Isaiah 5:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.

NIV: But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts.

NASB: But the Lord of armies will be exalted in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.

CSB: But the Lord of Armies is exalted by his justice, and the holy God demonstrates his holiness through his righteousness.

NLT: But the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be exalted by his justice. The holiness of God will be displayed by his righteousness.

KJV: But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

NKJV: But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.

The people have had their pride pummeled into the ground. The self-deluded, self-exaltation of the people of Judah will come to a sudden and violent end. No more living for acquisition or partying or the praise of their peers (Isaiah 5:8–12). All will be stripped away, leaving only forced humility at the hand of God (Isaiah 5:13–15).

The Lord will not be humbled, even as His people are carried off to Babylon (2 Kings 24:14). He will be raised up. God will prove His ability to follow through on His promise: He will judge the wickedness of His people and hold them accountable for their sinfulness. He will show that He has not ignored Israel's defiance against Him. He has not stopped being holy because His people have given their hearts to false gods and immorality (Isaiah 2:8). The judgment He will bring will establish once again that the righteous God of Israel is holy and demands holiness from His people.

Isaiah 5:8–30 contains Isaiah's dire predictions about the upcoming judgment of Israel. The first "woes" are to the greedy and the pleasure-seeking drinkers. They will go into exile and to the grave for refusing to acknowledge God. The Lord then will be exalted for restoring justice and righteousness. The next woes are to those who embrace sin and mock the coming judgment. These are also those people who have mixed evil and good and believe they know better than God. The final listed woes are those who make it a point of pride how much alcohol they can drink, as well as how they can work the system with bribes. The Lord will summon the armies of the nations to bring judgment on His people.

Isaiah 5 begins with a parable about a farmer who builds a vineyard that produces sour grapes. The owner says he will lay waste to the vineyard. Isaiah reveals the owner to be the Lord and the vineyard to be Israel. Israel's bad fruit includes the greed of the wealthy and the hedonism of the people. They will go hungry and thirsty, into exile, and the grave. The Lord will be exalted for His righteousness. Isaiah pronounces woe on the sinners, the mockers, and the unjust rulers. The Lord will summon the nations to judge His people.

Early chapters (Isaiah 1—4) established a prophetic message given to the people of Israel. Isaiah 5 begins a new section with a parable about a vineyard that produces wild grapes despite all the work the owner has done. The vineyard is Israel, and the owner is the Lord. He will lay waste to the vineyard for the greed and drunkenness of the people. They will go into exile and the grave. The Lord will be exalted, but woe to those who embrace sin, and mock God's judgment. As well as those who take bribes against the poor. He has summoned the nations. Judgment is coming. The next chapter includes one of the Bible's most famous visions (Isaiah 6).

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 5/4/2024 3:33:20 PM