HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY ON THE OLD TESTAMENT

ISAIAS 5

CHAPTER V.

Ver. 1. My cousin. So the prophet calls Christ, as being of his family and kindred, by descending from the house of David. Ch. M. --- Heb. and Sept. "beloved." Dod may also mean a near relation. C. --- Isaias being of the same tribe, sets before us the lamentations of Christ over Jerusalem. Lu. xix. 41. W. --- The Hebrews had canticles of sorrow, as well as of joy. The prophet thus endeavours to impress more deeply on the minds of the people what he had been saying. The master of the vineyard is God himself. v. 7. C. --- Hill. Lit. in the horn, the son of oil. Ch. --- The best vines grew among olive and fig trees. Doubdan 21. --- Sept. "in a horn, (mountain) in a fat soil." H.

Ver. 2. Stones. They burn and starve in different seasons. Col. xii. 3. --- Choicest. Heb. sorek. H. --- There was a famous valley of this name. Judg. xvi. 4. The angels guarded the vineyard, in which Abraham, Moses, &c. were found. --- Tower. To keep the wine, &c. Mat. xxi. 33. It denotes the temple, (C.) Scriptures, &c. M. --- Wild. Sour. Deut. xxxii. 32.

Ver. 3. Judge. God condescends to have his conduct scrutinized. C. xli. 1.

Ver. 4. Was it. "Why has it produced wild grapes, while I looked?" &c.

Ver. 5. Down. By the Chaldees, and after the death of Christ. C. --- when God withdraws his aid, man is unable to stand. Yet he falls by his own fault, which God only permits. W.

Ver. 6. It. During the whole of the captivity, the land might keep its sabbaths. Lev. xxvi. 34. C. --- The people shall be deprived of saving doctrine. M.

Ver. 7. Israel. This comparison is very common. Ps. lxxix. 9. Mat. xx. 1. C. --- The preceding parable is explained. M. --- Cry. For vengeance. Jer. xii. 8. Gen. iv. 10. and xviii. 20. C.

Ver. 8. Even. Sept. "to take from your neighbour: shall," &c. H.

Ver. 9. Things. Unjust practices. --- Inhabitant. What will your avarice avail, (H.) since you must abandon all? C.

Ver. 10. Measure. Heb. "both." --- Thirty. Heb. "a chomer shall yield an epha."

Ver. 11. To follow. Heb. "for shecar," (C.) palm wine, (Theod.) or any inebriating liquor. S. Jer. in C. xxviii. Our version is conformable to Aquila and Sym. H. --- Num. vi. 3. Eccle. x. 16.

Ver. 12. Work. Chastisement. v. 19. and c. xxviii. 21. C. --- They are admonished to observe the festivals of the Lord, and not to indulge in riotousness. W.

Ver. 14. Hell. Or the grave, which never says enough. Prov. xxx. 15. Isaias alludes to what should happen under Nabuchodonosor, as if it were past. G.

Ver. 16. Justice. All will be taught to adore him. H.

Ver. 17. Strangers. Ammonites, &c. (C.) shall occupy part of the land. H.

Ver. 18. Cart. Fatiguing themselves with iniquity, (Wisd. v. 7. C.) and delaying your conversion. S. Isid. M.

Ver. 19. It. The Jews were often guilty of the like insolence. Jer. xvii. 15.

Ver. 21. Conceits. Blind guides. Mat. xv. 14.

Ver. 22. Drink. Heb. "mix shecar." People generally mixed wine and water. They also strove who could drink most, and the Greeks had a feast for this purpose, (C.) which they styled Choas, for the measure which was to be swallowed down. Aristoph. Acharn. act. iv. 4. and 5. ult. --- Cyrus the younger boasted to the Gr. ambassadors, that "he could drink and bear more wine than his brother." Plut. in Artax.

Ver. 23. Justice. Declaring the righteous guilty. v. 20. H.

Ver. 25. Still. After the ruin of Jerusalem, the people were led away. C. --- Grievous sins must be severely punished, as was that of the murderers of Christ. W.

Ver. 26. Off. Like a king, leading all his subjects to battle. C. --- Whistle. He alludes to the custom of leading forth bees by music. C. vii. 18. S. Cyr. --- Earth. The Chaldees, (c. xli. 9. Jer. vi. 22.) and not the Romans, as some would suppose. --- Swiftly. Like an eagle. Dan. vii. 4. Jer. xlviii. 40.

Ver. 27. Broken. They shall march incessantly. Ezec. xxvi. 7. and xxx. 11.

Ver. 28. Hoofs. They were hardened, but not shod. Xenoph. Amos vi. 13.

Ver. 29. Lion. Nabuchodonosor is compared to one. v. 26. Jer. iv. 7.

Ver. 30. Mist. Denoting calamity. Heb. "ruin." Sept. "indigence." C.