Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 5:21
Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
21. The fifth woe, against the self-satisfied astuteness of the politicians. That the prophet has the statesmen in his eye is probable from such passages as Isa 28:9 f., Isa 29:14 f., Isa 30:1; Isa 30:10 f., Isa 31:1 f.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Wo unto them that are wise … – This is the fifth crime specified. It refers to those who are inflated with a false opinion of their own knowledge, and who are, therefore, self-confident and vain. This is expressly forbidden; Pro 3:7 : Be not wise in thine own eyes; compare Pro 26:12.
In their own eyes – In their own opinion, or estimation.
And prudent – Knowing; self-conceited. This was, doubtless, one characteristic of the times of Isaiah. It is known to have been strikingly the characteristic of the Jews – particularly the Pharisees – in the time of our Saviour. The evil of this was,
(1) That it evinced and fostered pride.
(2) That it rendered them unwilling to be instructed, and especially by the prophets.
As they supposed that they were already wise enough, they refused to listen to others. This is always the effect of such self-confidence: and hence, the Saviour required his disciples to be meek, and humble, and teachable as children.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 5:21
Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes
A false estimate of human wisdom
The sin reproved (as Calvin well observes) is not mere frivolous self-conceit, but that delusive estimate of human wisdom which may co-exist with modesty of manners and a high degree of real intellectual merit, but which must be abjured, not only on account of its effects, but also as involving the worst form of pride.
(J. A. Alexander.)
Wisdom and prudence: true and false
1. Persons are accounted wise and prudent who keep in view the most excellent dramas, who govern their potions with moderation, who conduct their affairs with discretion, and proportion their application to their several interests according to the dictates of well-informed minds, and the maxims of sound wisdom. They belong to this description who are possessed of a sound judgment, a quick penetration and extensive knowledge, and improve these accomplishments for attaining the most valuable purposes. The wisdom and prudence of which such persons are possessed cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. According to the apostle James description, it is pure, free from the corruptions of sin and error; it is peaceable, disposing those who act under its influence to live in harmony and concord; it is gentle, bearing with meekness the infirmities and injuries of others; it is easy to be entreated by the persuasion of sound reason and good counsel; it is full of mercy toward the offending and the afflicted; it is without partiality in its operations, and without hypocrisy and dissimulation, being sincere in all its exertions.
2. Persons are said in Scripture to have those qualifications in their own eyes or sight, which they vainly reckon they have acquired. People are said to be wise or prudent in their own sight who flatter themselves that these characters indeed belong to them, until the hatefulness of their iniquity is discovered. Though they know but little, they were never sensible of their ignorance; though, in the view of God, and men of understanding, they are foolish, they never were convinced of their folly. Elated with their supposed excellence on every occasion, and even when there is no occasion, they proclaim their own praises, and applaud their own performance. (R. Macculloch.)
Self-conceit
I. ITS SIGNS. Dogmatism; contempt of others; scepticism.
II. ITS CAUSES. Ignorance; vanity.
III. ITS FOLLY. It makes a man ridiculous; leads him into error.
IV. ITS OFFENSIVENESS TO GOD–in spirit; principle; action.
V. ITS CERTAIN HUMILIATION. (J. Lyth, D. D.)
Prayer for Divine enlightenment
In Dr. Samuel Johnsons diary the following prayer was found, offered in view of his becoming a politician: Enlighten my understanding with the knowledge of right, and govern my will by Thy laws, that no deceit may mislead me, nor temptation corrupt me; that I may always endeavour to do good and hinder evil.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
That being puffed up with an opinion of their own wisdom, despise the counsels and instructions of God by his prophets, and prefer their own vain fancies before the judgment of the all-wise God, as appears by the error before mentioned, Isa 5:20, that they affirmed that to be evil which God had declared to be good.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. Fifth Woeagainstthose who were so “wise in their own eyes” as to think theyknew better than the prophet, and therefore rejected his warnings(Isa 29:14; Isa 29:15).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Woe unto [therm that are] wise in their own eyes,…. And yet betray such stupidity and sottishness, as to call things by their wrong names; and make such a perverse judgment of them, as before described. This is a true description of the Scribes and Pharisees in Christ’s time; who said, “dost thou teach us? are we blind also?” Joh 9:34
and prudent in their own sight; being wise above what was written; leaving the word of God, and following the traditions of the elders.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The fifth woe: “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.” The third woe had reference to the unbelieving naturalists, the opponents of prophecy ( nebuah ); the fourth to the moralists, who threw all into confusion; and to this there is appended, by a very natural association of ideas, the woe denounced upon those whom want of humility rendered inaccessible to that wisdom which went hand in hand with prophecy, and the true foundation of which was the fear of Jehovah (Pro 1:7; Job 28:28; Ecc 12:13). “Be not wise in thine own eyes,” is a fundamental rule of this wisdom (Pro 3:7). It was upon this wisdom that that prophetic policy rested, whose warnings, as we read in Isa 28:9-10, they so scornfully rejected. The next woe, which has reference to the administration of justice in the state, shows very clearly that in this woe the prophet had more especially the want of theocratic wisdom in relation to the affairs of state in his mind.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
21. Wo to them that are wise in their own eyes! Here he proceeds to rebuke those on whom no instruction can produce a good effect, and who do not allow any wise counsels or godly warnings to gain admission. In short, he pronounces a curse on obstinate scorners, who set up either the lusts of the flesh or a preposterous confidence in their wisdom, in opposition to God’s instruction and warnings. And not only does he rebuke those who are puffed up with a false conviction of their wisdom, and are ashamed to learn from others, but he likewise pronounces a general condemnation on all who, through prejudices in their own favor, refuse to hear God speaking, and to listen to his holy warnings.
This fault has been too common in all ages, and we see it in very many persons at the present day, who, though they would shrink from openly rejecting the doctrine of godliness, are yet so far from being truly obedient and teachable, that they haughtily reject everything that does not please them. They acknowledge that they need some bridle, but, on the other hand, are so much blinded by their presumption, that, when God points out the way, they immediately rebel; and not only so, but break out into violent indignation at the censure passed on their proceedings. Nay, where is the man who renounces his own judgment, and is ready to learn only from the mouth of God? But nothing is more destructive than this deceitful show of wisdom; for the beginning of piety is willingness to be taught, when we have renounced our own judgment and follow wherever God calls.
Nor is this false belief condemned solely on the ground of its rendering men disobedient to God, and thus being the cause of their ruin, but also on the ground of being in itself what God cannot endure. We must become fools if we desire to be God’s disciples. But it is also certain that mad rebellion reigns wherever there is not found that modesty and humility which leads a man willingly to yield subjection, In their own eyes means what we say in French, a leur semblant , that is, in their own conceit
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
SELF-CONCEIT
Isa. 5:21. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.
Self-conceit.
I. Its signs: dogmatism; contempt of others; scepticism.
II. Its causes: ignorance [667] vanity.
[667] The truest characters of ignorance
Are vanity, and pride, and arrogance;
As blind men use to bear their noses higher
Than those that have their eyes and sight entire.
Butler.
By ignorance is pride increased;
Those most assume who know the least:
Their own self-balance gives them weight,
But every other finds them light.
Gay.
III. Its folly: it makes a man ridiculous; leads him into error.
IV. Its offensiveness to God; in spiritprincipleaction. V. Its certain humiliation.J. Lyth, D.D.
INTELLECTUAL PRIDE
Isa. 5:21. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.
Woe to the intellectually proud. I. To the self-conceited sceptic, who sits in judgment upon the Word of God, and condemns it [670] II. To the self-conceited enthusiast, who substitutes his own fancies for Divine truth. III. To the self-conceited Pharisee, who trusts in his own works. IV. To the self-conceited sinner, who despises instruction. V. Woe! for they shall all perish.J. Lyth, D.D.
[670] The denial of anything does not falsify it. If a man has swallowed poison, his adopting an opinion that it cannot kill him, contributes nothing to his safety; and it is awful to stand and see his conviction and his death arriving together. Your denying a resurrection, will not hide you for ever in the grave. Your disbelieving a day of retribution, will not keep you from appearing before God. Their judgment, says the apostle, now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not: while they reason, it rolls on; every argument brings it one distance nearer.Jay.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(21) Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes.Here again the prophet would seem to have definite individual counsellors in his mind. For such men the ideal of statesmanship was a series of shifts and expedients, based upon no principle of righteousness. (Comp. Isa. 29:15; Isa. 30:1.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Fifth woe on the scornful self-conceit of errorists, Isa 5:21.
21. Wise prudent Those who conceive they possess the highest wisdom as against God’s wisdom, (administrative wisdom,) thus upsetting ordained social, civil, and moral law. This picture is more vividly given in Rom 1:18; Rom 1:22-23.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 5:21. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, &c. The fifth crime imputed to the Jews is, an arrogant presumption of the stability of their state, founded in carnal reason, with a contempt of the divine wisdom, and of the faithful admonitions of the ministers of God. See Rom 11:25; Rom 12:16. This was remarkably the characteristic of the Pharisees in our Saviour’s time. See Mat 11:25 and Joh 9:39; Joh 9:41.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Isa 5:21 Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Ver. 21. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes. ] Wiser than David – as the proud prince of Tyre thought himself Eze 28:3 – or than any prophet of them all. This self-conceitedness is , said that heathen, the hindrance of all true proficiency, and a mischievous marrer of good; here is a woe hung at the heels of it. And lest any should hold that to be a small matter, let them consider what befell Meroz after that bitter curse pronounced against it Jdg 5:23 – the very name and memorial of it is utterly extinct and blotted out; as also what befell the barren fig tree when once cursed by Christ – it withered away suddenly, Mat 21:19-20 both root and branch, though naturally the fig tree is the most juiceful of any tree, and beareth the brunt of winter blasts.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sight. Hebrew “face”, put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject), App-6, for themselves, or their own view of matters.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
wise: Job 11:12, Pro 3:7, Pro 26:12, Pro 26:16, Joh 9:41, Rom 1:22, Rom 11:25, Rom 12:16, 1Co 3:18-20
in their own sight: Heb. before their face
Reciprocal: Job 12:2 – ye are the people Job 32:13 – We Job 37:24 – he Pro 23:4 – cease Pro 26:5 – conceit Pro 28:11 – his own conceit Isa 19:12 – where are thy Isa 47:10 – Thy wisdom Jer 9:23 – wise Eze 28:5 – thy great wisdom Mat 6:23 – If Mat 11:25 – because Luk 11:35 – General Joh 7:49 – General Rom 2:19 – art confident 1Co 4:8 – ye are full 1Co 8:1 – Knowledge
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 5:21. Wo unto them that are wise in their own eyes Who, being puffed up with a high opinion of their own wisdom, despise the counsels and instructions of Jehovah by his prophets, and prefer their own vain imaginations before the decisions of infinite wisdom.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
5:21 Woe to [them that are] {b} wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
(b) Who contemn all doctrine and admonition.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Their fifth error was conceit. They thought they were wiser and cleverer than Yahweh.