TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 2:6–9. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The calling in of the Gentiles was accompanied with the rejection of the Jews; it was their fall, and the diminishing of them, that was the riches of the Gentiles; and the casting off of them was the reconciling of the world (Rom 11:12-15); and it should seem that these verses have reference to that, and are designed to justify God therein, and yet it is probable that they are primarily intended for the convincing and awakening of the men of that generation in which the prophet lived, it being usual with the prophets to speak of the things that then were, both in mercy and judgment, as types of the things that should be hereafter. Here is,
I.Israel's doom.
This is set forth in two words, the first and the last of this paragraph; but they are two dreadful words, and which speak,
1.Their case sad, very sad (Isa 2:6): Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people. Miserable is the condition of that people whom God has forsaken, and great certainly must the provocation be if he forsake those that have been his own people. This was the deplorable case of the Jewish church after they had rejected Christ. Migremus hinc - Let us go hence. Your house is left unto you desolate, Mat 23:38. Whenever any sore calamity came upon the Jews thus far the Lord might be said to forsake them that he withdrew his help and succour from them, else they would not have fallen into the hands of their enemies. But God never leaves any till they first leave him.
2.Their case desperate, wholly desperate (Isa 2:9): Therefore forgive them not. This prophetical prayer amounts to a threatening that they should not be forgiven, and some think it may be read: And thou wilt not forgive them. This refers not to particular persons (many of them repented and were pardoned), but to the body of that nation, against whom an irreversible doom was passed, that they should be wholly cut off and their church quite dismantled, never to be formed into such a body again, nor ever to have their old charter restored to them.
II.Israel's desert of this doom, and the reasons upon which it is grounded.
In general, it is sin that brings destruction upon them; it is this, and nothing but this, that provokes God to forsake his people. The particular sins which the prophet specifies are such as abounded among them at that time, which he makes mention of for the conviction of those to whom he then preached, rather than that which afterwards proved the measure-filling sin, their crucifying Christ and persecuting his followers; for the sins of every age contributed towards the making up of the dreadful account at last. And there was a partial and temporary rejection of them by the captivity in Babylon hastening on, which was a type of their final destruction by the Romans, and which the sins here mentioned brought upon them. Their sins were such as directly contradicted all God's kind and gracious designs concerning them.
1.God set them apart for himself, as a peculiar people, distinguished from, and dignified above, all other people (Num 23:9); but they were replenished from the east; they naturalized foreigners, not proselyted, and encouraged them to settle among them, and mingled with them, Hos 7:8. Their country was peopled with Syrians and Chaldeans, Moabites and Ammonites, and other eastern nations, and with them they admitted the fashions and customs of those nations, and pleased themselves in the children of strangers, were fond of them, preferred their country before their own, and thought the more they conformed to them the more polite and refined they were; thus did they profane their crown and their covenant. Note, Those are in danger of being estranged from God who please themselves with those who are strangers to him, for we soon learn the ways of those whose company we love.
2.God gave them his oracles, which they might ask counsel of, not only the scriptures and the seers, but the breast-plate of judgment; but they slighted these, and became soothsayers like the Philistines, introduced their arts of divination, and hearkened to those who by the stars, or the clouds, or the flight of birds, or the entrails of beasts, or other magic superstitions, pretended to discover things secret or foretel things to come. The Philistines were noted for diviners, Sa1 6:2. Note, Those who slight true divinity are justly given up to lying divinations; and those will certainly be forsaken of God who thus forsake him and their own mercies for lying vanities.
3.God encouraged them to put their confidence in him, and assured them that he would be their wealth and strength; but, distrusting his power and promise, they made gold their hope, and furnished themselves with horses and chariots, and relied upon them for their safety, Isa 2:7. God had expressly forbidden even their kings to multiply horses to themselves and greatly to multiply silver and gold, because he would have them to depend upon himself only; but they did not think their interest in God made them a match for their neighbours unless they had as full treasures of silver and gold, and as formidable hosts of chariots and horses, as they had. It is not having silver and gold, horses and chariots, that is a provocation to God, but,
(1.)Desiring them insatiably, so that there is no end of the treasures, no end of the chariots, no bounds or limits set to the desire of them. Those shall never have enough in God (who alone is all-sufficient) that never know when they have enough of this world, which at the best is insufficient.
(2.)Depending upon them, as if we could not be safe, and easy, and happy, without them, and could not but be so with them.
4.God himself was their God, the sole object of their worship, and he himself instituted ordinances of worship for them; but they slighted both him and his institutions, Isa 2:8. Their land was full of idols; every city had its god (Jer 11:13); and, according to the goodness of their lands, they made goodly images, Hos 10:1. Those that think one God too little will find two too many, and yet hundreds were not sufficient; for those that love idols will multiply them; so sottish were they, and so wretchedly infatuated, that they worshipped the work of their own hands, as if that could be a god to them which was not only a creature, but their creature and that which their own fancies had devised and their own fingers had made. It was an aggravation of their idolatry that God had enriched them with silver and gold, and yet of that silver and gold they made idols; so it was, Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked, see Hos 2:8.
5.God had advanced them, and put honour upon them; but they basely diminished and disparaged themselves (Isa 2:9): The mean man boweth down to his idol, a thing below the meanest that has any spark of reason left. Sin is a disparagement to the poorest and those of the lowest rank. It becomes the mean man to bow down to his superiors, but it ill becomes him to bow down to the stock of a tree, Isa 44:19. Nor is it only the illiterate and poor-spirited that do this, but even the great men forgets his grandeur and humbles himself to worship idols, deifies men no better than himself, and consecrates stones so much baser than himself. Idolaters are said to debase themselves even to hell, Isa 57:9. What a shame it is that great men think the service of the true God below them and will not stoop to it, and yet will humble themselves to bow down to an idol! Some make this a threatening that the mean men shall be brought down, and the great men humbled, by the judgements of God, when they come with commission.
Historical interpretation
Three Centuries of Reception
5 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
But as there the prophet says, 'And now, O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord; for He has sent away His people, the house of Jacob, because their land was full, as at the first, of soothsayers and divinations;' even so it is necessary for us here to observe that there are two seeds of Judah, and two races, as there are two houses of Jacob: the one begotten by blood and flesh, the other by faith and the Spirit.
(Vers. 5, 6.) Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord: for you have cast off your people, the house of Jacob. After the calling of the Gentiles, and the manifestation of the mountain of the Lord upon the top of the mountains, to His people, that is, the people of Judah, who is called the house of Jacob, the Prophet turns and exhorts them, so that those who are in the darkness of error may receive the light of truth and walk in the light of the Lord. And he sings in a certain way the words of David: Come to Him and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be confounded (Ps. 33:6). For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, so that their works may not be exposed. But you, O house of Jacob, the people of my nation, come with me, and let us walk together in the light of the Lord. Let us receive the Gospel of Christ, and let us be enlightened by him who says: 'I am the light of the world' (John 8:12). And when he had spoken this to the people of the Jews, seeing their unrepentant hearts and their souls hardened by disbelief, he makes an address to the Lord and says: Therefore, I urge them to come to you and partake of your light with me, because they have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, due to the deservedness of their sins.
For all who do evil hate the light and fail to come to the light lest their works be proven. But you, the house of Jacob, the house of my people, come with me and let us walk together in the light of the Lord. Let us accept the gospel of Christ and be illuminated by him who said, “I am the light of the world.” And when this had been spoken to the people of the Jews, discerning that their hearts were impenitent and their hardened souls unbelieving, Isaiah made a note to the Lord, saying, “I exhort them, therefore, to come to you today and to be filled with me by your light, for you have abandoned your people, formerly the house of Jacob, on account of their sins.”
What did the prophet Isaiah mean when he announced that a mountain would be prepared on the summits of the mountains, to which all peoples were going to come? The law and the Word of God was going to proceed from Zion and Jerusalem to all nations, not from Mount Sinai to one nation. This we see most evidently fulfilled in Christ and the Christians. A little later the prophet says, “O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord.” Here, you [the Jews] will surely say your usual piece: “We are the house of Jacob,” but listen a moment to what follows, and when you have said what you want to say, hear what you do not want to hear. The prophet continues, “For he has cast off his people, the house of Israel.” Here say, “We are the house of Israel”; here acknowledge yourselves and forgive us for reminding you of these facts.
Dearly beloved, whether the Jews receive these divine testimonies with joy or with indignation, nevertheless, when we can, let us proclaim them with great love for the Jews. Let us not proudly glory against the broken branches; let us rather reflect by whose grace it is, and by much mercy, and on what root, we have been grafted into.
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Summary
Isaiah 2:6 stands as a stark prophetic declaration of God's righteous judgment and withdrawal from His covenant people, the house of Jacob. This verse meticulously details the specific transgressions that provoked divine abandonment: their pervasive assimilation of pagan practices, their engagement in forbidden divination, and their delight in foreign alliances and customs, all of which constituted a grave betrayal of their exclusive covenant with the Lord. It powerfully underscores the severe consequences of spiritual compromise and syncretism, setting the stage for the coming "Day of the Lord" and highlighting the purity God demands from His chosen nation.
Context
Literary Context
Isaiah 2:6 marks an abrupt and dramatic pivot in the prophetic message. The preceding verses, Isaiah 2:1-5, paint a glorious eschatological vision of Zion as the exalted center of universal worship and peace, where all nations eagerly flow to learn God's ways and walk in His light. This idyllic future sharply contrasts with the present, deeply corrupted reality of Judah. Verse 6 begins with the crucial conjunction "Therefore," explicitly establishing a direct causal link between God's impending judgment and withdrawal and the specific sins detailed in the subsequent clauses. This verse initiates a lengthy and scathing indictment of Judah's pervasive pride, rampant idolatry, and misguided reliance on worldly power, a condemnation that inexorably leads to the terrifying vision of the "Day of the Lord" where all human arrogance will be humbled and God alone will be exalted (Isaiah 2:12-22).
Historical & Cultural Context
The prophet Isaiah ministered in Judah during the tumultuous 8th century BCE, a period characterized by profound geopolitical instability and severe spiritual decline. The formidable Assyrian Empire was rapidly rising, posing an existential threat to the smaller nations of the Near East, including Judah. In response to this escalating threat, Judah frequently sought pragmatic alliances with powerful foreign nations like Egypt or Mesopotamia, often at the expense of relying solely on God. This political maneuvering frequently led to widespread cultural and religious syncretism, as foreign deities, cultic practices, and customs were readily introduced and adopted within Judah. The reference to being "replenished from the east" specifically points to the pervasive influence of Mesopotamian astral worship, divination, and various magical practices that permeated Israelite society. The "Philistines" were long-standing adversaries and a persistent source of pagan influence, notorious for their divinatory practices and idol worship. The "children of strangers" likely refers to the dangers of foreign alliances, intermarriage with non-Israelites, and the wholesale adoption of foreign customs, all of which were explicitly forbidden by the Mosaic Law to preserve Israel's distinctiveness and holiness as God's peculiar people (Deuteronomy 7:3-4).
Key Themes
This verse is foundational to several pivotal themes not only in the book of Isaiah but also across the broader prophetic literature. It powerfully highlights the theme of Divine Judgment and Covenant Infidelity, demonstrating that God's "forsaking" is not an arbitrary act but a just and inevitable response to Israel's persistent breach of the covenant, particularly their widespread idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness. The theme of Syncretism and Spiritual Corruption is prominently displayed, as Judah shamelessly blends the worship of Yahweh with pagan rituals and superstitions, thereby fatally diluting their monotheistic faith and corrupting their spiritual identity. This pervasive spiritual compromise directly leads to a catastrophic loss of Israel's Distinctiveness and Holiness, as they become virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding pagan nations, eagerly adopting their abominable practices rather than serving as a radiant light to them. Furthermore, the verse underscores the profound dangers of Reliance on Worldly Wisdom and Power over divine guidance and trust, a recurring motif throughout Isaiah that sharply contrasts human pride and self-sufficiency with God's ultimate sovereignty and omnipotence (Isaiah 31:1).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root meaning "to pound, i.e. smite; by implication (as if beating out, and thus expanding) to disperse; also, to thrust off, down, out or upon (inclusively, reject, let alone, permit, remit, etc.)." In this profound context, it signifies God's deliberate and agonizing act of withdrawing His protective hand, His divine favor, and His active presence from His people. This is not an act of caprice, but a solemn consequence of their persistent rebellion. It implies a removal of divine intervention and a leaving of them vulnerable to the natural and spiritual repercussions of their choices.
A primitive root meaning "to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively)." When coupled with "from the east" (H6924, qedem, meaning "the front, of place... the East... antiquity"), this word vividly portrays Israel as being "filled up," "saturated," or "overrun" with foreign, particularly Eastern, superstitions, magical practices, and idolatry. It suggests an overwhelming influx and eager adoption of these pagan elements into their very spiritual fabric, effectively displacing and corrupting the exclusive worship of Yahweh.
A primitive root meaning "to cover; used only as a denominative from עָנָן, to cloud over; figuratively, to act covertly, i.e. practise magic." This term specifically refers to diviners, those who practice augury, interpret omens, consult spirits, or engage in various forms of forbidden magic and occult arts. It highlights Israel's direct and egregious violation of God's explicit commands against such practices, which were an utter abomination to Him and a stark rejection of His unique revelation (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).
Verse Breakdown
"Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob,"
This opening clause establishes a direct and severe causal link between Israel's actions and God's sovereign response. The phrase "the house of Jacob" refers to the entire nation of Israel, God's chosen covenant people. The verb "forsaken" signifies God's deliberate withdrawal of His protective presence, His favor, and His active intervention—a devastating consequence for a nation whose very identity, security, and prosperity were entirely predicated on their unique relationship with Yahweh. This is not arbitrary abandonment but a just and necessary divine judgment.
"because they be replenished from the east,"
This clause specifies the primary reason for God's profound act of forsaking. "Replenished from the east" vividly indicates that the people of Judah had become saturated, filled to overflowing, or even overrun with foreign influences, particularly those emanating from Mesopotamia (the "east"). This refers to their eager adoption of pagan religious practices, pervasive superstitions, and idolatrous customs, which were prevalent in the Eastern empires and strictly forbidden to Israel under the terms of their covenant.
"and [are] soothsayers like the Philistines,"
The second reason highlights Israel's active engagement in forbidden magical arts and occult practices. "Soothsayers" refers to practitioners of divination, augury, and other forms of occultism that seek knowledge or power outside of God's revealed will. The damning comparison "like the Philistines" is particularly potent, as the Philistines were well-known for their pagan practices and were traditional, bitter enemies of Israel. This comparison underscores the profound depths of Israel's spiritual compromise and their shameful assimilation into the very cultures they were commanded by God to be distinct from.
"and they please themselves in the children of strangers."
This final clause points to Israel's willing delight in, or reliance upon, foreign alliances, foreign customs, and potentially even intermarriage with foreign peoples. "Children of strangers" can broadly refer to foreign offspring or, more comprehensively, to the ways, ideologies, and peoples of other nations. This "pleasing themselves" implies a profound preference for worldly security, cultural assimilation, and humanistic comfort over unwavering fidelity to God's covenant, which explicitly prohibited such entanglements due to their inherent spiritual dangers and corrupting influence.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 2:6 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of divine judgment and the reasons for it. The verse powerfully begins with a strong declaration of Causality, signaled by the opening word "Therefore," which unequivocally establishes God's "forsaking" as a direct and just consequence of Judah's actions, which are then meticulously enumerated by "because." This highlights the immutable principle of divine justice and moral accountability. The evocative phrase "replenished from the east" functions as a striking Metaphor or Symbolism, vividly portraying the overwhelming influx and pervasive saturation of foreign, pagan influences into Israel's spiritual life, as if their very being were being "filled" or "contaminated" with alien and forbidden substances. The pointed Comparison "like the Philistines" serves as a stark and humiliating indictment, associating God's chosen people with a nation renowned for its deep-seated paganism and historical hostility towards Yahweh, thereby underscoring the alarming extent of Israel's spiritual degradation and loss of identity. Finally, the concluding clause, "they please themselves in the children of strangers," employs a profound sense of Irony or Paradox, as Israel finds perverse delight and satisfaction in the very things—worldly alliances and pagan customs—that directly lead to their spiritual downfall and God's righteous judgment, rather than finding their supreme delight in the Lord Himself.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 2:6 serves as a profound and timeless reminder of the gravity of covenant infidelity and the uncompromising purity God demands from His people. Theologically, it underscores God's absolute holiness, His unwavering righteousness, and His utter intolerance for syncretism, where the worship of the one true God is diluted, corrupted, or mixed with pagan practices and idolatry. Israel's unique identity as a chosen people was entirely contingent upon their exclusive devotion to Yahweh and their radical distinctiveness from the surrounding nations. Their eager embrace of Eastern divination, Philistine soothsaying, and their delight in foreign alliances represented a profound betrayal of the covenant, a rejection of God's supreme sovereignty, and a spiritual prostitution. This verse powerfully demonstrates that divine judgment is never arbitrary but is always a just and necessary response to persistent rebellion, spiritual compromise, and idolatrous unfaithfulness, serving either to purify a wayward people or to unequivocally demonstrate God's righteous character to all nations.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 2:6 offers a timeless and urgent warning for all who profess to follow God. It compels us to undertake a rigorous self-examination, scrutinizing the sources from which we are "replenished" and to whom we "please ourselves." In a contemporary world saturated with diverse philosophies, competing spiritualities, and ever-shifting cultural norms, the temptation to subtly blend Christian truth with worldly wisdom, or to seek security and affirmation in human systems rather than in God alone, remains powerfully potent. This verse calls believers to a radical and counter-cultural distinctiveness, urging us to guard vigilantly against any form of syncretism that subtly dilutes our faith, compromises our devotion, or diminishes our witness. It compels us to discern critically the influences we allow into our lives—whether through media consumption, interpersonal relationships, prevailing ideologies, or societal pressures—and to ensure that our ultimate allegiance, our deepest delight, and our unwavering trust are found exclusively in Christ alone. The severe consequences faced by the house of Jacob serve as a sobering reminder that God's holiness demands exclusive worship and uncompromising obedience, emphasizing the perpetual need for genuine repentance, spiritual vigilance, and a steadfast commitment to His revealed truth, rather than conforming to the fleeting patterns of this fallen world.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did God "forsake" His people, the house of Jacob?
God "forsakes" His people not out of arbitrary abandonment or capricious whim, but as a righteous and just judgment, a direct consequence for their persistent unfaithfulness and profound spiritual rebellion. In Isaiah 2:6, the reasons for this divine withdrawal are explicitly and tragically stated: they were "replenished from the east" (meaning they eagerly adopted foreign pagan practices and superstitions), they became "soothsayers like the Philistines" (engaging in forbidden divination and occult arts, which were an abomination to God), and they "please themselves in the children of strangers" (delighting in foreign alliances, customs, and possibly intermarriage, which led to deep spiritual compromise and idolatry). This divine withdrawal was a severe form of discipline, removing His protective hand and allowing them to experience the natural and covenantal consequences of their idolatry and disobedience, as solemnly warned in the Mosaic covenant (Deuteronomy 31:16-17).
What does "replenished from the east" mean in this context?
"Replenished from the east" signifies that the people of Judah had become saturated, filled to overflowing, or even overrun with religious and cultural influences originating from the powerful Eastern empires, particularly Mesopotamia (which included regions like Babylon and Assyria). This pervasive influence encompassed practices such as astral worship, various forms of divination (like astrology and interpreting omens), and widespread magical arts. Instead of being filled with God's Spirit and His divine truth, they had allowed their spiritual lives to be "replenished" or "overrun" by pagan superstitions and idolatry, which were an utter abomination to the Lord and a direct affront to His exclusive worship (Isaiah 47:12-13).
Who were the "Philistines" and why is the comparison to them significant?
The Philistines were a non-Semitic people who had settled on the southwestern coast of Canaan and were long-standing, formidable adversaries of Israel throughout much of their history. They were notoriously known for their pagan religious practices, including various forms of divination, soothsaying, and idol worship. The comparison "soothsayers like the Philistines" is highly significant and deeply damning because it highlights the alarming extent of Israel's spiritual degradation and moral compromise. Instead of remaining distinct and holy, set apart for Yahweh, they had assimilated to the abhorrent ways of their pagan enemies, eagerly engaging in practices strictly forbidden by God's law. This demonstrated a profound rejection of their unique covenant identity and a dangerous preference for the occult and worldly practices over the worship of the one true God (Leviticus 19:31).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 2:6, with its stark portrayal of God forsaking His people due to their spiritual adultery and syncretism, finds its ultimate and redemptive Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. Israel's tragic failure to remain distinct and pure, their persistent turning to foreign gods and human wisdom, profoundly underscored humanity's inherent inability to maintain a perfect covenant relationship with a holy God. Jesus, as the true Israel and the perfect Son, flawlessly fulfilled the covenant, living a life of absolute fidelity, unwavering obedience, and pristine purity, never being "replenished from the east" by worldly influences or delighting in the "children of strangers" through compromise. He perfectly embodied complete reliance on God alone. Furthermore, the "forsaking" of God, which Israel experienced as a just judgment for their sin, was uniquely and redemptively borne by Christ on the cross. On Calvary, Jesus cried out in agony, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). In that unparalleled moment, He, the innocent Lamb of God, experienced the full, crushing weight of divine abandonment for humanity's sin, encompassing all forms of idolatry, spiritual compromise, and rebellion. Through His perfect sacrifice, a new and eternal covenant was inaugurated, where believers are no longer "strangers and foreigners" but are graciously made "fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household" (Ephesians 2:19). In Christ, we are supernaturally cleansed from the defilement of worldly influences and powerfully empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a holy people, truly set apart for God's redemptive purposes, genuinely "replenished" by His grace and truth, and transformed by His Spirit, rather than being conformed to the patterns of this fallen world (Romans 12:2).