphasis to the solemn sentence which was about to be uttered.
The Lord – ‘adon. This word properly denotes master, lord, owner. Gen 24:9 : lord over his whole house. 1Ki 16:24 : owner of the hill Samaria. It is applied here to Yahweh, not as a special title, or as one of the names which he assumes to himself, but as owner, proprietor, master, ruler of the nation. The word, when applied to God as one of his special titles, has the form of an ancient plural termination, ‘adonay. The root is probably don, to judge, which in ancient times was also closely connected with the idea of ruling.
The Lord of hosts – Yahweh – ruling in the hosts of heaven, and therefore able to accomplish his threatenings; note, Isa 1:9.
The mighty One of Israel – He who had been their defender in the days of their peril; who had manifested his mighty power in overthrowing their enemies; and who had shown, therefore, that he was able to inflict vengeance on them.
Ah – hoy. This is an expression of threatening. It is that which is used when an affront is offered, and there is a purpose of revenge; see Isa 1:4.
I will ease me – This refers to what is said in Isa 1:14, where God is represented as burdened with their crimes. The Hebrew word is, I will be consoled, or comforted – that is, by being delivered from my foes – ‘enachem from nacham, in Niphil, to suffer pain, to be grieved; and hence, to have pity, to show compassion. In Piel, to console or comfort ones-self; to take revenge. The idea included in the word is that of grief or distress, either in beholding the sufferings of others, or from some injury received from others. Hence, in Piel, it denotes to obtain relief from that distress, either by aiding the distressed object, or by taking revenge. In both instances, the mind, by a law of its nature, finds relief. The passion expends itself on its proper object, and the mind is at ease. It is used here in the latter sense. It is an instance where God uses the language which people employ to denote passion, and where they obtain relief by revenge. When applied to God, it is to be understood in accordance with his nature, as implying simply, that he would punish them; compare the note at Isa 1:13. It means that he had been pained and grieved by their crimes; his patience had been put to its utmost trial; and now he would seek relief from this by inflicting due punishment on them. An expression explaining this may be seen in Eze 5:13; Then shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted. Also, Deu 28:63 : As the Lord rejoiced over you, to do you good; so the Lord will rejoice over you, to destroy you.
Mine adversaries – The enemies to his law and government among the rebellious Jews. The expression in this verse is a remarkable instance of Gods adapting himself to our apprehension, by using our language. Instances occur often in the Scriptures where language expressive of human passions is applied to God; and as human language must be employed in revelation, it was indispensable. But those expressions are not to be understood as they are when applied to the passions of mankind. In God, they are consistent with all that is pure, and glorious, and holy, and should be so understood. The Chaldee renders this verse, I will console the city of Jerusalem; but woe to the impious, when I shall be revealed to take vengeance on the enemies of my people. But this is manifestly a false interpretation; and shows how reluctant the Jews were to admit the threatenings against themselves.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 1:24
Ah, I will ease Me of Mine adversaries
Gods enemies and His treatment of them
I.
WICKED PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WICKED RULERS THAT ARE CRUEL AND OPPRESSIVE, ARE GODS ENEMIES.
II. THEY ARE A SUDDEN TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN. This is implied in His easing Himself of them.
III. GOD WILL FIND OUT TIME AND WAY TO EASE HIMSELF OF THIS BURDEN. (M. Henry.)
Salvation through judgment
Salvation through judgment is still and ever the only means of reproving and preserving the congregation that takes its name from Jerusalem. (F. Delitzsch, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 24. Ah, I will ease me – “Aha! I will be eased”] Anger, arising from a sense of injury and affront, especially from those who, from every consideration of duty and gratitude, ought to have behaved far otherwise, is an uneasy and painful sensation: and revenge, executed to the full on the offenders, removes that uneasiness, and consequently is pleasing and quieting, at least for the present. Ezekiel, Eze 5:13, introduces God expressing himself in the same manner: –
“And mine anger shall be fully accomplished;
And I will make my fury rest upon them;
And I will give myself ease.”
This is a strong instance of the metaphor called anthropopathia, by which, throughout the Scriptures, as well the historical as the poetical parts, the sentiments sensations, and affections, the bodily faculties qualities, and members, of men, and even of brute animals, are attributed to God, and that with the utmost liberty and latitude of application. The foundation of this is obvious; it arises from necessity; we have no idea of the natural attributes of God, of his pure essence, of his manner of existence, of his manner of acting: when therefore we would treat on these subjects, we find ourselves forced to express them by sensible images. But necessity leads to beauty; this is true of metaphor in general, and in particular of this kind of metaphor, which is used with great elegance and sublimity in the sacred poetry; and what is very remarkable, in the grossest instances of the application of it, it is generally the most striking and the most sublime. The reason seems to be this: when the images are taken from the superior faculties of the human nature, from the purer and more generous affections, and applied to God, we are apt to acquiesce in the notion; we overlook the metaphor, and take it as a proper attribute; but when the idea is gross and offensive as in this passage of Isaiah, where the impatience of anger and the pleasure of revenge is attributed to God, we are immediately shocked at the application; the impropriety strikes us at once, and the mind, casting about for something in the Divine nature analogous to the image, lays hold on some great, obscure, vague idea, which she endeavours to comprehend, and is lost in immensity and astonishment. See De Sacr. Poesi. Hebr. Praeel. xvi. sub. fin., where this matter is treated and illustrated by examples.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I will ease me, Heb. I will comfort myself; ease my mind, and satisfy my justice, by taking vengeance, as the next clause explains this. The same expression is used in the same sense Eze 5:13.
Of mine adversaries; of the Israelites, who, though they have called themselves my children and friends, yet by their temper and carriage towards me have showed themselves to be mine enemies.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24. Lord . . . LordAdonai,JEHOVAH.
mighty One of Israelmightyto take vengeance, as before, to save.
Ahindignation.
ease meMy long triedpatience will find relief in at last punishing the guilty (Eze5:13). God’s language condescends to human conceptions.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Therefore, saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel,…. All these names and titles, which are expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God, are used to give the greater solemnity and weight to what follows; and to show that he is able to accomplish what he determines and threatens to do.
Ah! which is a particle, either expressive of grief at their wretched and miserable condition, or of indignation at their provoking sins and transgressions:
I will ease me of mine adversaries; or, “I will take comfort n of” them, by destroying them; expressing the pleasure and satisfaction he should take in avenging his justice on them: they had been a trouble to him, and had wearied him with their sins, and now he will ease himself of them by removing them. The Targum is,
“I will comfort the city of Jerusalem;”
not taking the sense of the words:
and avenge me of mine enemies; the Jews, who were enemies to Christ and his Gospel, and would not have him to reign over them, and which was the cause of the destruction of their city, temple, and nation; see
Lu 19:14.
n “consolationem capiam”, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. “Consolabor me”, Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“Therefore, saying of the Lord, of Jehovah of hosts, of the Strong One of Israel: Ah! I will relieve myself on mine adversaries, and will avenge myself upon mine enemies.” Salvation through judgment was the only means of improvement and preservation left to the congregation, which called itself by the name of Jerusalem. Jehovah would therefore afford satisfaction to His holiness, and administer a judicial sifting to Jerusalem. There is no other passage in Isaiah in which we meet with such a crowding together of different names of God as we do here (compare Isa 19:4; Isa 3:1; Isa 10:16, Isa 10:33; Isa 3:15). With three names, descriptive of the irresistible omnipotence of God, the irrevocable decree of a sifting judgment is sealed. The word , which is used here instead of and points back to a verb , related to and , corresponds to the deep, earnest pathos of the words. These verbs, which are imitations of sounds, all denote a dull hollow groaning. The word used here, therefore, signifies that which is spoken with significant secrecy and solemn softness. It is never written absolutely, but is always followed by the subject who speaks (saying of Jehovah it is, i.e., Jehovah says). We meet with it first of all in Gen 22:16. In the prophetic writings it occurs in Obadiah and Joel, but most frequently in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. It is generally written at the close of the sentence, or parenthetically in the middle; very rarely at the commencement, as it is here and in 1Sa 2:30 and Psa 110:1. The “saying” commences with hoi ( ah!), the painfulness of pity being mingled with the determined outbreak of wrath. By the side of the niphal nikkam min (to be revenged upon a person) we find the niphal nicham (lit. to console one’s self). The two words are derived from kindred roots. The latter is conjugated with e in the preformative syllable, the former with i, according to the older system of vowel-pointing adopted in the East.
(Note: The so-called Assyrian mode of pointing, which was entirely supplanted, with the exception of a few relics, by the Tiberian mode which now lies before us, has no seghol (see DMZ. xviii. 322). According to Luzzatto ( Proleg. p. 200), they wrote ektol instead of iktol , to avoid confounding it with , which was pronounced iktol , and not yiktol .)
Jehovah would procure Himself relief from His enemies by letting out upon them the wrath with which He had hitherto been burdened (Eze 5:13). He now calls the masses of Jerusalem by their right name.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
24. Therefore saith the lord, the LORD of hosts He first employs the word האדון, ( haadon) which literally signifies lord, and expresses the relation to a servant. Next is added the word יהוה ( Jehovah,) which denotes the eternal essence and majesty of God. After having laid open some kinds of crimes, which made it manifest that in that nation everything was corrupted, Isaiah, now wishing to threaten and to hold out to them the judgment of God, not only represents God as invested with the power and authority of a Judge, but at the same time reminds them that the children of Abraham are his peculiar people, and for this reason he immediately adds, the mighty One of Israel. There may also be implied in it a kind of irony, by which he stings the Jews, as if he had said that it was foolishness in them to boast of the name of God, seeing that they were worthless and unprincipled servants, and that it was vain for them to rely on his strength, which would immediately break forth against them. After this preface, he adds —
Ah! I will take consolation on my adversaries (29) By these words he intimates that God will not be pacified until he has satiated himself with inflicting punishment. He employs the word consolation after the manner of men; for as anger is nothing else than the desire of revenge, so revenge gives relief to the mind, and he who has taken vengeance congratulates himself and is satisfied. By this course, which may be regarded as a kind of compensation, the Lord says that he will satisfy himself with inflicting punishment on his adversaries
There are various ways, indeed, of expounding this passage; and I shall not undertake the task of examining all the interpretations and refuting those which I do not approve: it will be enough if we ascertain the true meaning. He does not here speak of Chaldeans or Assyrians, as some imagine, but of Jews, to whom, in the character of a herald, he proclaims war in the name of the Lord. This threatening sounded harshly in their ears; for they supposed that they were joined in such a confederacy with God, that he was an adversary to their adversaries. He declares, on the other hand, that he is their enemy because he had so often been provoked by their crimes. In this manner we must shake off the slothfulness of hypocrites, who are continually waging war with God, and yet do not hesitate to allege that they enjoy his protection. We need not wonder, therefore, if the Prophet sternly pronounces them to be adversaries of God, who had broken the covenant, and had thus carried on war against him.
And yet, in order to show that he is unwillingly, as it were, constrained to inflict punishment on his people, God utters his threatening with a kind of groan. For as nothing is more agreeable to his nature than to do good, so whenever he is angry with us and treats us harshly, it is certain that our wickedness has compelled him to do so, because we do not allow his goodness to take its free course. More especially he is disposed to treat his own people with gentleness, and when he sees that there is no longer any room for his forbearance, he takes measures, as it were in sorrow, for inflicting punishment.
Some would rather choose perhaps to explain the particle הוי ( hoi) as of God made this exclamation when aroused by anger. For my own part, I rather consider it, in this passage, to be an expression of grief; because God, being mindful of his covenant, would willingly spare his chosen people, were it not that pardon was entirely prevented by their obstinacy.
And avenge me of mine enemies In this second clause there is a reduplication, ( ἀναδίπλωσις) a figure of speech customary with the Hebrews, who frequently express the same thing twice in one verse. Hence also we learn that the object of the statement is, that God cannot rest until he has taken vengeance on a wicked and treacherous people
(29) In our English version it runs, Ah! I will ease me of mine adversaries. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
A TERRIBLE RESOLVE
Isa. 1:24. Therefore thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies.
Concerning many men, we may offer Christs prayer, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. They sin in ignorance, or rather without thought of their character and relation to God, and of the doom which they are bringing upon themselves. There may be such persons before me now. Acting, then, the part of a true and faithful friend, I warn you
I. That God counts you as His enemies. By cherishing your sins you defy His authority, and place yourself in a position of hostility to Him [445]
[445] If a king warns a city of traitors, and calls upon them to search them out and send them away, and they never regard the message, but willingly give them harbour and entertainment, it is a sign they are disaffected to him: to cherish a sin after warning is open defiance of God.Manton, 16201667.
II. That God feels Himself injured, oppressed, and as it were hemmed in by your iniquities. Note this most suggestive phrase, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and see outline on Isa. 1:14. Gods laws are His territories, and by your transgressions you invade them. Your sins are trespasses. God feels towards you as the French feel towards the Germans who have taken possession of and settled down in Alsace and Lorraine; you put upon God an indignity which He cannot and will not bear.
III. That while God endures your trespasses for a time, in the merciful hope that by His forbearance you may be lead to repentance, He will not restrain His anger for ever, but will presently give free vent to it [448] and sweep you into that place where, though you may retain the disposition to sin against Him, you will not have the power.
[448] At this first step we might reason on the testimony if we pleased, instead of accepting it, and raise the objection that to imagine passion in God, especially so turbid a passion as anger, conflicts with our notions of His character, and degrades Him in our apprehensions. Beware! remember that in forming an estimate of the character and proceedings of God, we are but little children forming an estimate of the character and proceedings of a man of matured experience. Were it not more reasonable, as well as more reverent, to accept what He says, and to leave Him afterwards to clear up any mystery which may envelope His nature? I can indeed conceive in Him nothing turbid, impetuous, or impulsive, such as sullies the clearness of the human will. But this I can conceive, that there is in Him some high perfection (more incomprehensible to my finite capacity than the speculations of an astronomer to a peasant child), of which anger is the most adequate exponent to my mind, and which I must be content to think of and speak of as anger, or else to remain in total ignorance of it. And this also I cannot only conceive, but most readily assent to, that in an absolutely perfect nature there should be an utter abhorrence of, and antipathy to, moral evil, most justly represented to simple minds by the terms anger,curse. We have never seen a perfect character; no perfect character, save one, ever moved upon the earth: but the righteous man, who is striving after and approximating to perfection, has often crossed our path; and surely we have marked in him, that the more righteous he is, the more doth he abhor (in the language of Holy Scripture) everything that is evil. What is the effect upon one who breathes habitually the atmosphere of communion with God, of catching in the current tidings of the day the intelligence of some awful outburst of depravity? When such an one passes on an errand of mercy through the crowded alleys of a great city, and the shouts of malignant execration and profaneness ring in his ear, or scenes of impurity are paraded before his eye, with what feeling does he encounter these symptoms of human degradation? Are they not like a foul odour to his nostrils, or a jarring note to his ear, or an abortion to his sight? Does he not turn away with loathing, and recoil from such scenes and such sounds with an antipathy strong in proportion to his goodness? And is it, then, so hard to conceive that in perfect goodness there may be a recoil from moral evil, something similar in kind to this, though infinitely stronger in degree? And is not such a recoil righteous, and a token of righteousness?Goulburn.
Application.Nowconsider
1. That this is not the resolve of some feeble being destitute of resources for the accomplishment of his purposes. He who thus solemnly warns you is the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel.
2. Whether you have resources that will enable you to cope with this adversary whose indignation you have aroused (Luk. 14:31). If not, consider
3. What is the course that wisdom would suggest to you in your present circumstances (Luk. 14:32) [451]
[451] Let us take heed, for mercy is like a rainbow, which God set in the clouds to remember mankind: it shines here as long as it is not hindered; but we must never look for it after it is night, and it shines not in the other world. If we refuse mercy here, we shall have justice there.Jeremy Taylor, 16121667.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
THE PURPOSE OF PUNISHMENT
Isa. 1:24-27. Therefore thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: and I will turn mine hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterwards thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, The faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
The denunciation of the iniquity of Jerusalem (Isa. 1:21-23) is followed by a solemn announcement of Gods determination to punish it.
I. God will certainly punish sin. Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies. See preceding outline, and that on Isa. 1:20.
II. In punishing sin God is not moved by any vindictive purpose. True, He speaks here of taking vengeance upon His enemies, but these words coming from the lips of Jehovah must not be interpreted as we should have to interpret them if they came from the lips of a Ghengis Khan or a Tippoo Saib. We must remember that this is the utterance of the Mighty One of Israel, who is infinitely uplifted above every unholy passion. Whatever misconstruction this phrase, taken alone, might be open to, is entirely obviated by the declarations which follow it, which teach us
III. That Gods aim even in the severest chastisements is the reformation of the offenders, and their restoration to true blessedness. For what purpose will He turn His hand upon Jerusalem? Not that He may destroy her, but that He may purify her, as silver is purified in the furnace; and through this painful process she is caused to pass, that she may be restored to her former dignity and blessedness. It is for these purposes that God chastises nations and individuals to-day.
Application.
1. Those who are living sinful lives may certainly expect severe judgments. Sin and sorrow are inseparably linked, and God is solemnly pledged not to clear the guilty.
2. Those on whom judgments on account of sin have fallen should neither despise them nor be driven by them to despair (Heb. 12:5). These are two great evils. Indifference to chastisement brings on still severer strokes [454] God will break the stubborn sinners who refuse to bend (Isa. 1:28) (). Despair defeats the very object for which our chastisements are sent, and is itself a grievous offence against God. Instead of yielding to despair, we should be filled with hope, for God has loving purposes towards us, and our prayer should be, not that the afflictions should be removed, but that Gods purposes in them should be fulfilled. It is worth while to go into the furnace, if thereby we may be cleansed from the dross by which we are defiled.
[454] The physician, when he findeth that the potion which he hath given his patient will not work, he seconds it with one more violent; but if he perceive the disease to be settled, then he puts him into a course of physic, so that medic miser (he shall have at present but small comfort of his life). And thus doth the surgeon too: if a gentle plaster will not serve, then he applies that which is more corroding, and, to prevent a gangrene, he makes use of his cauterising knife, and takes off the joint or member that is so ill affected. Even so God, when men profit not by such crosses as He hath formerly exercised them with, when they are not bettered by lighter afflictions, then He sends heavier, and proceeds from milder to sharper courses. If the dross of their sin will not come off, He will throw them into the melting-pot again and again, crush them harder in the press, and lay on such irons as shall enter more deeply into their souls. If He strikes and they grieve not, if they be so foolish that they will not know the judgment of their God, He will bring seven times more plagues upon themcross upon cross, loss upon loss, trouble upon trouble, one sorrow on the neck of anothertill they are, in a manner, wasted and consumed.Firmicus.
This we may rest satisfied of, that whensoever Gods hand is upon us, we must either yield a voluntary, or be forced to a violent, submission. If our stubbornness is such that we will not bend, it is certain that our weakness is also such that we must needs break. If Gods message will not win upon Pharaoh, His plagues shall compel him; and therefore, when He sent Moses to him, He put a rod into his hand, as well as a word into his mouth. When God fully purposes to afflict a man, he is like a bird in a net, the more he strives and flutters, the more he is entangled; for the Supreme Judge of all things is resolved to go through with His great work of judgment, and to make all obstinate, sturdy sinners know, that He has power to constrain where His goodness will not persuade.South, 16331716.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
b. THE RESULTS OF JUDGMENT, A CLEANSED CITY
TEXT: Isa. 1:24-31
24
Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies;
25
and I will turn my hand upon thee, and thoroughly purge away thy dross, and will take away all thy tin;
26
and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The City of Righteousness, a faithful town.
27
Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness.
28
But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and they that forsake Jehovah shall be consumed.
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.
30
For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
31
And the strong shall be as two, and his work as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.
QUERIES
a.
When is this purging of the city to take place?
b.
Who are the converts of Zion?
c.
What are the oaks they desired?
PARAPHRASE
Therefore the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, says: I will pour out My anger on you, My enemies! I Myself will melt you in a smelting pot, and skim off your slag. And afterwards I will give you good judges and wise counsellors like those you used to have. Then your city shall again be called The City of Justice, and The Faithful Town. Those who return to the Lord, who are just and good, shall be redeemed. (But all sinners shall utterly perish, for they refuse to come to Me.) Shame will cover you, and you will blush to think of all those times you sacrificed to idols in your groves of sacred oaks. You will perish like a withered tree or a garden without water. The strongest among you will disappear like burning straw; your evil deeds are the spark that sets the straw on fire, and no one will be able to put it out.
COMMENTS
Isa. 1:24-27 RESTORATION: The impenitent sinner is the enemy of Almighty God! The sinner is a burden to Godthe sinners rebellion is unreasonable and unjust in the light of Gods love. Therefore God is justified in avenging Himself of impenitent rebels. But in the process Gods wrath also works chastening, repentance and purification of some. Smelting silver ore is a radical process; purifying sinners is a radical process demanding the death of self! But when the purification has been accomplished, the beauty and utility of the finished product is well worth enduring the crucible. The promises given in Isa. 1:26-27 are not that of mere restoration of physical conditions, but the introduction of new conditions that never, in their fullest sense, prevailed before. There may be some temporary reference to the restoration of the Jewish commonwealth after the exile, but this restored commonwealth was only typical of the Messianic kingdom to come, so that the fundamental meaning of the prophecy is that there will come a time, typified by the former reign of David (righteousness and justice) in which true righteousness and justice will be found, namely, the Messianic Age (Cf. Isa. 9:6-7; Isa. 11:1-9 ff; Jer. 23:5-6; Eze. 34:23-24, etc). This purifying reign of justice and righteousness would be accomplished by the redemption wrought through Jesus Christ (Cf. Luk. 1:67-79; Act. 13:34-40; Tit. 2:11-14). The converts of Zion are Christians, both Jew and Gentile, of the N.T. Church.
Isa. 1:28-31 REPROBATION: The doom of the apostates. They will reap what they have sownthey will be paid shameful, confounding, condemning wages for their shameful, confounding, condemning deeds (Cf. Rom. 6:20-23; Gal. 6:7-9; Rom. 1:18-32, etc.). Those who turn to dumb idols will one day be brought face to face with the brutal reality that their false gods are dumb, impotent and uselessand they will be ashamed. The oak groves where they set up idols to worship would incriminate them in their shameful apostacyplaces they would like to forget when Gods judgment begins to fall. The nation would be seared and withered by the heat of Gods wrath as well as by their own spiritual starvation. They would not be like a tree planted by the water (Psa. 1:1-6). They would be as the tow (the coarse and broken part of flax) used for burning. All of mans strengthwhether intellectual or physicalwill be consumed and disappear as rapidly as tow when Gods judgment breaks out. This judgment is much more than the exile and captivity. The sin, spiritual in nature, if not forgiven, will be rewarded with spiritual punishmenteternal punishment in Hell.
QUIZ
1.
Why is God justified in condemning impenitent sinners?
2.
What does Gods judgment work upon those who trust Him?
3.
What is the goal or fulfillment in the ultimate sense of the promises of Zions redemption? Prove it!
4.
Who are Zions converts?
5.
What is the destiny of the enemies of God?
6.
How helpful is the strength of mans intellectual abilities when the wrath of God begins to fall?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(24) Therefore saith the Lord.The word for saith (literally, whisper) is that which always indicates the solemn utterance of an oracle. The solemnity is emphasised by the exceptional accumulation of Divine names. He who speaks is the Eternal, the Lord of the armies of earth and heaven, the Hero, the Mighty One, of Israel. The latter name is found also in Isa. 49:26; Isa. 60:16; Gen. 49:24; Psa. 132:2; Psa. 132:5, and not elsewhere.
Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries.In bold, anthropomorphic language, which reminds us of Psa. 78:65, Jehovah is represented as waking out of slumber, and rising up to judgment. The words ease and avenge in the Hebrew have nearly the same sound (nicham and niqqam), and come from the same root, the primary thought being that of the deep breath which a man draws in the act of throwing off a burden. The weariness and impatience of Isa. 1:14, the long-suffering that waited, had come to an end at last (comp. Isa. 5:11; Isa. 5:13), and the day of vengeance had come. The punishment was, however, to be reformatory, and not merely penal.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. But there is a Judge who sees all this, and who will recompense according to what he sees.
The Lord of hosts He commands from heaven to smite and to protect: in the one case as it deserves; in the other, as it needs. The term “The Lord,” here, is from an unusual Hebrew word, , Ha Adon, used in Exo 33:17; Exo 34:23; Isa 1:24; Isa 3:1; Isa 10:16; Isa 10:23; Isa 19:4. “It designates God as the supreme administrator and judge. They (the people) had “appeared before” him, (Isa 1:12,) much as if they were patronizing one whom they were willing to please with a grand pageant, but one who had no real control over them; (compare Psa 12:5, Adon;) and, after trampling his courts, had gone forth to oppress their fellow men. He will now prove himself to be what he was called, (KAY, Com., in loco,) the Mighty One of Israel, and this name is analogous to “Mighty God of Jacob” in Gen 49:24, which passage helps us to the meaning of this. In this verse, He shows who is master, and who can bring proud and rebellious Israel through sharp pangs of punishment to repentance, and give exaltation to the crushed few who were his real friends. Isaiah, and those he represents in his own times and in all ages, are his real friends. Is not this principle involved in the remaining words of this verse?
Ah The connexion requires this word to be used here in a tone of menace, as in Isa 1:4, it must needs be in a tone of grief. Or, it may be of grief here also, and so the meaning be, “Alas, that I must ease or comfort myself by using severity on the guilty, unfaithful ones of Israel.” This softens the metaphor in this passage, and others of like import, called anthropopathia, that is, speaking or feeling as men speak and feel. This figure is constantly used in the Bible. It is necessarily so used. The pure essence of God’s being is impossible for men to apprehend. His mode of thinking and feeling is therefore expressed in our own way of thinking and feeling. Lowth says: “This very necessity leads to beauty, as does all metaphoric language. When images are taken from the superior faculties of man, from the purer and more generous affections of human nature, and applied to God, we are apt to acquiesce in the notion we overlook the metaphor and take it as a proper attribute; but when the idea is gross and offensive, as in this passage of Isaiah, where the impatience of anger and the pleasure of revenge are attributed to God, we are immediately shocked at the application; the impropriety strikes us at once: and the mind, casting about for something in the divine nature analogous to the image, lays hold on some great, obscure, vague idea, which it endeavours in vain to comprehend, and is lost in immensity and astonishment.” LOWTH, Isaiah, in loco. But no mischiefs need result from the use of this figure, if it be considered that the inspired writer is predicting only the incomprehensible ethical action of God in the case, not the manner of the action. All the imprecatory psalms, the lxixth and cixth, for example, have their explanation on this basis.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Great Clean Up ( Isa 1:24-26 ).
God now speaks. Without His action there would be no hope and no future, but He declares His intention to act in sovereign power and bring about that deliverance. Finally the future is bright for those who will receive it because the future is God’s, but only for those who will receive it. We should note that it is not a blanket promise. Not all Israel were the true Israel (Rom 9:6). Those who were unwilling to receive His offer of mercy would be condemned (Isa 1:28-31).
Isa 1:24-26
‘Therefore thus says the Lord,
Yahweh of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel.
“Ah, I will ease myself of my adversaries,
And avenge myself on my enemies.
And I will turn my hand on you,
And purge away your dross as with lye,
And will take away all your impurity (literally ‘tin’).
And I will restore your judges as at the first,
And your counsellors as at the beginning.
Afterwards your city will be called,
The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
Zion will be redeemed with judgment, and her converts (those who return) with righteousness.
Following the pattern of ideas of the previous verses, but in reverse order, we begin with the One Who is in complete contrast to the princes. No doubt they made much of themselves and exalted themselves, but the threefold description of the One described here is all prevailing. The contrast is deliberate. Beside Him they are but pygmies. He is the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel. Note the great stress laid on His power. Firstly He is the Sovereign Lord, the Great King. Secondly He is the One Who rules and controls all things, whether above the heavens, in the heavens or on the earth. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. Thirdly He is the Mighty Saviour and Deliverer (Isa 49:26; Isa 60:16). Just one title would have been sufficient, the combination is overwhelming.
‘Ah, I will ease myself of my adversaries, and avenge myself on my enemies.’ Yahweh will take over from the princes and bring about His will. He will ease the sense of righteous burden in His own heart at the behaviour of those who have proved to be His adversaries by ignoring His covenant, by thrusting them from Him. Thus will He satisfy His own righteous requirements against those who are His enemies. Only foolish man would have dared to take up such a position against God.
‘Ah!’ This is full of feeling. God’s reaction is not mechanical.
‘I will turn my hand on you and purge away your dross as with lye, and will take away all your impurity (literally ‘tin’).’ Furthermore He will Himself act sternly by the removal of the dross and the impurities in His people by His own hand. He will vigorously scrub them clean, removing all trace of impurity. There is a mixed metaphor here, although to ‘purge with lye’ may well have been a recognised figure of speech. Soap (lye) would not usually be used for removing dross, except dross given a wider meaning, but it ties in better with Isa 1:16. ‘Turn the hand’ usually depicts hostile action (compare Psa 81:14; Amo 1:8; Jer 6:9). The thought is forceful. It will be the rough treatment of a stern but merciful master on an undeserving servant. Their period of refining will not, however, be pleasant. It is only man, not God, who thinks that sin can be easily dealt with.
‘And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counsellors as at the beginning.’ This is His final aim. Justice and proper guidance for His people. A righteous rule. This, speaking in human terms, will be obtained by the raising up and appointing of new Justices and new Counsellors who will measure up to the best of what has gone before. In other words His people will be properly ruled and shepherded.
Looking back from our standpoint we can see how God has been carrying out these works through the ages. He has raised up teachers for His people, through John the Baptiser, through Jesus Himself, through His Apostles, and through those who have faithfully followed them in the ministration of God’s word. And through their ministration He has been refining a people for Himself in readiness for them being with Him in the City of Righteousness.
‘Afterwards your city will be called, The City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.’ The result of all this will be that their dwellingplace will be called ‘the city of righteousness’, the city in which no impurity or dross can be found, the city where all is seen as right before the righteous Judge, a city satisfying even to God Himself. A city completely true to the covenant. (We must therefore add, a heavenly city – Revelation 21-22 – no earthly city could be like this).
(Many literalise such descriptions but as mentioned in the introduction prophecy had to be given in terms of the life-situation, background and understanding of those who heard it. When early missionaries went to the eskimoes they spoke of seals instead of sheep, of the harpoon of God instead of the sword of the Lord and of the great igloo in the sky instead of Heaven, otherwise their message would have been meaningless. In the same way the prophets were prophesying to people who had no conception of Heaven. They thus spoke of it in terms of a glorified Jerusalem. Later John in Revelation 21 would speak of it as a city of gold, with gates of pearl and forming a perfect cube with Apostles as its foundation. None of the descriptions were to be taken literally. So in all our reading we must use discernment. And this applies throughout all the prophets. We must discern what they are trying to say).
‘The faithful city.’ This in contrast to the prostitute city of Isa 1:21. It will be wholly true to Yahweh. Its dedication and response to God will be total. But it is also ‘faithful’ because of its new enduring nature. The word used for ‘faithful’ contains within it the sense of enduring. It will be an everlasting city.
‘Zion will be redeemed with judgment, and her converts (those who return) with righteousness.’ The result will be that Zion will be redeemed in justice and righteousness. She will have been fully restored to what she should be. Note how ‘Zion’ here represents the true Israel, the Israel within Israel, ‘her converts’ (‘those who return, who turn again’). The term ‘Israel’ has two aspects, outwardly it is the people who declare that they are Yahweh’s people, but, in contrast, in Yahweh’s eyes it is those who are Yahweh’s true people, the spiritual part of Israel. They are the true Israel. For all who are not true are in the end to be ‘cut off’ because they are not true Israel. The two ideas are thus constantly held in tension.
This redemption with justice and righteousness will be by the exertion of God’s delivering power. Redemption (see also Isa 29:22; Isa 35:10; Isa 51:11) always indicates a cost (Exo 13:13; Exo 34:20; Lev 25:29; Lev 27:27; Num 3:48; Deu 15:15), and it must necessarily be so for otherwise it would not be in justice. In some way God has taken the cost on Himself (this cost will be stressed in Isa 52:13 to Isa 53:12). So will His people be accepted as just and right before Him.
This verse (Isa 1:27) is an important seed verse. Zion was very much the city of David, so that it contains embedded within it the idea of the Davidic kingship, the king over Zion, and the idea of the holy remnant, both of which will be prominent later on. But we see here how closely the idea of Zion and the people are seen as one. Zion is her people.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
God Decrees Judgment and Restoration Isa 1:24-31 contains God’s decrees towards Israel after having brought them before His judgment seat, a seat that expands across heaven and earth (Isa 1:1). His decree is based upon his three-told indictment against them. In other words, God has found three testimonies (physical, mental, and spiritual) that declare Israel guilty of sin. The necessary response is divine judgment. However, God’s form of divine judgment accomplishes its intended purpose of divine restoration of the nation of Israel.
Isa 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
Isa 1:25 Isa 1:26 Isa 1:26
Isa 1:29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
Isa 1:29
Isa 1:31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.
Isa 1:31
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Isa 1:24. Therefore, &c. Here begins the prediction of the events which should happen to this corrupt people. The first of these are, the evils to be inflicted by the Babylonish captivity; the second the purification of the church, Isa 1:25 the third the restoration of their government, Isa 1:26-27 the fourth the salvation of the faithful by Christ, the end of the 26th and 27th verse: the fifth the final judgment of God upon the rebellious and disobedient to the Gospel, which shall follow the salvation of the true Israelites. The reader cannot but observe how sublime and full of majesty this passage is; in which the Lord of Hosts is represented as a mighty and generous hero, rousing up himself to punish, after he had a long time borne with patience the injuries unjustly offered him, and had solicited in vain his adversaries to their duty. See Vitringa.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
How very blessed is it to behold divine grace triumphing over human transgression: and the Lord who alone can reform, graciously exercising his love in a way of reformation over his people. And, Reader, do observe that when the Lord comes forth to correct his people, it is at the same time to take vengeance of their enemies. When the Lord Jesus speaks of the year of his redeemed being come, he connects with it the day also of vengeance in his heart, Isa 63:4 . Reader! may it be your happiness and mine to know the Lord Jesus in his grace; and we shall know him also in the destruction of our enemies. May Jesus root out those inbred, indwelling sins of our nature, the greatest and most dangerous foes we have to contend with; that in the cleansing of his church and people, we may know ourselves included; when he will redeem Zion with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
Ver. 24. Therefore thus saith the Lord. ] Dominator, D, D , the great housekeeper of the world. a
The Lord of hosts.
The mighty One of Israel.
Ah.
I will ease me; I will avenge me.
“ Est vindicta bonum vita iucundius ipsa. ”
So – but in a way of justice – God delighteth d in the destruction of his stubborn enemies. Deu 28:63 Eze 5:13 Pro 1:26
Mine adversaries.
a .
b Heu dolentis. – Luther.
c Ah exultantis. Oecolamp.
d Animumque explesse iuvabit.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Isa 1:24-26
24Therefore the Lord God of hosts,
The Mighty One of Israel, declares,
Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries
And avenge Myself on My foes.
25I will also turn My hand against you,
And will smelt away your dross as with lye
And will remove all your alloy.
26Then I will restore your judges as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
After that you will be called the city of righteousness,
A faithful city.
Isa 1:24-26 YHWH speaks of His future plans of restoring His people (cf. v.26) after judgment on the wicked leadership.
1. I will be relieved of My adversaries, Isa 1:24, BDB 636, KB 688, Niphal IMPERFECT used in a COHORTATIVE sense
2. I will avenge Myself on My foes, Isa 1:24, BDB 667, KB 721, Niphal COHORTATIVE
3. I will also turn My hand against you, Isa 1:25. BDB 996, KB 1427, Hiphil COHORTATIVE
4. I will melt away your dross as with lye, Isa 1:25, BDB 864, KB 1057, Qal IMPERFECT used in a COHORTATIVE sense
5. I will remove all your alloy, Isa 1:25, BDB 693, KB 747, Hiphil COHORTATIVE
6. I will restore your judges, Isa 1:26, BDB 996, KB 1427 Hiphil COHORTATIVE
7. I will restore your counselors, Isa 1:26 (same as #6, one VERB, two OBJECTS; these must relate to the Exodus period)
Note that the purpose of judgment is restoration (cf. Isa 1:27)!
Isa 1:24 Notice the two Divine names in Isa 1:24!
1.-2. the Lord, GOD of hosts (adon, YHWH, cf. Psa 110:1; NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp.1297-1298)
3. the Mighty One of Israel (cf. Gen 49:24; Psa 132:2; Psa 132:5; Isa 49:26; Isa 60:16)
Isa 1:25-26 you. . .your These two verses use FEMININE SINGULARS to denote that YHWH is addressing the unfaithful capital city of Judah, Jerusalem, with all her economic, military, and religious power structures.
As Isa 1:19-20 used the same VERB in contrasting ways, so too, Isa 1:25-26 with
1. I will turn My hand against you, BDB 996, KB 1427, Hiphil COHORTATIVE
2. I will restore, BDB 996, KB 1427, Hiphil COHORTATIVE
The same term is used in Isa 1:27, the returnees (BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE) to describe those touched by God’s justice and righteousness.
Isa 1:26 A faithful city Is this an obvious reversal of the sarcasm of Isa 1:21? Jerusalem is no longer a harlot, but a restored, faithful woman (i.e., city is FEMININE). She has finally become true to her title, faithful to God, faithful to His covenant, and faithful to each other! See Special Topic: The Two Cities of Isaiah .
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
The Lord. Hebrew. Adon.
App-4.
the mighty One of Israel. Peculiar to Isaiah. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 49:24). App-92. Compare Isa 49:26; Isa 60:16.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Isa 1:24-31
Isa 1:24-31
“Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies; and I will turn my hand upon thee, and thoroughly purge away thy dross, and will take away all thy sin; and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning: afterward thou shall be called, The city of righteousness, a faithful town. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness. But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and they that forsake Jehovah shall be consumed. For they shall be ashamed of the oaks ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens ye have chosen. For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water. For the strong shall be as tow, and his work as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.”
This paragraph follows the same pattern so frequently noted in all the rest of the Old Testament prophecies, especially in the writings of a number of the minor prophets, where one finds a blending of the prophecies that speak of the fate of the secular Israel, with undeniable references to that indefinite “afterward,” “in the latter day,” “in those days,” etc., all of which references (as these latter ones) refer to the New Israel, which is the Church, and not to the old secular Israel. This mingling of such diverse prophecies in the same paragraph, and sometimes in the same sentence, often poses difficult problems of interpretation. Here Isa 1:29 refers to the “groves” of the prevalent Baalim in Palestine with the shameful religion observed with pagan immorality; and the “gardens” mentioned with them is another reference to the same thing. The destruction of sinners and transgressors, along with God’s avenging himself upon his adversaries and the mention of sinful men and their evil works being burned up “together” are references, first of all to the ultimate destruction of the fleshly Israel, and typically to the eventual destruction of the incorrigibly wicked in hell, following the second advent and the final judgment of mankind.
Isa 1:24-27 RESTORATION: The impenitent sinner is the enemy of Almighty God! The sinner is a burden to God-the sinners rebellion is unreasonable and unjust in the light of Gods love. Therefore God is justified in avenging Himself of impenitent rebels. But in the process Gods wrath also works chastening, repentance and purification of some. Smelting silver ore is a radical process; purifying sinners is a radical process demanding the death of self! But when the purification has been accomplished, the beauty and utility of the finished product is well worth enduring the crucible. The promises given in Isa 1:26-27 are not that of mere restoration of physical conditions, but the introduction of new conditions that never, in their fullest sense, prevailed before. There may be some temporary reference to the restoration of the Jewish commonwealth after the exile, but this restored commonwealth was only typical of the Messianic kingdom to come, so that the fundamental meaning of the prophecy is that there will come a time, typified by the former reign of David (righteousness and justice) in which true righteousness and justice will be found, namely, the Messianic Age (Cf. Isa 9:6-7; Isa 11:1-9 ff; Jer 23:5-6; Eze 34:23-24, etc). This purifying reign of justice and righteousness would be accomplished by the redemption wrought through Jesus Christ (Cf. Luk 1:67-79; Act 13:34-40; Tit 2:11-14). The converts of Zion are Christians, both Jew and Gentile, of the N.T. Church.
Isa 1:28-31 REPROBATION: The doom of the apostates. They will reap what they have sown-they will be paid shameful, confounding, condemning wages for their shameful, confounding, condemning deeds (Cf. Rom 6:20-23; Gal 6:7-9; Rom 1:18-32, etc.). Those who turn to dumb idols will one day be brought face to face with the brutal reality that their false gods are dumb, impotent and useless-and they will be ashamed. The oak groves where they set up idols to worship would incriminate them in their shameful apostacy-places they would like to forget when Gods judgment begins to fall. The nation would be seared and withered by the heat of Gods wrath as well as by their own spiritual starvation. They would not be like a tree planted by the water (Psa 1:1-6). They would be as the tow (the coarse and broken part of flax) used for burning. All of mans strength-whether intellectual or physical-will be consumed and disappear as rapidly as tow when Gods judgment breaks out. This judgment is much more than the exile and captivity. The sin, spiritual in nature, if not forgiven, will be rewarded with spiritual punishment-eternal punishment in Hell.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
the mighty: Isa 30:29, Isa 49:26, Isa 60:16, Jer 50:34, Rev 18:8
Ah: Deu 28:63, Deu 32:43, Pro 1:25, Pro 1:26, Eze 5:13, Eze 16:42, Eze 21:17, Heb 10:13
Reciprocal: Num 31:2 – Avenge Deu 32:41 – I will Pro 21:7 – robbery Isa 3:1 – the Lord Isa 7:13 – will ye Isa 27:9 – this therefore Isa 42:21 – well Isa 43:24 – filled me Isa 59:18 – fury Jer 5:9 – and shall Jer 7:19 – they provoke Jer 9:9 – General Jer 17:11 – he that Jer 44:22 – could Eze 38:12 – turn Hos 10:10 – in my Amo 3:13 – the Lord Zep 1:18 – he shall Zec 6:8 – quieted Mal 2:4 – that my Luk 1:49 – he 1Th 4:6 – the Lord
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 1:24. Ah, I will ease me, &c. This is an expression borrowed from mens passions, who find some sort of ease and rest in their minds upon venting their anger on just occasions, or in bringing offenders to condign punishment. Thus God, speaking after the manner of men, represents himself as feeling satisfaction in executing justice upon obstinate and incorrigible offenders. Compare Eze 5:13; Eze 16:42; Eze 21:17. But let it be observed, God is never said to take pleasure in the punishment of any, but those who have filled up the measure of their iniquities.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the {h} mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will {i} rid myself of my adversaries, and avenge me of my enemies:
(h) When God will show himself merciful to his Church, he calls himself the Holy one of Israel, but when he has to do with his enemies, he is called Mighty, as against whom no power is able to resist.
(i) I will take vengeance of my adversaries the Jews and so satisfy my desire by punishing them.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The announcement of judgment 1:24-26
Isaiah’s unusual three-fold description of God as the sovereign (Lord) God of armies (hosts), who is the Mighty God of Israel, boded ill for Judah. Isaiah crowded together more names of God in Isa 1:24 than he did anywhere else (cf. Isa 3:1; Isa 3:15; Isa 10:6; Isa 10:33; Isa 19:4). The specter of God arising to judge His people for their sins just mentioned is a fearful prospect (cf. Heb 12:29). God judges sin wherever He finds it, among pagans and among His own people.
"Any facile statement that God always hates the sin but loves the sinner needs to be countered by Isaiah’s insistence that those who transgress are my foes and my enemies." [Note: Motyer, p. 49.]
God would subject His people to fires of adversity, but only to purify them, not destroy them. Just rulers would emerge and the city would once again enjoy a reputation for righteousness and faithfulness to God. This is the first allusion in Isaiah to a coming Judge who will establish justice and create righteous conditions, about whom the prophet revealed much more later. The restoration described here will find fulfillment in the millennial reign of Christ.