Isaiah 27 · Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
CHAPTER 27 Is 27:1-13 . Continuation of the Twenty-fourth, Twenty-fifth, and Twenty-sixth Chapters. At the time when Israel shall be delivered, and the ungodly nations punished, God shall punish also the great enemy of the Church. 1. sore-- rather, "hard," "well-tempered." leviathan-- literally, in Arabic, "the twisted animal," applicable to every great tenant of the waters, sea-serpents, crocodiles, &c. In Eze 29:3 ; 32:2 ; Da 7:1 , &c. Re 12:3 , &c., potentates hostile to Israel are similarly described; antitypically and ultimately Satan is intended ( Re 20:10 ). piercing-- rigid [Lowth]. Flying [Maurer and Septuagint]. Long, extended, namely, as the crocodile which cannot readily bend back its body [Houbigant]. crooked-- winding. dragon-- Hebrew, tenin; the crocodile. sea-- the Euphrates, or the expansion of it near Babylon.
2. In that day when leviathan shall be destroyed, the vineyard ( Psa 80:8 ), the Church of God, purged of its blemishes, shall be lovely in God's eyes; to bring out this sense the better, Lowth, by changing a Hebrew letter, reads "pleasant," "lovely," for "red wine." sing-- a responsive song [Lowth]. unto her-- rather, "concerning her" (see on Is 5:1 ); namely, the Jewish state [Maurer].
3. lest any hurt it-- attack it [Maurer]. "Lest aught be wanting in her" [Horsley].
4. Fury is not in me-- that is, I entertain no longer anger towards my vine. who would set ... in battle-- that is, would that I had the briers, &c. (the wicked foe; Is 9:18 ; 10:17 ; 2Sa 23:6 ), before me! "I would go through," or rather, "against them."
5. Or-- Else; the only alternative, if Israel's enemies wish to escape being "burnt together." strength-- rather, "the refuge which I afford" [Maurer]. "Take hold," refers to the horns of the altar which fugitives often laid hold of as an asylum ( 1Ki 1:50 ; 2:28). Jesus is God's "strength," or "refuge" which sinners must repair to and take hold of, if they are to have "peace" with God ( Is 45:24 ; Ro 5:1 ; Ep 2:14 ; compare Job 22:21 ).
6. He-- Jehovah. Here the song of the Lord as to His vineyard ( Is 27:2-5 ) ends; and the prophet confirms the sentiment in the song, under the same image of a vine (compare Psa 92:13-15 ; Ho 14:5 , 6 ). Israel ... fill ... world-- ( Ro 11:12 ).
7. him ... those-- Israel--Israel's enemies. Has God punished His people as severely as He has those enemies whom He employed to chastise Israel? No! Far from it. Israel, after trials, He will restore; Israel's enemies He will utterly destroy at last. the slaughter of them that are slain by him-- rather, "Is Israel slain according to the slaughter of the enemy slain?" the slaughter wherewith the enemy is slain [Maurer].
8. In measure-- not beyond measure; in moderation ( Job 23:6 ; Psa 6:1 ; Jr 10:24 ; 30:11 ; 46:28 ). when it shooteth-- image from the vine; rather, passing from the image to the thing itself, "when sending her away (namely, Israel to exile; Is 50:1 , God only putting the adulteress away when He might justly have put her to death), Thou didst punish her" [Gesenius]. stayeth-- rather, as Margin, "when He removeth it by His rough wind in the day," &c. east wind-- especially violent in the East ( Job 27:21 ; Jr 18:17 ).
9. By this-- exile of Israel (the "sending away," Is 27:8 ). purged-- expiated [Horsley]. all the fruit-- This is the whole benefit designed to be brought about by the chastisement; namely, the removal of his (Israel's) sin (namely, object of idolatry; De 9:21 ; Ho 10:8 ). when he-- Jehovah; at the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, His instrument. The Jews ever since have abhorred idolatry (compare Is 17:8 ). not stand up-- shall rise no more [Horsley].
10. city-- Jerusalem; the beating asunder of whose altars and images was mentioned in Is 27:9 (compare Is 24:10-12 ). calf feed-- ( Is 17:2 ); it shall be a vast wild pasture. branches-- resuming the image of the vine ( Is 27:2 , 6 ).
11. boughs ... broken off-- so the Jews are called ( Ro 11:17 , 19, 20). set ... on fire-- burn them as fuel; "women" are specified, as probably it was their office to collect fuel and kindle the fire for cooking. no understanding-- as to the ways of God ( De 32:28 , 29 ; Jr 5:21 ; Ho 4:6 ).
12. Restoration of the Jews from their dispersion, described under the image of fruits shaken from trees and collected. beat off-- as fruit beaten off a tree with a stick ( De 24:20 ), and then gathered. river-- Euphrates. stream of Egypt-- on the confines of Palestine and Egypt ( Nu 34:5 ; Jos 15:4 , 47 ), now Wady-el-Arish, Jehovah's vineyard, Israel, extended according to His purpose from the Nile to the Euphrates ( 1Ki 4:21 , 24 ; Psa 72:8 ). one by one-- gathered most carefully, not merely as a nation, but as individuals.