Source: https://bible.org/seriespage/isaiah-29
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 14:21:33+00:00

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A. The Jewish Study Bible (pp. 839-840) outlines the chapter as three separate and independent poems.
B. YHWH's surprising reversal of His people's problems is a recurrent theme.
C. The historical setting of this chapter seems to be Sennacherib's invasion of Judah in 701 b.c. Jerusalem is spared (Isaiah's theology), but Judah is devastated.
1Woe, O Ariel, Ariel the city where David once camped!
Add year to year, observe your feasts on schedule.
And she will be like an Ariel to me.
And I will raise up battle towers against you.
29:1 "Woe" See note at 5:8.
Because it is used in the sense of altar-hearth in v. 2, which follows Ezek. 43:15-16, I believe this refers to the hearth of God, which can be seen clearly in 31:9. Because of v. 7, it is obvious that this is an allusion to Jerusalem. The first strophe (i.e., 29:1-4) deals with the capital of Judah, Jerusalem, as 28:1-4 dealt with the capital of the Northern Ten Tribes, Samaria.
▣ "Add year to year, observe your feasts on schedule" This second line of v. 1 reinforces the view that vv. 1-4 refer to Jerusalem, the place of Israel's feasts (cf. Exodus 23; Deuteronomy 16).
29:2-3 These verses describe what YHWH will do to His own chosen city (i.e., Jerusalem, the place where He caused His name to dwell, cf. Deut. 12:5,11,21; 14:23,24; 16:2,6,11; 26:2).
1. I will bring distress, BDB 847, KB 1014, Hiphil perfect, cf. v. 7; 51:13 (twice); Deut. 28:53, 55,57.
29:4 This verse has a series of metaphors for death.
This context is not dealing with necromancy, as Deut. 18:9-12,14 is, but metaphorical language to describe Jerusalem, on the brink of total destruction, crying out to her God in a weak voice while lying on the ground just before death.
And it will happen instantly, suddenly.
With whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire.
Will be like a dream, a vision of the night.
And his thirst is not quenched.
Who wage war against Mount Zion.
29:5-6 What a radical reversal these two verses are in the context. God has promised to judge Jerusalem and now promises to save Jerusalem from the enemy siege of Isaiah 36-37. In v. 6, there is a use of a storm metaphor to describe God. This is a recurrent theme throughout the Prophets. An even stronger use of this metaphor can be found in 30:27-33.
Notice what YHWH (i.e., Lord of hosts, v. 6) will do to the invaders.
These describe the coming/visitation of YHWH for judgment (cf. 28:2). These types of violent metaphors were the beginning source of apocalyptic language.
The MT has "of your strangers" (זריך, BDB 266, KB 267, Qal active participle), but there is a possibility of an "R" (ר) - "D" (ד) confusion. The Hebrew of "of your enemies" (זדוך) is from the Targums.
29:7-8 This is the use of the metaphor of a nightmare (lit. "dream," BDB 321; "a vision of the night," BDB 302 construct 538) to describe the results of God's action both in Judah and to Assyria. In v. 7, Assyria's siege will be like a nightmare that passes Judah, but in v. 8 the nightmare will occur to the army of Assyria (cf. II Kgs. 19:35-37; II Chronicles 32; Isaiah 36-37).
The difference between these two options is the "R" and "D" confusion.
The UBS Hebrew Text Project gives #1 a "C" rating (considerable doubt).
They stagger, but not with strong drink.
11The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, "Please read this," he will say, "I cannot, for it is sealed." 12Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, "Please read this." And he will say, "I cannot read."
Blind yourselves and be blind" The first two poetic lines of this verse have four imperatives.
NRSV "be in a stupor"
It is possible that #3 and #4 are from the Hebrew root "to delight in" (BDB 1044 II), if so then the phrase is sarcasm.
Notice the balance between human freedom, v. 9 and divine sovereignty, v. 10. Both are true! See Special Topic at 1:3.
▣ "They became drunk" This is another use of the term drunkenness (BDB 1016, KB 1500, Qal perfect) to describe the apostasy of the political and religious leaders of God's people (cf. 28:1-4,7-8).
29:10-12 Notice YHWH's activities in removing His message from His people (cf. 6:9-10; Mic. 3:6-7).
Verse 10 is quoted by Paul in his discussion of Israel's failure to believe/trust in Jesus as Israel's Messiah in Rom. 11:8.
As Isaiah was told to seal up the message in 8:16, so too, Daniel in Dan. 12:4. However, in 29:11 it is simply a metaphor for the ceasing of God's revelation.
29:13 "draw near with their words" This term (BDB 620, KB 670, Niphal perfect) speaks of public acts of worship in the temple. It was originally used of priests (i.e., Exod. 19:22).
▣ "their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote" This is a significant theological truth which shows that ritual and liturgy, without personal relationship, accompanied by lifestyle, love, and morality, are an abomination to God (cf. 1:10-15; 58:1-5; Jeremiah 7; Amos 5:21-24; Micah 6:6-8; Matt. 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23; Col. 2:16-23; II Tim. 3:5). The ritual was not wrong, it was the person's attitude that attempted to manipulate God.
The above line of poetry is parallel to the next, "honor Me with their lip service" (cf. Jer. 12:2). They say one thing, but live another (cf. Matt. 15:8-9; Mark 7:6-7, where "words" and "lip" are described as "neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men," illustrated in Mark 7:3,5,9,13).
Context must determine if it is positive or negative. Here it is negative of YHWH's judgment on His own people. This judgment will be that their wise counselors and religious leaders will fail to do their job (cf. vv. 9-12).
Paul quotes this verse in I Cor. 1:19 in his discussion of the foolishness of human wisdom, especially as it deals with understanding why the Messiah had to suffer and die (i.e., the gospel).
29:15 "hide their plans from the Lord" This refers to Judah's leadership's plan for a political alliance with Egypt (cf. 28:7-22; 30:1-5; 31:1-3) to protect them from Assyria. They are trusting in Egypt, not YHWH!
▣ "Who sees us?" or "Who knows us" This is basically a denial of God's personal presence. Verse 16 expresses the logic and foolishness of these statements.
29:16 "the potter" God as potter is a common biblical metaphor (cf. Isa. 45:9; 64:8; Jer. 18:4ff; Job 10:9). It possibly developed from the initial creation of humanity in Gen. 2:7. Paul alludes to this text in Rom. 9:20. Romans 9 is the affirmation of the complete and total sovereignty of God!
29:17-21 This describes the new Messianic day that is coming.
2. Lebanon will become very fertile, v. 17b,c, cf. 32:15; 35:1-2 (the NASB Study Bible, p. 996, links this to Isa. 10:34 and asserts that Lebanon might be a way of referring to Assyria). Sennacherib bragged of his exploitation of Lebanon's forest (cf. 37:24; II Kgs. 19:23).
This is parallel theologically to the wonderful description of YHWH's character in 25:4.
Be sure to note that #3 and #4 are primarily metaphorical for receiving and understanding YHWH's revelation (cf. Deut. 29:4; Isa. 5:12,13; 6:9; 30:9).
29:19 "Holy" See Special Topic at 6:3.
29:22-24 As vv. 5-8 break into the context of judgment on Jerusalem with a word of hope, so too, vv. 22-24. This rapid contrast between judgment oracles and promise oracles is characteristic of the Prophets. Judgment is always for the purpose of restoration!
Yes, God will judge His people when they sin and break His covenant, but He has a greater purpose for them (i.e., an eternal redemptive plan for all humanity).
Notice the different phrases and titles that denote the covenant Deity.
Both of these verbs refer to Hebrew idioms of despair and guilt over disobedient behavior. The sinner feels the displeasure of God!
YHWH is called "the Redeemer of Israel" (cf. 41:14; 43:14; 48:17; 49:7,26; 54:5,8). That concept of YHWH as the special redeemer of a chosen family may be the theological thrust of vv. 22-23.
29:24 This verse is the opposite of vv. 9-12,14. Revelation and understanding shall return to God's people through His called leadership, both civil and religious! This is a lifting of the blindness and deafness of 6:9-10!!
The Hebrew word is ruah (BDB 924), used in the sense of mental activity (cf. Exod. 28:3; Deut. 34:9; I Chr. 28:12; Job 20:3; Ezek. 20:32). Remember, context, context, context determines word meaning!

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