Isaiah 30:12

Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) Because ye despise this word—i.e., the message which Isaiah had delivered against the alliance with Egypt. We note how the prophet enforces it, as coming from that very Holy One of Israel of whom they were tired of hearing.

Benson Commentary

Isaiah 30:12-14. Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression — In the wealth which you have gotten by oppression, whereby you now think to procure Egyptian succours; and perverseness — In your perverse and rebellious course of sending to Egypt for help. This iniquity shall be to you as a breach, &c. — Like a wall, which is high, and seems to be strong, but, swelling out in some parts, upon the least accident falleth down suddenly to the ground. Such shall be the issue of your high and towering confidence in Egypt. And he shall break it — Namely, God, or the enemy whom God will send against you.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

30:8-18 The Jews were the only professing people God then had in the world, yet many among them were rebellious. They had the light, but they loved darkness rather. The prophets checked them in their sinful pursuits, so that they could not proceed without fear; this they took amiss. But faithful ministers will not be driven from seeking to awaken sinners. God is the Holy One of Israel, and so they shall find him. They did not like to hear of his holy commandments and his hatred of sin; they desired that they might no more be reminded of these things. But as they despised the word of God, their sins undermined their safety. Their state would be dashed in pieces like a potter's vessel. Let us return from our evil ways, and settle in the way of duty; that is the way to be saved. Would we be strengthened, it must be in quietness and in confidence, keeping peace in our own minds, and relying upon God. They think themselves wiser than God; but the project by which they thought to save themselves was their ruin. Only here and there one shall escape, as a warning to others. If men will not repent, turn to God, and seek happiness in his favour and service, their desires will but hasten their ruin. Those who make God alone their confidence, will have comfort. God ever waits to be gracious to all that come to him by faith in Christ, and happy are those who wait for him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wherefore thus saith the Holy One - Yahweh. There may be some reference here to the fact adverted to in Isaiah 30:11, that they were weary of the name of the Holy One of Israel, and of the perpetual reiteration of his commands. Isaiah, as if to show them how little he was disposed to comply with their prejudices, again makes an appeal to that name, and urges the authority of Yahweh. It is often proper to "repeat" the very doctrine to which sinners object, and which has given them offence. That they are offended, shows that their minds are "awake" to the truth, and gives some indication that their consciences trouble them. Ministers of God should never shrink from their duty because people oppose them; they should never cease to speak in the name and by the authority of the Holy One of Israel, because that name may excite opposition and disgust.

Ye despise this word - That is, the word or message of Yahweh Isaiah 28:13-14; or perhaps it means the word 'Holy One of Israel.' The sense is, that they did not trust in the promise and protection of Yahweh, but relied on human aid.

And trust in oppression - Margin, 'Fraud.' The word עשׁק ‛osheq properly denotes oppression, or extortion Ecclesiastes 5:7; Ezekiel 22:7, Ezekiel 22:12; then, that which is obtained by extortion, and also by fraud Leviticus 6:4; Psalm 62:11; Ecclesiastes 7:7. It may refer here to the fact that they had, by unjust and oppressive exactions, obtained the treasures referred to in Isaiah 30:6, by which they hoped to conciliate the favor of Egypt; or it may mean that they trusted in their fraudulent purposes toward God, that is, to a false and perfidious course, by which they were unfaithful to him.

Perverseness - A crooked, perverse, rebellious course. They refused submission to Yahweh, and relied on the aid of strangers.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12. Holy One—Isaiah so little yields to their wicked prejudices that he repeats the very name and truth which they disliked.

this word—Isaiah's exhortation to reliance on Jehovah.

oppression—whereby they levied the treasures to be sent to conciliate Egypt (Isa 30:6).

perverseness—in relying on Egypt, rather than on Jehovah.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

In oppression; in the wealth which you have gotten by oppression, whereby you now think to procure Egyptian succours; of which See Poole "Isaiah 30:6".

And perverseness; and in your perverse and rebellious course of sending to Egypt for help.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel,.... The prophet introduces his message with the phrase they objected to: ministers of the word must not seek to please men, nor should they be deterred from the use of phrases, because disliked by natural men: as, in our days, men do not love to hear the name of Christ so often mentioned, or his Gospel, or the glorious truths of it; but the use of them should not be left off on that account, but rather they should be the more inculcated, as we find this phrase was; see Isaiah 30:15,

Because ye despise this word; either this name of the Lord, "the Holy One of Israel"; or this prophecy that was delivered unto them, which reproved them for their confidence in Egypt, and exhorted them to sit still at home, and trust in the Lord; but instead of that they trusted in what was very bad, as follows:

but trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon; either in oppressors, and perverse persons, as the Egyptians were; or in their wealth, got by oppression, rapine, and fraud, which they carried to Egypt, and on which they depended for help and relief; and in that perverse disposition of mind, contradicting the Lord speaking by his prophets, resolving to take their own way, not doubting but that they should have success.

Geneva Study Bible

Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in {l} oppression and perverseness, and lean upon it:

(l) Meaning, in their stubbornness against God and the admonitions of his prophets.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. this word] the warnings against the Egyptian alliance.

oppression and perverseness (lit. “crookedness”)] The first word is explained of the oppressive war taxation necessitated by the policy now finally decided on; this is not altogether obvious, and some prefer, by transposing two consonants, to read “perverseness and crookedness.” The same words are conjoined in Proverbs 2:15.

12–14. The answer of “Israel’s Holy One,” whose revelation is thus challenged.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - Because ye despise this word; rather, because ye reject this word (see 1 Samuel 8:7; 1 Samuel 15:23, 26; 2 Kings 17:15, etc.). The "word" intended is probably the prophecy against trusting in Egypt (vers. 1-7). And trust in oppression; or, extortion. Oppressive measures employed to obtain the rich gifts which had to be sent into Egypt (ver. 6) are probably intended (setup. 2 Kings 15:20). Gratz and Cheyne change the reading from 'oshek to 'ikkesh ("perverseness"); but without any necessity. And perverseness; literally, crookedness; i.e. "tortuous policy" (Kay). And stay thereon; rather, lean or stay yourselves thereon. Isaiah 30:12

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Thus do they fall out with Jehovah and the bearers of His word. "Therefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye dislike this word, and put your trust in force and shufflings, and rely upon this; therefore will this iniquity be to you like a falling breach, bent forwards in a high-towering wall, which falls to ruin suddenly, very suddenly. And He smites it to pieces, as a potter's vessel falls to pieces, when they smash it without sparing, and of which, when it lies smashed to pieces there, you cannot find a sherd to fetch fire with from the hearth, or to take water with out of a cistern." The "word" towards which they cherished me'ōs (read mo'oskhem), was the word of Jehovah through His prophet, which was directed against their untheocratic policy of reckoning upon Egypt. Nâlōz, bent out or twisted, is the term used to denote this very policy, which was ever resorting to bypaths and secret ways; whilst ‛ōsheq denotes the squeezing out of the money required to carry on the war of freedom, and to purchase the help of Egypt (compare 2 Kings 15:20). The guilt of Judah is compared to the broken and overhanging part of a high wall (nibh‛eh, bent forwards; compare (בּעבּע, a term applied to a diseased swelling). Just as such a broken piece brings down the whole of the injured wall along with it, so would the sinful conduct of Judah immediately ruin the whole of its existing constitution. Israel, which would not recognise itself as the image of Jehovah, even when there was yet time (Isaiah 29:16), would be like a vessel smashed into the smallest fragments. It is the captivity which is here figuratively threatened by the prophet; for the smashing had regard to Israel as a state. The subject to וּשׁברהּ in Isaiah 30:14 is Jehovah, who would make use of the hostile power of man to destroy the wall, and break up the kingdom of Judah into such a diaspora of broken sherds. The reading is not ושׁהברהּ (lxx, Targum), but וּשׁברהּ, et franget eam. Kâthōth is an infinitive statement of the mode; the participle kâthūth, which is adopted by the Targum, Kimchi, Norzi, and others, is less suitable. It was necessary to proceed with יחמל לא (without his sparing), simply because the infinitive absolute cannot be connected with לא (Ewald, 350, a). לחשּׂוף (to be written thus with dagesh both here and Haggai 2:16) passes from the primary meaning nudare to that of scooping up, as ערה does to that of pouring out.