But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.
Yet in it (shall be) a tenth, and (it) shall return, and shall be eaten - rather, 'and if in it (the land) there still be a tenth,' it shall be again given over to be consumed:' if even a tenth survive the first destruction, it shall be destroyed by a second (Isaiah 5:25, end; Ezekiel 5:1-5; Ezekiel 5:12) (Maurer and Horsley). In the English version "return" refers to the poor remnant left in the land at the Babylonian captivity (2 Kings 24:14; 2 Kings 25:12), and to those who had fled to Moab and Edom (Jeremiah 40:11-12) and subsequently returned when they heard that the King of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah, end suffered under further divine judgments.
As a teil tree, and as an oak - rather, terebinth, or turpentine tree (Isaiah 1:29).
Whose substance is in them, when they cast (their leaves) 'As a terebinth or oak is which, when they are cast down ( bªshaleket (H7995), from shaalak (H7993), to cast down) (not "cast their leaves:" cf. Job 14:7), the trunk or stock ( matsebet (H4678), akin to the Syriac natzab, to plant) remains, so the holy seed (Ezra 9:2) shall be the stock of that land (Maurer after Forerius). But matsebet (H4678) [from naatsab (H5324) to stand erect] means commonly a pillar (Genesis 28:18; Genesis 35:20); and it may mean, as in the English version, When the tree casts it, leaves, and seems dead Chaldaic), yet it has its solid, pillar-like substance or support in its root. So the holy seed shall be the substance or support of Israel's vitality, giving the assurance of her resurrection spiritually and nationally. The seeds of vitality still exist in both the land and the scattered people of Judea, waiting for the returning spring of God's favour (Romans 11:5; Romans 11:23-29). According to Isaiah, not all Israel, but the elect remnant alone, is destined to salvation. God shows unchangeable severity toward, sin, but covenant faithfulness in preserving a remnant; and to it Isaiah bequeaths the prophetic legacy of the second part of his book, (Isaiah 40:1-31; Isaiah 41:1-29; Isaiah 42:1-25; Isaiah 43:1-28; Isaiah 44:1-28; Isaiah 45:1-25; Isaiah 46:1-13; Isaiah 47:1-15; Isaiah 48:1-22; Isaiah 49:1-26; Isaiah 50:1-11; Isaiah 51:1-23; Isaiah 52:1-15; Isaiah 53:1-12; Isaiah 54:1-17; Isaiah 55:1-13; Isaiah 56:1-12; Isaiah 57:1-21; Isaiah 58:1-14; Isaiah 59:1-21; Isaiah 60:1-22; Isaiah 61:1-11; Isaiah 62:1-12; Isaiah 63:1-19; Isaiah 64:1-12; Isaiah 65:1-25; Isaiah 66:1-24.) Remarks: He who would minister with life-like carnestness to men, must first go into the presence-chamber of the King of kings. King Uzziah's visitation with leprosy had just given the world an awful intimation of the weakness of man in his most prosperous state, and of the terrible consequences of presumptuous sin against God. "Judgments must begin at the house of God;" but if it begin with the otherwise righteous when they transgress, what a terrible doom must await the hardened sinner? Lest, however, the prophet should be discouraged in prosecuting the duties of his office, he is favoured with a vision of the Lord sitting upon His throne amidst attendant Seraphim. Earthly kings and patrons may die, but the Lord above ever lives, as the Upholder of His servants. In our services of God we should imitate the humility of the Seraphim, who marked their sense of their own vast inferiority by veiling their faces with two of their wings, the lower parts of their persons with two of their wings, and with the two remaining wings stood ready instantly to fly at God's command. That minister serves God best who is most in the attitude of waiting on the Lord.
In the Assyrian inscriptions the name of Rezin, king of Damascus, is found among the tributaries of Tiglath-pileser, of whose reign the annals of 17 years have been deciphered. For the historical facts in this chapter cf. 2 Kings 15:37; 2 Kings 16:9. Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel, as confederates, advanced against Jerusalem. In the first campaign (2 Chronicles 28:1-27) they "smote Ahaz with a great slaughter." Their object was probably to unite the three kingdoms against Assyria. Egypt seems to have favoured the plan, so as to interpose these confederate kingdoms, between her own frontier and Assyria (cf. Isaiah 7:18, "Egypt," and 2 Kings 17:4, Hoshea's league with Egypt). Rezin and Pekah may have perceived Ahaz' inclination toward Assyria, rather than toward their own confederacy. This and the old feud between Israel and Judah (1 Kings 12:16) occasioned their invasion of Judah. Ahaz, at the second inroad of his enemies (cf. 2 Chronicles 28:1-27, and 2 Kings 15:37, with 2 Kings 16:5), smarting under his former defeat, applied to Tiglath-pileser, in spite of Isaiah's warning in this chapter that he should rather rely on God. That king accordingly attacked Damascus and slew Rezin (2 Kings 16:9), and probably it was at the same time that he carried away part of Israel captive (2 Kings 15:29), unless there were two assaults on Pekah-that in 2 Kings 15:29, the earlier, and that in which Tiglath helped Ahaz, subsequent (G.V. Smith). Ahaz was saved at the sacrifice of Judah's independence, and the payment of a large tribute, which continued until the overthrow of Sennacherib under Hezekiah (Isaiah 37:1-38; 2 Kings 16:8; 2 Kings 16:17-18; 2 Chronicles 28:20). Ahaz' reign began about 741 BC, and Pekah was slain in 738 (Wiper).