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 27:1–6. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The prophet is here singing of judgment and mercy,
I.Of judgment upon the enemies of God's church (Isa 27:1), tribulation to those that trouble it, Th2 1:6.
When the Lord comes out of his place, to punish the inhabitants of the earth (Isa 26:21), he will be sure to punish leviathan, the dragon that is in the sea, every proud oppressing tyrant, that is the terror of the mighty, and, like the leviathan, is so fierce that none dares stir him up, and his heart as hard as a stone, and when he raises up himself the mighty are afraid, Job 41:10, Job 41:24, Job 41:25. The church has many enemies, but commonly some one that is more formidable than the rest. So Sennacherib was in his day, and Nebuchadnezzar in his, and Antiochus in his; so Pharaoh had been formerly, and is called leviathan and the dragon, Isa 51:9; Psa 74:13, Psa 74:14; Eze 29:3. The New Testament church has had its leviathans; we read of a great red dragon ready to devour it, Rev 12:3. Those malignant persecuting powers are here compared to the leviathan for bulk, and strength, and the mighty bustle they make in the world, - to dragons for their rage and fury, - to serpents, piercing serpents, penetrating in their counsels, quick in their motions, and which, if they once get in their head, will soon wind in their whole body, - crossing like a bar (so the margin), standing in the way of all their neighbours and obstructing them, - to crooked serpents, subtle and insinuating, but perverse and mischievous. Great and mighty princes, if they oppose the people of God, are in God's account as dragons and serpents, the plagues of mankind; and the Lord will punish them in due time. They are too big for men to deal with and call to an account, and therefore the great God will take the matter into his own hands. He has a sore, and great, and strong sword, wherewith to do execution upon them when the measure of their iniquity is full and their day has come to fall. It is emphatically expressed in the original: The Lord with his sword, that cruel one, and that great one, and that strong one, shall punish this unwieldy, this unruly criminal; and it shall be capital punishment: He shall slay the dragon that is in the sea; for the wages of his sin is death. This shall not only be a prevention of his doing further mischief, as the slaying of a wild beast, but a just punishment for the mischief he has done, as the putting of a traitor or rebel to death. God has a strong sword for the doing of this, variety of judgments sufficient to humble the proudest and break the most powerful of his enemies; and he will do it when the day of execution comes: In that day he will punish, his day which is coming, Psa 37:13. This is applicable to the spiritual victories obtained by our Lord Jesus over the powers of darkness. He not only disarmed, spoiled, and cast out, the prince of this world, but with his strong sword, the virtue of his death and the preaching of his gospel, he does and will destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, that great leviathan, that old serpent, the dragon. He shall be bound, that he may not deceive the nations, and that is a punishment to him (Rev 20:2, Rev 20:3); and at length, for deceiving the nations, he shall be cast into the lake of fire, Rev 20:10.
II.Of mercy to the church.
In that same day, when God is punishing the leviathan, let the church and all her friends be easy and cheerful; let those that attend her sing to her for her comfort, sing her asleep with these assurances; let it be sung in her assemblies,
1.That she is God's vineyard, and is under his particular care, Isa 27:2, Isa 27:3. She is, in God's eye, a vineyard of red wine. The world is as a fruitless worthless wilderness; but the church is enclosed as a vineyard, a peculiar place, and of value, that has great care taken of it and great pains taken with it, and from which precious fruits are gathered, wherewith they honour God and man. It is a vineyard of red wine, yielding the best and choicest grapes, intimating the reformation of the church, that it now brings forth good fruit unto God, whereas before it brought forth fruit to itself, or brought forth wild grapes, Isa 5:4. Now God takes care,
(1.)Of the safety of this vineyard: I the Lord do keep it. He speaks this as glorying in it that he is, and has undertaken to be, the keeper of Israel. Those that bring forth fruit to God are and shall be always under his protection. He speaks this as assuring us that they shall be so: I the Lord, that can do every thing, but cannot lie nor deceive, I do keep it; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. God's vineyard in this world lies much exposed to injury; there are many that would hurt it, would tread it down and lay it waste (Psa 80:13); but God will suffer no real hurt or damage to be done it, but what he will bring good out of. He will keep it constantly, night and day, and not without need, for the enemies are restless in their designs and attempts against it, and, both night and day, seek an opportunity to do it a mischief. God will keep it in the night of affliction and persecution, and in the day of peace and prosperity, the temptations of which are no less dangerous. God's people shall be preserved, not only from the pestilence that walketh in darkness, but from the destruction that wasteth at noon-day, Psa 91:6. This vineyard shall be well fenced.
(2.)Of the fruitfulness of this vineyard: I will water it every moment, and yet it shall not be overwatered. The still and silent dews of God's grace and blessing shall continually descend upon it, that it may bring forth much fruit. We need the constant and continual waterings of the divine grace; for, if that be at any time withdrawn, we wither, and come to nothing. God waters his vineyard by the ministry of the word by his servants the prophets, whose doctrine shall drop as the dew. Paul plants, and Apollos waters, but God gives the increase; for without him the watchman wakes and the husbandman waters in vain.
2.That, though sometimes he contends with his people, yet, upon their submission, he will be reconciled to them, Isa 27:4, Isa 27:5. Fury is not in him towards his vineyard; though he meets with many things in it that are offensive to him, yet he does not seek advantages against it, nor is extreme to mark what is amiss in it. It is true if he find in it briers and thorns instead of vines, and they be set in battle against him (as indeed that in the vineyard which is not for him is against him), he will tread them down and burn them; but otherwise, "If I am angry with my people, they know what course to take; let them humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and so take hold of my strength with a sincere desire to make their peace with me, and I will soon be reconciled to them, and all shall be well." God sees the sins of his people and is displeased with them; but, upon their repentance, he turns away his wrath. This may very well be construed as a summary of the doctrine of the gospel, with which the church is to be watered every moment.
(1.)Here is a quarrel supposed between God and man; for here is a battle fought, and peace to be made. It is an old quarrel, ever since sin first entered. It is, on God's part, a righteous quarrel, but, on man's part, most unrighteous.
(2.)Here is a gracious invitation given us to make up this quarrel, and to get these matters in variance accommodated: "Let him that is desirous to be at peace with God take hold of his strength, of his strong arm, which is lifted up against the sinner to strike him dead; and let him by supplication keep back the stroke. Let him wrestle with me, as Jacob did, resolving not to let me go without a blessing; and he shall be Israel - a prince with God." Pardoning mercy is called the power of our Lord; let him take hold of that. Christ is the arm of the Lord, Isa 53:1. Christ crucified is the power of God (Co1 1:24); let him by a lively faith take hold of him, as a man that is sinking catches hold of a bough, or cord, or plank, that is within his reach, or as the malefactor took hold of the horns of the altar, believing that there is no other name by which he can be saved, by which he can be reconciled.
(3.)Here is a threefold cord of arguments to persuade us to do this.
[1.]Time and space are given us to do it in; for fury is not in God; he does not carry it towards us as great men carry it towards their inferiors, when the one is in a fault and the other in a fury. Men in a fury will not take time for consideration; it is, with them, but a word and a blow. Furious men are soon angry, and implacable when they are angry; a little thing provokes them, and no little thing will pacify them. But it is not so with God; he considers our frame, is slow to anger, does not stir up all his wrath, nor always chide.
[2.]It is in vain to think of contesting with him. If we persist in our quarrel with him, and think to make our part good, it is but like setting briers and thorns before a consuming fire, which will be so far from giving check to the progress of it that they will but make it burn the more outrageously. We are not an equal match for Omnipotence. Woe unto him therefore that strives with his Maker! He knows not the power of his anger.
[3.]This is the only way, and it is a sure way, to reconciliation: "Let him take this course to make peace with me, and he shall make peace; and thereby good, all good, shall come unto him." God is willing to be reconciled to us if we be but willing to be reconciled to him.
3.That the church of God in the world shall be a growing body, and come at length to be a great body (Isa 27:6): In times to come (so some read it), in after-times, when these calamities are overpast, or in the days of the gospel, the latter days, he shall cause Jacob to take root, deeper root than ever yet; for the gospel church shall be more firmly fixed than ever the Jewish church was, and shall spread further. Or, He shall cause those of Jacob that come back out of their captivity, or (as we read it) those that come of Jacob, to take root downward, and bear fruit upward, Isa 37:31. They shall be established in a prosperous state, and then they shall blossom and bud, and give hopeful prospects of a great increase; and so it shall prove, for they shall fill the face of the world with fruit. Many shall be brought into the church, proselytes shall be numerous, some out of all the nations about that shall be to the God of Israel for a name and a praise; and the converts shall be fruitful in the fruits of righteousness. The preaching of the gospel brought forth fruit in all the world (Col 1:6), fruit that remains, Joh 15:16.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Verse 4, 5.) Indignation is not mine: who will give me a thorn and a thistle in battle? I will march over it: I will set it on fire together. Or rather, shall I hold onto my strength? It will bring me peace, it will bring me peace. LXX: There is nothing that does not seize it. Who will appoint me as a keeper of the straw in the field? Because of this adversary, I have repelled it. Therefore, the Lord has done all that He has planned: I am consumed; its inhabitants will say, we will make peace with it: we will make peace with him. According to the Hebrew, the meaning here is: I who, day and night, have always kept my vineyard, so that the boar from the forest would not destroy it, nor the beasts devour it. Do I not have indignation? And do I not know how to strike the sinner and give to each what he deserves? Where the eagle placed a thorn and a bramble, in Hebrew it is written 'Samir' and 'Saith', which means adamant and places full of thorns. Therefore, he says: Who will teach me to be firm and overcome my mercy, and to proceed fiercely in battle: so that I may walk over the vineyard which I kept, and burn it down which I enclosed with my wall? Or should my courage rather do this, that I postpone anger and save those who are not saved by the authority of the Law, with the mercy of the Gospel? But emphatically, according to the Hebrew reading, it is said: Who will make me hard and cruel, that I may overcome my nature? This is indeed signified in the desert and in thorns: that I may crush and burn it as if in battle, which I have always kept guarded by my diligence. Or should I hold onto my courage, which is undoubtedly Christ, and of which we read: Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), so that it may itself make peace for me and reconcile the world? According to the Septuagint, here is the meaning: Let us understand it from the perspective of the Church: I am a strong city, a city surrounded by many enemies, to whom I have given in vain the cups of my enemy, the Synagogue. For she will be captured at night, and her wall will fall, and there will be no power of adversaries that will not seize her. Again I will say: What profit is it for me to guard her, which has straw in herself, not grain: which is so uncultivated, that it is full of disgrace and thorns, which I wanted to save? But because she treats me hostilely, I have departed from her. And the Apostles born in me and from me have said: Indeed, it was necessary for you to speak the word of God first, but since you have rejected it and deemed yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46). Therefore, the Lord will do what He has threatened, so that all may burn in it surrounded by Roman fire. Or certainly let them burn with vices and sins, lest they be able to extinguish the burning darts of the devil. For all those who commit adultery are like an oven whose hearts are burning. And those who formerly dwelled in it, after they cry out, the city is captured and burned, and they leave it, and reconciling the world (or unclean) to God, they say: Let us make peace to her, let us make peace to Him, which is Christ, always writing in their Letters: Grace be with you and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Corinthians 1:3). Of whom we read in this same Prophet: How beautiful are the feet of those who announce peace (Isaiah 52:7)! Some refer this place to the Churches, because they are indeed guarded by God; but many of them do not bear fruit; and therefore the fervor of a good teacher should succeed, so that they may proclaim and confess their error, and afterwards make peace with God, who are truly called the children of Jacob.
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Summary
Isaiah 27:4 is a profound declaration of God's unwavering disposition towards His redeemed people, Israel, whom He likens to a cherished vineyard. It asserts that His fierce wrath is not directed at them, but rather at their adversaries, metaphorically depicted as "briers and thorns." The verse powerfully conveys God's sovereign commitment to protect His beloved, promising swift, decisive, and consuming judgment against any hostile forces that would seek to harm His treasured possession, ensuring their security and flourishing under His meticulous care.
Context
Literary Context
Isaiah 27 stands as a pivotal chapter within the broader prophetic tapestry of Isaiah, particularly following the "Little Apocalypse" of chapters 24-26, which describe God's universal judgment and the ultimate establishment of His kingdom. Chapter 27 itself opens with a declaration of God's judgment on Leviathan, a mythical sea monster symbolizing chaotic evil and oppressive empires. Immediately preceding verse 4, verses 2-3 introduce a "song of the vineyard," a stark contrast to the earlier, judgmental vineyard song in Isaiah 5. While the vineyard of Isaiah 5 was neglected and destroyed due to its wild grapes (symbolizing Israel's unfaithfulness), the vineyard of Isaiah 27 is meticulously guarded and watered by the Lord Himself, signifying a restored and fruitful Israel under divine protection. Verse 4 directly elaborates on the nature of this divine protection, assuring that God's fury is not against His people but against their enemies, thus providing a theological foundation for the security of the restored remnant.
Historical & Cultural Context
The book of Isaiah was primarily delivered during the tumultuous 8th century BCE, a period marked by the rising Assyrian empire's dominance and its subsequent threat to Judah and Israel. The imagery of "briers and thorns" was a common agricultural reality in ancient Israel, representing unproductive, troublesome, and often harmful weeds that choked out desirable crops. Farmers would regularly clear these by burning, a necessary and decisive act to preserve the health of the vineyard. The concept of "battle" (H4421, milchâmâh) was also a lived experience, with nations constantly vying for power and engaging in warfare. For the Israelites, surrounded by powerful, often hostile, empires, the promise of divine protection against such "briers and thorns" (i.e., oppressive nations or internal wickedness) and victory in "battle" would have been deeply reassuring, speaking to their existential anxieties and their hope for national security and restoration in a volatile world.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Isaiah. Firstly, it underscores God's sovereignty and omnipotence, demonstrating His ultimate control over all nations and circumstances, as seen in His ability to "burn together" any opposition. Secondly, it highlights God's covenant faithfulness and redemptive love towards His chosen people. Unlike the earlier judgment, God's disposition towards the restored vineyard is one of benevolent protection, assuring them that His "fury is not in me" concerning them. This speaks powerfully to the theme of restoration and renewal for Israel, promising a future where they are secured from external threats and flourish under divine care, a stark contrast to the devastation described in earlier chapters like Isaiah 6. Finally, it reinforces the theme of divine judgment against all forms of evil and opposition, ensuring that anything that threatens God's purposes or His people will be decisively dealt with, echoing the broader declarations of God's justice found throughout the book of Isaiah.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word (H2534), derived from a root meaning "heat," denotes intense anger, wrath, or indignation, often with destructive potential, even poison. By stating "Fury is not in me," God declares that His disposition towards His restored people is not one of uncontrolled, destructive rage, but rather a purposeful, protective posture. It signifies a profound shift from the fiery judgment against unfaithful Israel (as in Isaiah 5) to a benevolent, safeguarding relationship with His redeemed remnant.
This term (H8068) refers to sharp, prickly plants, often used metaphorically for something troublesome, unproductive, or harmful, akin to scrub or trash. In the context of a vineyard, briers represent invasive weeds that choke out fruitful vines. Here, they symbolize the enemies or destructive forces that threaten God's "vineyard"—His people. Their nature as easily combustible material underscores God's ease and swiftness in dealing with them.
This primitive root (H6702) means "to blaze" or "to burn." The use of this verb emphasizes the decisive, consuming, and complete nature of God's judgment against the "briers and thorns." It suggests a swift and total eradication, leaving no remnants of the opposition, thereby ensuring the absolute security and flourishing of His people and the triumph of His divine purposes.
Verse Breakdown
"Fury is not in me:"
This opening clause is a profound and gracious declaration of God's merciful and protective disposition towards His people, the restored "vineyard." It signifies that His intense wrath, which was previously directed at their sin and rebellion, is now absent concerning them. This is a statement of divine grace, assuring His people that His intentions are benevolent and safeguarding, not destructive, marking a new era in His covenant relationship.
"who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle?"
This is a powerful rhetorical question that emphasizes God's omnipotence and unchallenged sovereignty. The "briers and thorns" are metaphorical for hostile forces, obstacles, or enemies—both external nations and internal spiritual opposition—that would dare to oppose God's will or harm His cherished people. The question implies that no one can successfully stand against the Almighty; any such attempt is utterly futile, self-destructive, and ultimately absurd in the face of divine power.
"I would go through them, I would burn them together."
This declaration reveals God's decisive, personal, and consuming action against His adversaries. "Go through them" implies a direct confrontation, an unhindered advance, and an overwhelming of any opposition, suggesting an unstoppable force. "Burn them together" signifies a complete, swift, and unified destruction of these "briers and thorns," leaving no remnant. This imagery assures His people that God Himself will personally and thoroughly deal with all threats, ensuring their safety and the ultimate triumph of His redemptive purposes.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 27:4 is rich with Metaphor and Rhetorical Question, powerfully conveying God's protective nature. The "briers and thorns" serve as a potent metaphor for the enemies or destructive forces that threaten God's people, the "vineyard" (as established in the preceding verses). This agricultural imagery effectively conveys the nature of these adversaries as troublesome, unproductive, and ultimately easily consumed by divine power, much like weeds are cleared by fire. The rhetorical question, "who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle?", is a powerful literary device that emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty and invincibility. It implies that no entity, no matter how formidable, can successfully challenge or oppose Him, thereby instilling profound confidence and assurance in the audience regarding God's protective might. Furthermore, the repeated personal pronoun "I" and the emphatic "I would" create a strong sense of Divine Resolve and certainty in His actions, underscoring God's active and personal commitment to His people's defense.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse beautifully encapsulates the paradox of God's character: His fierce wrath against evil and His tender mercy towards His redeemed. It assures God's people that while His judgment is real and consuming for those who oppose Him, His disposition towards His beloved is one of unwavering protection and grace. This divine commitment to safeguard His "vineyard" speaks to His covenant faithfulness, promising that no enemy, no matter how thorny or pervasive, can ultimately thwart His redemptive plans for His chosen ones. It highlights the profound security found in being aligned with God's purposes, as He Himself becomes the formidable defender against all adversaries, demonstrating both His justice and His unfailing love.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 27:4 offers profound comfort and a powerful call to trust in God's sovereign protection in a world often characterized by chaos and opposition. In our lives, we encounter various "briers and thorns"—whether they be spiritual temptations, relational conflicts, economic anxieties, physical illnesses, or oppressive societal forces. This verse reminds us that God's disposition towards His children is not one of anger or indifference, but of steadfast love and active defense. We are invited to rest in the assurance that our battles are not ours alone; the Almighty God, who declares "Fury is not in me" concerning us, is actively engaged in our defense, ready to "go through them" and "burn them together." This truth empowers us to face challenges with courage and hope, knowing that ultimate victory belongs to the Lord, and His commitment to our well-being is unwavering. It calls us to align our lives with His purposes, trusting that as we remain in His "vineyard" through faith and obedience, He will meticulously tend to us and decisively remove all that threatens our spiritual flourishing and eternal security.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "Fury is not in me" mean God never gets angry?
No, it does not mean God never gets angry. The phrase "Fury is not in me" in Isaiah 27:4 is specifically contextualized within the "song of the vineyard" (Isaiah 27:2-6), which speaks of God's restored and protected relationship with Israel. It signifies that God's destructive wrath, which was previously poured out on unfaithful Israel (as seen in Isaiah 5) and on the nations, is not directed at His redeemed and cherished people. God's anger is a righteous attribute, always directed at sin, rebellion, and injustice. This verse assures His people that His disposition towards them is now one of benevolent protection and grace, not destructive fury, even as He remains fiercely angry at their adversaries and will decisively deal with all evil that opposes His purposes.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 27:4, with its declaration of God's benevolent disposition and His decisive judgment against adversaries, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "fury" that is "not in me" for His redeemed people is the very wrath that was poured out upon Christ on the cross. He became the recipient of divine judgment against sin, bearing the full weight of God's righteous anger, thereby clearing the way for God's merciful and gracious disposition towards all who believe. Just as God promised to "burn together" the briers and thorns, Jesus, the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, decisively defeated sin, death, and the powers of darkness (the ultimate "briers and thorns") through His atoning sacrifice and glorious resurrection. Through His victory, believers are brought into the "pleasant vineyard" of God's grace, no longer subject to divine wrath but secured by His protective love and eternal covenant. The rhetorical question, "who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle?", is answered definitively in Christ, who has triumphed over every foe, ensuring that "neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). He is the ultimate fulfillment of God's protective promise, the one who clears the path for His people to flourish eternally in His presence.