Logos Bible Study

Isaiah 5:18–23

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5:18Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead,45

who pull sin as with cart ropes.46

5:19They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly,47

so we can see;

let the plan of the Holy One of Israel48 take shape49 and come to pass,

then we will know it!”

5:20Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead,50

who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,

who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter.51

5:21Those who think they are wise are as good as dead,52

those who think they possess understanding.53

5:22Those who are champions54 at drinking wine are as good as dead,55

who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.

5:23They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff,

they ignore the just cause of the innocent.56

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Footnotes

  1. 45 See the note at v. .
  2. 46 The Hebrew text reads literally, “Woe to those who pull evil with the ropes of emptiness, and, as [with] ropes of a cart, sin.” Though several textual details are unclear, the basic idea is apparent. The sinners are so attached to their sinful ways (compared here to a heavy load) that they strain to drag them along behind them. If שָׁוְא (shavé’, “emptiness”) is retained, it makes a further comment on their lifestyle, denouncing it as one that is devoid of what is right and destined to lead to nothing but destruction. Because “emptiness” does not form a very tight parallel with “cart” in the next line, some emend שָׁוְא to שֶׂה (she, “sheep”) and עֲגָלָה (’agalah, “cart”) to עֵגֶל (’egel, “calf”): “Those who pull evil along with a sheep halter are as good as dead who pull sin with a calf rope” (following the lead of the and improving the internal parallelism of the verse). In this case, the verse pictures the sinners pulling sin along behind them as one pulls an animal with a halter. For a discussion of this view, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (), 1:, n. 1. Nevertheless, this emendation is unnecessary. The above translation emphasizes the folly of the Israelites who hold on to their sin (and its punishment) even while they hope for divine intervention.
  3. 47 Heb “let his work hurry, let it hasten.” The pronoun “his” refers to God, as the parallel line makes clear. The reference to his “work” alludes back to v. 12, which refers to his ‘work” of judgment. With these words the people challenged the prophet’s warning of approaching judgment. They were in essence saying that they saw no evidence that God was about to work in such a way.
  4. 48 See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in .
  5. 49 Heb “draw near” (so ); “hasten to fulfillment.”
  6. 50 Heb “Woe [to] those who call.” See the note at v. .
  7. 51 In this verse the prophet denounces the perversion of moral standards. Darkness and bitterness are metaphors for evil; light and sweetness symbolize uprightness.
  8. 52 Heb “Woe [to] the wise in their own eyes.” See the note at v. .
  9. 53 Heb “[who] before their faces are understanding.” Verses 18–21 contain three “woe-sayings” that are purely accusatory and have no formal announcement of judgment attached (as in the “woe-sayings” recorded in vv. 8–17). While this lack of symmetry is odd, it has a clear rhetorical purpose. Having established a pattern in vv. 8–17, the prophet deviates from it in vv. 18–21 to grab his audience’s attention. By placing the “woes” in rapid succession and heaping up the accusatory elements, he highlights the people’s guilt and introduces an element of tension and anticipation. One is reasonably certain that judgment will come, and when it does, it will be devastating. This anticipated devastation is described in frightening detail after the sixth and final woe (see vv. 22–30).
  10. 54 The language used here is quite sarcastic and paves the way for the shocking description of the enemy army in vv. 25–30. The rich leaders of Judah are nothing but “party animals” who are totally incapable of withstanding real warriors.
  11. 55 Heb “Woe [to].…” See the note at v. .
  12. 56 Heb “and the just cause of the innocent ones they turn aside from him.” In vv. 22–23 the prophet returns to themes with which he opened his speech. The accusatory elements of vv. 8, 11–12, 18–23 are arranged in a chiastic manner: (A) social injustice (8), (B) carousing (11–12a), (C) spiritual insensitivity (12b) // (C’) spiritual insensitivity (18–21), (B’) carousing (22), (A’) social injustice (23).

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,

who draw sin as with cart ropes,

who say: “Let him be quick,

let him speed his work

that we may see it;

let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,

and let it come, that we may know it!”

Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who put darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter!

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,

and shrewd in their own sight!

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,

and valiant men in mixing strong drink,

who acquit the guilty for a bribe,

and deprive the innocent of his right!

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit,

and wickedness as with cart ropes,

to those who say, “Let God hurry;

let him hasten his work

so we may see it.

The plan of the Holy One of Israel—

let it approach, let it come into view,

so we may know it.”

Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who put darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes

and clever in their own sight.

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine

and champions at mixing drinks,

who acquit the guilty for a bribe,

but deny justice to the innocent.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Woe to those who drag iniquity

with cords of deceit

and pull sin along with cart ropes,

to those who say,

“Let him hurry up and do his work quickly

so that we can see it!

Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take place

so that we can know it!”

Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who substitute darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who substitute bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who consider themselves wise

and judge themselves clever.

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,

who are champions at pouring beer,

who acquit the guilty for a bribe

and deprive the innocent of justice.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them

with ropes made of lies,

who drag wickedness behind them like a cart!

They even mock God and say,

“Hurry up and do something!

We want to see what you can do.

Let the Holy One of Israel carry out his plan,

for we want to know what it is.”

What sorrow for those who say

that evil is good and good is evil,

that dark is light and light is dark,

that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.

What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes

and think themselves so clever.

What sorrow for those who are heroes at drinking wine

and boast about all the alcohol they can hold.

They take bribes to let the wicked go free,

and they punish the innocent.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Ah! Those who drag iniquity along with the cords of falsehood

and sin as with rope of the cart,

those who say,

“Let him make haste;

let him hurry his work

so that we may see it

and let it draw near

and let the plan of the holy one of Israel come

so that we may know it!”

Ah! Those who call evil good and good evil,

those who put darkness for light and light for darkness,

those who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Ah! Those who are wise in their own eyes

and have understanding in their view!

Ah! Heroes at drinking wine,

and men of capability at mixing strong drink!

Those who acquit the guilty because of a bribe

and remove the justice of the innocent from him.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity,

And sin as it were with a cart rope:

That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work,

That we may see it:

And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come,

That we may know it!

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;

That put darkness for light, and light for darkness;

That put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes,

And prudent in their own sight!

Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine,

And men of strength to mingle strong drink:

Which justify the wicked for reward,

And take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Public Domain