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Isaiah 25

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A Song of Praise for God's Judgment 1–5

1
O Jehovah, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things, even counsels of old, in faithfulness and truth. ​
2
For thou hast made of a city a heap, of a fortified city a ruin, a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built. ​
3
Therefore shall a strong people glorify thee; a city of terrible nations shall fear thee. ​
4
For thou hast been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. ​
5
As the heat in a dry place wilt thou bring down the noise of strangers; as the heat by the shade of a cloud, the song of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

God Will Swallow Up Death Forever 6–9

6
And in this mountain will Jehovah of hosts make unto all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. ​
7
And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering that covereth all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations. ​
8
He hath swallowed up death for ever; and the Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of his people will he take away from off all the earth: for Jehovah hath spoken it. ​
9
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is Jehovah; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. ​

God’s Judgment Against Moab 10–12

10
For in this mountain will the hand of Jehovah rest; and Moab shall be trodden down in his place, even as straw is trodden down in the water of the dunghill. ​
11
And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst thereof, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim; but Jehovah will lay low his pride together with the craft of his hands. ​
12
And the high fortress of thy walls hath he brought down, laid low, and brought to the ground, even to the dust.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Isaiah 25

Verse 1

thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth — 'Wonderful things' is pele, the first word of the child's name 'Wonderful, Counsellor' (Isa 9:6). 'Counsels' (etsah) are God's plans, 'of old' being literally 'from afar' (rachoq), and they stand in 'faithfulness' (emunah) and 'truth' (omen). The opening echoes Ps 118:28, 'Thou art my God, and I will praise thee'.

Verse 2

a palace of strangers — Armon is a citadel or palace, and 'strangers' (zarim) are foreigners. The 'city' (ir) is not named; it is left a 'heap' (gal) and a 'ruin' (mappalah), the word Isa 17:1 uses of Damascus, 'a ruinous heap'. 'Never be built' is literally 'not built for ever' (olam).

Verse 3

the strong people glorify thee — Az, strong, and aritz, ruthless or terrible, describe the oppressors, who 'glorify' and 'fear' once the judgments have fallen. The word aritz is the same as 'the terrible ones' of vv.4–5, so the tyrants themselves give glory, as in Rev 11:13, 'the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven'.

Verse 4

a strength to the poor — 'Strength' is maoz, a fortified place, used twice in the verse for the poor (dal, weak) and the needy (evyon). 'Refuge' (machaseh), 'shadow' (tsel) and 'heat' occur together in Isa 4:6, 'a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge'. The terrible ones' blast beats 'against the wall' (qir).

Verse 6

a feast of fat things — It is made 'in this mountain', the Zion of 24:23, and 'unto all people'. 'Wines on the lees' (shemarim) are wines left standing on their dregs and then 'well refined' (zaqaq), strained clear. The invitation to the nations is taken up in Matt 8:11, 'many shall come from the east and west', and in 'the marriage supper of the Lamb' (Rev 19:9).

Verse 7

the face of the covering — 'Destroy' is bala, to swallow, the verb that returns for death in v.8. The covering (lot) and the 'vail' are spread over 'all people' and 'all nations', and Paul describes the Gentiles as 'having the understanding darkened' (Eph 4:18). The veil is removed 'in this mountain', the place of the feast in v.6.

Verse 8

swallow up death in victory — Bala is the verb of v.7, and netsach, 'victory', is rendered 'for evermore' in Ps 16:11. Paul quotes the line at the resurrection, 'Death is swallowed up in victory' (1 Cor 15:54), and John echoes the next, 'God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes' (Rev 21:4). 'Rebuke' (cherpah) is reproach.

Verse 9

we have waited for him — Qavah, to wait in expectation, is used twice in the verse, as in Jacob's dying cry, 'I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD' (Gen 49:18), which also uses yeshuah, 'salvation'. 'Save' (yasha) and 'salvation' share the root behind the name Jesus, given because 'he shall save his people from their sins' (Matt 1:21).

Verse 10

Moab shall be trodden down — Moab is the one nation named in the chapter, and its pride is the charge of Isa 16:6, 'he is very proud'. 'Trodden down' is dush, to trample or thresh, and the picture is straw (mathben) trampled in the heap for the dunghill (madmenah). 'Rest' (nuach) is said of the LORD's hand on the mountain, while Moab is trodden down under him.

Verse 11

he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands — 'Swim' is sachah, used also in Ps 6:6, 'make I my bed to swim'. The outspread hands are read either as Moab's strokes in deep water or as the LORD's hand reaching into the midst of them. Either way the 'pride' (gaavah) comes down: 'bring down' is shaphel, the verb of Isa 2:11, 'The lofty looks of man shall be humbled'.