Isaiah 28:17-22 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Judgment also will I lay to the line— The prophet, having provided for the safety of those who put their trust in God, prepares himself to denounce the judgments ready for the profane and hypocritical scorners of Jerusalem, who boasted that they had made a covenant with death and with hell, renouncing all hope of salvation from God; and the denunciation of this judgment is comprehended in various articles, the first whereof is in the 17th verse, wherein God testifies that he will not spare them, but proceed with them according to the strict line of justice and severity; and that it should come to pass that those formidable people themselves, with whom they had made a covenant, should bring upon them a total and sweeping destruction: see Isaiah 28:2. And who knows not how exactly this was fulfilled by the Romans? The next article is comprised Isaiah 28:18-20. The meaning whereof is, that the covenant with the Romans, wherein they had placed so much confidence, should be broken and dis-annulled; and they should be exposed to the vengeance and power of the Romans, to which, while deprived of the divine aid, they were themselves utterly unequal: wherefore it should come to pass that this overflowing scourge should entirely destroy them. The sense of the metaphorical expressions in the 20th verse is, that the Jews, having broken their covenant with the Romans, should be most certainly overwhelmed by this overflowing scourge, because they were utterly unequal to the Romans, when deprived of the divine aid. It was that aid alone which could supply their defect; but God being determined to hide his face from them, and to desert them utterly, the bed would be too short for them to stretch themselves upon, and the covering too narrow for them to wrap themselves in: their own powers and abilities would be insufficient to their protection and defence. The emblem, chap. Isaiah 33:23 is of similar elegance. Spiritually understood, this figure may be applied to a man seeking to be justified by his own righteousness, without applying to the righteousness which is by faith: he will find the bed of his own works and merits too short, and the covering too narrow. The third article is contained in the 21st verse, to which is added an admonition in the 22nd. The meaning of the 21st is, that God, as if moved with severe indignation, would at this time fearfully display his judgments, to destroy his obstinate and professed enemies, in the same manner as he destroyed the kings of Canaan, (see Joshua 10:11.) and as the Philistines were destroyed at mount Perazim. See 2 Samuel 5:20-25 chap. Isaiah 30:30-31. The destruction of the Jewish common-wealth is called the Lord's strange work; and surely with great propriety; for nothing could be more singular and wonderful than that God should so entirely reject his people, and so fearfully destroy their temple and city. The 22nd verse, containing the admonition to the scorners, (see Isaiah 28:14.) and exhorting them to fly from the wrath to come, would be better understood if rendered thus: Now therefore, do not exercise your scorning any more, lest your bands be made stronger; [that you may avoid, if not the whole, yet a part of the divine wrath.] For I have heard what is decreed and precisely determined by the Lord God of Hosts against the whole land. The last words are rendered by Bishop Lowth, For a full and decisive decree have I heard from the Lord JEHOVAH, God of Hosts, on the whole land. See Vitringa.