Isaiah 42:25

Isa 42:25 Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid [it] not to heart.

Ver. 25. And it hath set him on fire.] When the country was wasted, the city and temple burnt and ruined. Read Josephus, Lege, inquam, et luge. I say read and weep.

And he laid it not to heart.] This was worse than all the rest. Like a sleepy man (fire burning in his bed straw) he crieth not out, when others haply lament his case, that see afar off, but cannot help him.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Isa_42:25

It hath set him on fire round about

Playing with fire

Because of their unfaithfulness, God gave up His people to divers judgments, and yet the prophet has to deplore that Israel failed to recognise the hand of God in their tribulation; they would not understand and repent; although they were burned, yet they laid it not to heart.

Consider--

I. THE DESTRUCTIVENESS OF SIN. It hath set him on fire round about. It was the purpose of God that Israel should dwell in safety in a rich and pleasant land. But the chosen people sinned against God, so He gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers. Sometimes the plague wasted the land, sometimes the great army of locusts and caterpillars, at other times the land was devastated by fire and sword. In the text we behold invading armies overrunning the country, leaving it a smoking ruin. So sin has spoiled the world. Our nation, that might be so entirely rich and happy, is plagued with miseries; houses which might be paradises are hells; hearts which might be watered gardens are full of blackness. And there is nothing arbitrary in this retribution (Isa_1:31). The idolater is as tow, and his work is the spark which ignites the blaze of destruction. Oh, hesitate l you cannot break the law but it is as fire among the dry stubble, bringing with it an inevitable train of disasters and miseries.

II. THE INFATUATION OF SINNERS. Yet he knew it not. Yet he laid it not to heart. The proverb says, The burnt child dreads the fire. This is equally true of men in their business life. Let a man speculate in some concern or other that turns out badly, people say, Ah! he has burnt his fingers. Now, when a man has done that, beware how you approach him with your rosy prospectuses. He will show you his blisters, and send you away with scant courtesy. As the Orientals say, He who has suffered from a firebrand is afraid of a firefly. A victim is afraid of anything that bears the most distant likeness to that from which he suffered. This is rational. But men are not thus cautious in regard to the moral life. There they blind themselves, harden themselves, and when Gods judgments are let loose upon them they will not see, when they are burned they will not lay it to heart. What a striking illustration of this we have in Pharaoh! The history of Israel is an illustration, on a larger scale, of the same blindness and insensibility. How many times did their idolatry bring them into trouble! And yet they would not hear, they would not see, until wrath came upon them to the uttermost in the captivity of Babylon, in their overthrow by the Romans. How often do we ourselves fail to take to heart Gods sharp yet gracious warnings! How is it that, whilst we dread the fire which burns the skin, we do not fear the fire which sears the soul?

1. The fire which burns sears. The action of sin destroys sensibility, so do neglected judgments (Jer_6:15). Let us lay to heart the first sense of shame, the first warning, the first rebuke! When a choice ornament is unhappily slightly fractured there is great and sincere distress; but the next accident is taken lightly, and only provokes the merry rejoinder, Oh, it was cracked! When a thing is stained or fractured, a spot or crack more or less after that seems of no great consequence.

2. The fire which burns seduces. If men once begin to lack sincerity, to disregard the still, small whisper of conscience, to trifle with the fine health of the pure and faithful soul, sin, despite all its implied agony, soon acquires an indescribable fascination--we suffer through it, and yet we cling to it. Illustration, the moth and the flame. So men are fascinated by the flame which consumes them. In the whole mystery of iniquity is nothing more mysterious than the way in which sin seems to master the reason of men, and to allure and charm them to ruin. So Israel was fascinated by idolatry; dreadfully plagued as they were for their lapses, they could not resist the glamour. So it is with men once committed to the hypnotic power of evil--they linger on the verge of death.

3. The fire which burns spares. Strange reason this, but it is a reason. There was an element of mercy in the judgments of Israel, and very mercy was misconstrued and turned into lasciviousness (Isa_1:5; Isa_1:7). Children playing with fire are sometimes only slightly injured, and then they make light of it, and repeat their trifling; and perhaps in the end they pay very dearly indeed. So it was with the Jews. They lost a bit of territory; they were compelled to pay tribute; some of them fell by the sword, or were carried into captivity; they were afflicted in measure, and they presumed. So it is still (Ecc_8:11). The law of retribution is ever working in human life; ever and anon it drops blazing warnings at our feet; and be sure the day of the Lord will come, when He will arise and judge the earth in righteousness, when wrath to the uttermost will come upon the obstinately disobedient. Gods sparing mercies appeal to you to sin no more. (W. L. Watkinson.)

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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Isa 42:25. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury, &c. — Most grievous judgments. It hath set him on fire round about — This was literally fulfilled when the Chaldean army took their city, and burned both it and their temple. Yet he knew it not — Considered it not: they were secure and stupid under God’s judgments; neither fearing them when threatened, nor truly sensible of God’s hand in them, of the causes of God’s displeasure, or of the means of cure. The reader will easily observe, that “the force and elegance of the metaphor in this verse are very great. Of all natural evils which affect the human mind, which arouse and awaken it, none do so with greater quickness than fire, than a mighty flame encompassing a man on every side. No sleep, no lethargy is so great, which this will not shake off; and yet the stupor and insensibility of the Jews are here represented to be so great, that in the midst of the fire and flame, which they might and ought to think kindled by God, they inquired not into the causes of this judgment. They knew them not, nor considered them; but, persisting in their impenitence and stupidity, applied not to God in faith and repentance, nor humbled themselves before him.” See Vitringa.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

42:25 Generation after generation of Israelites did not learn their lesson, even when God disciplined them through military defeat.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

him--Israel (Isa 42:24).

strength of battle--violence of war.

it--the battle or war (compare Isa 10:16).

knew not--knew not the lesson of repentance which the judgment was intended to teach (Isa 5:13; Isa 9:13; Jer 5:3).

Next: Isaiah Chapter 43

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 25. The fury of his anger - "The heat of his wrath"] For חמה chammah, the Bodl. MS. has חמת chammath, in regimine, more regularly.

It hath set him on fire round about] So thoroughly hardened are the Jewish people, that they are represented as being in a house on fire, and even scorched with the flames, without perceiving their danger, or feeling that they are hurt! What a picture of mental induration! and this is their state to the present day. But by whom shall Jacob arise? for in this sense he is small indeed. Many efforts have been made to Christianize them, but without effect; and is this to be wondered at, while we tell them how great they are, how learned, how wise, how much we owe to them, that they are still the peculiar people of God, &c., &c.? If all this be true, what can they gain by becoming Christians? Whereas a more stupid, proud, hardened, ignorant people can scarcely be found in the civilized world, and they are most grossly ignorant of their own Scriptures.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(25) The fury of his anger.—Better, the burning heat of His wrath, and the violence of war. Historically, the words seem to find a better fulfiment in the “wars and rumours of wars” (Mat_24:6) than in the long equable continuance of the exile.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

25. Therefore should be simply and. the strength of battle] the violence of war, which (as in ch. Isa_9:18 ff. etc.) is compared to a fire. he knew not] i.e. “understood it not;” hardly, “heeded it not.” Israel felt its calamities keenly enough, but did not comprehend their significance, as a visitation from Jehovah. Note the contrast in ch. Isa_43:2.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger - His righteous indignation in the overturning of their nation, the destruction of their temple and city, and in carrying them captive into a distant land.

And it hath set him on fire - That is, the fury of Yahweh kindled the flame of war all around the Jewish nation, and spread desolation everywhere.

Yet he knew not - They refused to attend to it, and lay it to heart. They pursued their ways of wickedness, regardless of the threatening judgments, and the impending wrath of God. They did not consider that these evils were inflicted for their crimes, nor did they turn from their sins when they were thus threatened with the wrath of God.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The fury of his anger, and the strength of battle; most grievous judgments.

Yet he knew not; they were secure and stupid under God’s judgments, neither fearing them when threatened, nor truly sensible of God’s hand in them, and of the causes of God’s displeasure against them, and of the means of cure.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Therefore he hath poured upon him... the strength of battle; i.e. for this cause, on account of their iniquities, did God bring upon his people the scourge of foreign war, and allow the Babylonians to waste Judaea, to destroy Jerusalem, and to lead into captivity the entire nation. (2Ch_36:14-17) It hath set him on fire; rather, it (i.e. the war) set him on fire. The reference is, perhaps, especially to the burning of Jerusalem by Nebuzar-adan; (2Ki_25:9) but the phrase will cover also the general devastation of the land both before and after this event (Jeremiah 39-42), He knew not; rather, he took no notice; he did not change his ways on account of the chastisement. The prophet"s view is that Israel, as a whole, was not greatly bettered by the Captivity, at any rate up to the time which he takes for his standpoint, and at which he supposes him. self to be addressing them.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Fury - Most grievous judgments. Yet - They were secure and stupid under God's judgments.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

“And He (Jehovah) poured upon him (Israel) fury, (even) His wrath and the strength (or violence) of war: and it set him on fire sound about, and he knew (it) not; and it burned him, and he will not lay it to heart.” This continues and concludes the description of God’s judgments and of Israel’s insensibility. ‘He knew not’ does not here mean unawares, without his knowledge, but, as the parallel clause shows, implies extreme insensibility. The translation of the last verb as a preterite is ungrammatical, and the assimilation of the two as presents quite gratuitous. That a preterite precedes, instead of showing that the future must refer to past time, shows the contrary, by leaving us unable to account for the difference of form if none of meaning was intended. However necessary such assimilations may be elsewhere, they are inadmissible in cases like the present, where the change of tense admits of an easy explanation, to wit, that the writer intended to describe the people, not only as having been insensible before, but as likely to continue so in time to come. On the usage of the phrase to put or lay upon the heart.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Isaiah continues speaking.

Therefore he

"Therefore Yahweh"

he poured out on them his fierce anger

Isaiah speaks of Yahweh's anger as if it were a liquid that could be poured out. AT: "he showed them just how angry he was" (See: Metaphor)

on them

"against us." Here "them" refers to the people of Israel, but Isaiah still included himself as part of the people.

and the violence of war

The word "devastation" can be translated with a verb. AT: "by devastating them with war" (See: Abstract Nouns)

Its flames encircled them ... it consumed them

Isaiah speaks of Yahweh's fierce anger as if it were a fire that burned the people. (See: Metaphor)

they did not take it to heart

Paying attention to something and learning from it is spoken of as if it were placing that thing on one's heart. AT: "they did not pay attention" or "they did not learn from it" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

anger

devastate

heart

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

and it blazed upon them all around I brought retribution upon the heathens ([Ms.] nations) all around so that they see and learn their lesson, like the matter stated (Zeph. 3:6f.): “I cut off nations, their towers were desolate...I said, You shall but fear Me, you shall learn a lesson...” ([This appears in certain manuscripts and in printed editions. In Nach Lublin, the reading is:] So that Israel see and learn a lesson.)

and they did not know They actually did know, but they trod with their heels. They did not care to understand this and to repent of their wickedness.

and it burned among them After the retribution of the heathens ([ms.] nations) around, it burned upon them themselves.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

Upon him. Comp. Gen. 49:22. עליו upon him, after the plural לא שמעו,לא אבו they would not, they were not obedient, and צעדה she runs after בנות branches. (Gen. 49:22.) Comp. c. ii. Note 18. Upon every one of our forefathers.

חמה חמת אפו═חמה אפו The fury, the fury of His anger, Comp. האהלה אהל שרה ══ האהלה שרה into the tent, the tent of Sarah (Gen. 24:67).

ותלהטהו And it burned him. Comp. להט flame (Gen. 3:24).—They will confess that their forefathers were blind with regard to their hearts, and had no understanding.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.