Isaiah 32:5 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Bible Comments

The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful. The vile - rather, fool (Lowth); i:e., ungodly (Psalms 14:1; Psalms 74:18: Hebrew nabal (H5036), 1 Samuel 25:25).

Shall be no more called liberal (Hebrew, nadiyb (H5081)) - princely noble-minded.

Nor the churl - fraudulent (Gesenius) х kiylay (H3596), from naakal (H5230), to act fraudulently]. So Vulgate. The English version deduces the Hebrew from kuwl (H3557), or else heekil, to take, to hold, to measure; or else [kaala'], to shut up or withhold. Aben Ezra fancifully, from the churl saying kal (H3605) liy (H3807a), 'all things belong to me,' not to another.

Bountiful - religiously. The atheistic churl, who envies the believer his hope 'full of immortality,' shall no longer be held as a patriot struggling for the emancipation of mankind from superstition (Horsley).

Isaiah 32:5

5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.