Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.
This chapter opens the series of prophecies as to the invasion of Judea under Sennacherib, and its deliverance.
Woe to Ariel - Jerusalem; Ari-el means Lion of God - i:e., the city rendered by God invincible: the lion is emblem of a mighty hero (2 Samuel 23:20, "two lion-like men" - Hebrew, lions of God). Otherwise, Hearth (Ari in Arabic) of God - i:e., the place where the altar-fire continually burns to God (Isaiah 31:9; Ezekiel 43:15-16).
Add ye year to year - ironically; suffer one year after another to glide on in the round of formal, heartless "sacrifices." All will not avail to avert the invasion; your sacrifices and feasts shall come to an end (Lamentations 1:4; Jeremiah 7:4; Jeremiah 7:14). Or the prophet is hereby marking the limit within which the invasion by Sennacherib will take place-namely, in one year added upon a second; i:e., in two years (Grotius). Let a year elapse and a little more, (Isaiah 32:10, margin.)
Let them kill sacrifices. Or (as the Hebrew may also mean: chagiym (H2282) yinqopuw (H5362), 'let the feasts (of another whole year) go round' - i:e., within the completion of two years 'I will distress Ariel.'