Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:
Jewish ambassadors were now on their way to Egypt to seek aid against Assyria (Isaiah 30:2-6; Isaiah 30:15; Isaiah 31:1). Isaiah denounces this reliance on Egypt rather than on Yahweh. God had prohibited such alliances with pagan nations, and it was a leading part of Jewish polity that they should be a separate people (Exodus 23:32; Deuteronomy 7:2).
That take counsel. Gesenius of Isaiah 30:4; Isaiah 30:6, translates, execute counsels. But the "woe" from God is on the ground, not merely of their executing, but of their having formed the counsel or plan. The Chaldaic supports the English version.
And that cover with a covering - i:e., wrap themselves in reliances disloyal toward Yahweh. "Cover" thus answers to "seek deep to hide their counsel from their Lord" Isaiah 29:15: cf. also Isaiah 28:20, 'the covering (the same Hebrew as here) is narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.' But the Hebrew may mean х wªlincok (H5258) maceekaah (H4541)] 'who pour out libations:' as it was by these that leagues were made (Exodus 24:8; Zechariah 9:11). Thus the same will be, 'who make a league.' So the Septuagint [suntheekas], Arabic, and Syriac. The Greek idiom for making a covenant, is, similarly, to pour out a libation [spendesthai spondeen]. The English version takes the Hebrew as if from caakak (H5526), 'to cover,' as it is in Isaiah 25:7, "covering," instead of from naacak (H5258), 'to pour.' Thus the princes of Egypt are regarded as the covering under which the Jews were hoping to find protection. Isaiah 28:20 favours the English version.
Not of - not suggested "by my Spirit " (Numbers 27:21). They ought rather to have stood before the priest, who should have asked counsel for them "after the judgment of Urim before the Lord." A similar error, of injurious consequence, was committed in the covenant made with the Gibeonites without the Israelites having "asked counsel at the mouth of the Lord" (Joshua 9:14).
That they may add sin to sin - the consequence is here spoken of as their intention, so reckless were they of sinning. One sin entails the commission of another (Deuteronomy 29:19).