What is the meaning of Isaiah 5:21? Woe The opening “Woe” announces God’s solemn warning and impending judgment. In Isaiah 5 the Lord pronounces six such woes (vv. 8, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22), each exposing a particular sin corrupting Judah. This same prophetic tone appears in Isaiah 10:1 and later on Jesus’ lips in Matthew 23:13-36. A “woe” is not a casual scolding; it signals that God’s patience has reached its limit and that consequences are certain unless repentance follows. Like Habakkuk 2:12 or Revelation 8:13, the word carries grief for the sinner and righteous anger against the sin. to those who are wise in their own eyes Self-declared wisdom replaces humble dependence on God: • Proverbs 3:7 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” • Proverbs 26:12 points out that a fool has more hope than the person who thinks he already has all the answers. • Romans 1:22 pictures unbelieving humanity: “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” When people trust their own judgment above Scripture they: – redefine right and wrong (see Judges 17:6), – dismiss God’s counsel as outdated (1 Corinthians 1:20-25), – and stir up division because they will not heed correction (Romans 12:16). The Lord’s indictment here is literal: anyone who leans on human reasoning while ignoring divine revelation invites the very “woe” proclaimed. and clever in their own sight “Clever” suggests a showy, self-congratulatory shrewdness. It is the attitude that says, “I can outsmart consequences.” Yet Isaiah 29:15 warns, “Woe to those who go deep to hide their plans from the LORD.” Worldly ingenuity cannot hide rebellion from God: • Proverbs 14:12 reminds us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” • 1 Corinthians 3:19 adds, “The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.” • James 3:15-17 contrasts earthly, self-seeking wisdom with the pure, peace-loving wisdom that comes from above. Isaiah’s phrase highlights the danger of intellectual pride: people convince themselves they are too sophisticated to submit to God’s clear commands, yet that very confidence blinds them to truth (John 9:39-41). summary Isaiah 5:21 confronts the sin of arrogant self-reliance. God pronounces a serious “woe” on all who elevate their own opinions above His revealed Word, celebrating cleverness while disregarding the Creator. True wisdom begins with humble reverence for the Lord (Proverbs 9:10) and is perfectly expressed in Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Listening to Him spares us the woe reserved for those who remain wise only in their own eyes. |
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