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 5:18–30. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here are, I. Sins described which will bring judgments upon a people: and this perhaps is not only a charge drawn up against the men of Judah who lived at that time, and the particular articles of that charge, though it may relate primarily to them, but is rather intended for warning to all people, in all ages, to take heed of these sins, as destructive both to particular persons and to communities, and exposing men to God's wrath and his righteous judgments. Those are here said to be in a woeful condition,
1.Who are eagerly set upon sin, and violent in their sinful pursuits (Isa 5:18), who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, who take as much pains to sin as the cattle do that draw a team, who put themselves to the stretch for the gratifying of their inordinate appetites, and, to humour a base lust, offer violence to nature itself. They think themselves as sure of compassing their wicked project as if they were pulling it towards them with strong cart-ropes; but they will find themselves disappointed, for they will prove cords of vanity, which will break when they come to any stress. For the righteous Lord will cut in sunder the cords of the wicked, Psa 129:4; Job 4:8; Pro 22:8. They are by long custom and confirmed habits so hardened in sin that they cannot get clear of it. Those that sin through infirmity are drawn away by sin; those that sin presumptuously draw iniquity to them, in spite of the oppositions of Providence and the checks of conscience. Some by sin understand the punishment of sin: they pull God's judgments upon their own heads as it were, with cart-ropes.
2.Who set the justice of God at defiance, and challenge the Almighty to do his worst (Isa 5:19): They say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work; this is the same language with that of the scoffers of the last days, who say, Where is the promise of his coming? and therefore it is that, like them, they draw iniquity with cords of vanity, are violent and daring in sin, and walk after their own lusts, Pe2 3:3, Pe2 3:4.
(1.)They ridicule the prophets, and banter them. It is in scorn that they call God the Holy One of Israel, because the prophets used with great veneration to call him so.
(2.)They will not believe the revelation of God's wrath from heaven against their ungodliness and unrighteousness; unless they see it executed, they will not know it, as if the curse were brutum fulmen - a mere flash, and all the threatenings of the word bugbears to frighten fools and children.
(3.)If God should appear against them, as he has threatened, yet they think themselves able to make their part good with him, and provoke him to jealousy, as if they were stronger than he, Co1 10:22. "We have heard his word, but it is all talk; let him hasten his work, we shall shift for ourselves well enough." Note, Those that wilfully persist in sin consider not the power of God's anger.
3.Who confound and overthrow the distinctions between moral good and evil, who call evil good and moral evil (Isa 5:20), who not only live in the omission of that which is good, but condemn it, argue against it, and, because they will not practise it themselves, run it down in others, and fasten invidious epithets upon it - not only do that which is evil, but justify it, and applaud it, and recommend it to others as safe and good. Note,
(1.)Virtue and piety are good, for they are light and sweet, they are pleasant and right; but sin and wickedness are evil; they are darkness, all the fruit of ignorance and mistake, and will be bitterness in the latter end.
(2.)Those do a great deal of wrong to God, and religion, and conscience, to their own souls, and to the souls of others, who misrepresent these, and put false colours upon them - who call drunkenness good fellowship, and covetousness good husbandry, and, when they persecute the people of God, think they do him good service - and, on the other hand, who call seriousness ill-nature, and sober singularity ill-breeding, who say all manner of evil falsely concerning the ways of godliness, and do what they can to form in men's minds prejudices against them, and this in defiance of evidence as plain and convincing as that of sense, by which we distinguish, beyond contradiction, between light and darkness, and between that which to the taste is sweet and that which is bitter.
4.Who though they are guilty of such gross mistakes as these have a great opinion of their own judgments, and value themselves mightily upon their understanding (Isa 5:21): They are wise in their own eyes; they think themselves able to disprove and baffle the reproofs and convictions of God's word, and to evade and elude both the searches and the reaches of his judgments; they think they can outwit Infinite Wisdom and countermine Providence itself. Or it may be taken more generally: God resists the proud, those particularly who are conceited of their own wisdom and lean to their own understanding; such must become fools, that they may be truly wise, or else, at their end they shall appear to be fools before all the world.
5.Who glory in it as a great accomplishment that they are able to bear a great deal of strong liquor without being overcome by it (Isa 5:22), who are mighty to drink wine, and use their strength and vigour, not in the service of their country, but in the service of their lusts. Let drunkards know from this scripture that,
(1.)They ungratefully abuse their bodily strength, which God has given them for good purposes, and by degrees cannot but weaken it.
(2.)It will not excuse them from the guilt of drunkenness that they can drink hard and yet keep their feet.
(3.)Those who boast of their drinking down others glory in their shame.
(4.)How light soever men make of their drunkenness, it is a sin which will certainly lay them open to the wrath and curse of God.
6.Who, as judges, pervert justice, and go counter to all rules of equity, Isa 5:23. This follows upon the former; they drink and forget the law (Pro 31:5), and err through wine (Isa 28:7), and take bribes, that they may have wherewithal to maintain their luxury. They justify the wicked for reward, and find some pretence or other to clear him from his guilt and shelter him from punishment; and they condemn the innocent, and take away their righteousness from them, that is, overrule their pleas, deprive them of the means of clearing up their innocency, and give judgment against them. In causes between man and man, might and money would at any time prevail against right and justice; and he who was ever so plainly in the wrong would with a small bribe carry the cause and recover the costs. In criminal causes, though the prisoner ever so plainly appeared to be guilty, yet for a reward they would acquit him; if he were innocent, yet if he did not fee them well, nay, if they were feed by the malicious prosecutor, or if they themselves had spleen against him, they would condemn him.
II.The judgments described, which these sins would bring upon them.
Let not those expect to live easily who live thus wickedly; for the righteous God will take vengeance, Isa 5:24-30. Here we may observe,
1.How complete this ruin will be, and how necessarily and unavoidably it will follow upon their sins. He had compared this people to a vine (Isa 5:7), well fixed, and which, it was hoped, would be flourishing and fruitful; but the grace of God towards it was received in vain, and then the root became rottenness, being dried up from beneath, and the blossom would of course blow off as dust, as a light and worthless thing, Job 18:16. Sin weakens the strength, the root, of a people, so that they are easily rooted up; it defaces the beauty, the blossoms, of a people, and takes away the hopes of fruit. The sin of unfruitfulness is punished with the plague of unfruitfulness. Sinners make themselves as stubble and chaff, combustible matter, proper fuel to the fire of God's wrath, which then of course devours and consumes them, as the fire devours the stubble, and nobody can hinder it, or cares to hinder it. Chaff is consumed, unhelped and unpitied.
2.How just the ruin will be: Because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and would not have him to reign over them; and, as the law of Moses was rejected and thrown off, so the word of the Holy One of Israel by his servants the prophets, putting them in mind of his law and calling them to obedience, was despised and disregarded. God does not reject men for every transgression of his law and word; but, when his word is despised and his law cast away, what can they expect but that God should utterly abandon them?
3.Whence this ruin should come (Isa 5:25): it is destruction from the Almighty.
(1.)The justice of God appoints it; for that is the anger of the Lord which is kindled against his people, his necessary vindication of the honour of his holiness and authority.
(2.)The power of God effects it: He has stretched forth his hand against them. That hand which had many a time been stretched out for them against their enemies is now stretched out against them at full length and in its full vigour; and who knows the power of his anger? Whether they are sensible of it or no, it is God that has smitten them, has blasted their vine and made it wither.
4.The consequences and continuance of this ruin. When God comes forth in wrath against a people the hills tremble, fear seizes even their great men, who are strong and high, the earth shakes under men and is ready to sink; and as this feels dreadful (what does more so than an earthquake?) so what sight can be more frightful than the carcases of men torn with dogs, or thrown as dung (so the margin reads it) in the midst of the streets? This intimates that great multitudes should be slain, not only soldiers in the field of battle, but the inhabitants of their cities put to the sword in cold blood, and that the survivors should neither have hands nor hearts to bury them. This is very dreadful, and yet such is the merit of sin that, for all this, God's anger is not turned away; that fire will burn as long as there remains any of the stubble and chaff to be fuel for it; and his hand, which he stretched forth against his people to smite them, because they do not by prayer take hold of it, nor by reformation submit themselves to it, is stretched out still.
5.The instruments that should be employed in bringing this ruin upon them: it should be done by the incursions of a foreign enemy, that should lay all waste. No particular enemy is named, and therefore we are to take it as a prediction of all the several judgments of this kind which God brought upon the Jews, Sennacherib's invasion soon after, and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans first and at last by the Romans; and I think it is to be looked upon also as a threatening of the like desolation of those countries which harbour and countenance those sins mentioned in the foregoing verses; it is an exposition of those woes. When God designs the ruin of a provoking people,
(1.)He can send a great way off for instruments to be employed in effecting it; he can raise forces from afar, and summon them from the end of the earth to attend his service, Isa 5:26. Those who know him not are made use of to fulfil his counsel, when, by reason of their distance, they can scarcely be supposed to have any ends of their own to serve. If God set up his standard, he can incline men's hearts to enlist themselves under it, though perhaps they know not why or wherefore. When the Lord of hosts is pleased to make a general muster of the forces he has at his command, he has a great army in an instant, Joe 2:2, Joe 2:11. He needs not sound a trumpet, nor beat a drum, to give them notice or to animate them; no, he does but hiss to them, or rather whistle to them, and that is enough; they hear that, and that puts courage into them. Note, God has all the creatures at his beck.
(2.)He can make them come into the service with incredible expedition: Behold, they shall come with speed swiftly. Note,
[1.]Those who will do God's work must not loiter, must not linger, nor shall they when his time has come.
[2.]Those who defy God's judgments will be ashamed of their insolence when it is too late; they said scornfully (Isa 5:19), Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, and they shall find, to their terror and confusion, that he will; in one hour has the judgment come.
(3.)He can carry them on in the service with amazing forwardness and fury. This is described here in very elegant and lofty expressions, Isa 5:27-30.
[1.]Though their marches be very long, yet none among them shall be weary; so desirous they be to engage that they shall forget their weariness, and make no complaints of it.
[2.]Though the way be rough, and perhaps embarrassed by the usual policies of war, yet none among them shall stumble, but all the difficulties in their way shall easily be got over.
[3.]Though they be forced to keep constant watch, yet none shall slumber nor sleep, so intent shall they be upon their work, in prospect of having the plunder of the city for their pains.
[4.]They shall not desire any rest of relaxation; they shall not put off their clothes, nor loose the girdle of their loins, but shall always have their belts on and swords by their sides.
[5.]They shall not meet with the least hindrance to retard their march or oblige them to halt; not a latchet of their shoes shall be broken which they must stay to mend, as Jos 9:13.
[6.]Their arms and ammunition shall all be fixed, and in good posture; their arrows sharp, to wound deep, and all their bows bent, none unstrung, for they expect to be soon in action.
[7.]Their horses and chariots of war shall all be fit for service; their horses so strong, so hardy, that their hoofs shall be like flint, far from being beaten, or made tender, by their long march; and the wheels of their chariots not broken, or battered, or out of repair, but swift like a whirlwind, turning round so strongly upon their axle-trees.
[8.]All the soldiers shall be bold and daring (Isa 5:29): Their roaring, or shouting, before a battle, shall be like a lion, who with his roaring animates himself, and terrifies all about him. Those who would not hear the voice of God speaking to them by his prophets, but stopped their ears against their charms, shall be made to hear the voice of their enemies roaring against them and shall not be able to turn a deaf ear to it. They shall roar like the roaring of the sea in a storm; it roars and threatens to swallow up, as the lion roars and threatens to tear in pieces.
[9.]There shall not be the least prospect of relief or succour. The enemy shall come in like a flood, and there shall be none to lift up a standard against him. He shall seize the prey, and none shall deliver it, none shall be able to deliver it, nay, none shall so much as dare to attempt the deliverance of it, but shall give it up for lost. Let the distressed look which way they will, every thing appears dismal; for, if God frowns upon us, how can any creature smile? First, Look round to the earth, to the land, to that land that used to be the land of light and the joy of the whole earth, and behold darkness and sorrow, all frightful, all mournful, nothing hopeful. Secondly, Look up to heaven, and there the light is darkened, where one would expect to have found it. If the light is darkened in the heavens, how great is that darkness! If God hide his face, no marvel the heavens hide theirs and appear gloomy, Job 34:29. It is our wisdom, by keeping a good conscience, to keep all clear between us and heaven, that we may have light from above even when clouds and darkness are round about us.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Verse 23.) You justify the wicked for bribes, and take away the justice of the righteous from them. And this is a part of the vices of the vineyard, which has produced sour grapes instead of grapes, and while the Lord waits to bring judgment, it commits iniquity by justifying the wicked for bribes and not considering the causes but the gifts, which even blind the eyes of the wise. Therefore, we must be cautious not to be intoxicated with wine, in which there is excess (Deuteronomy 16:19; Ephesians 5), and not expose the shame of our thighs (Genesis 9), and not flatter the wicked for bribes and despise the justice of the righteous because of poverty. And as it is commanded in the Epistle of James: not to honor the wicked rich and despise the holy poor, let us not become judges of iniquity.
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Summary
Isaiah 5:23 delivers a searing indictment against those in positions of authority within ancient Judah who flagrantly perverted justice for personal gain. It unequivocally condemns judicial corruption where the guilty were acquitted in exchange for bribes, and the innocent were unjustly condemned, highlighting a profound moral decay that inverted divine standards of righteousness and fairness. This specific "woe" is part of a larger series of judgments pronounced by the prophet Isaiah against a nation that had strayed far from God's covenantal expectations, demonstrating the pervasive nature of sin reaching into the very institutions meant to uphold truth and equity.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is one of a series of "woes" (Hebrew: hoy) pronounced by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 5, immediately following the allegorical "Song of the Vineyard" in Isaiah 5:1-7. The vineyard, symbolizing Israel, was expected to yield "justice" (mishpat) and "righteousness" (tsedaqah) but instead produced "bloodshed" (mispach) and a "cry of distress" (tse'aqah), a powerful wordplay on the Hebrew terms (Isaiah 5:7). The woes, beginning in Isaiah 5:8 and culminating in Isaiah 5:23, systematically condemn specific societal sins: greed and land accumulation (Isaiah 5:8-10), revelry and spiritual blindness (Isaiah 5:11-17), scoffing at God's work (Isaiah 5:18-19), moral confusion that calls evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20), self-conceit (Isaiah 5:21), and drunkenness among leaders (Isaiah 5:22). Verse 23 specifically targets the corruption within the judicial system, a cornerstone of Israelite society and a reflection of God's own character, underscoring the pervasive nature of sin that reached even into the highest echelons of power and justice.
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (c. 740-681 BC), a period marked by significant political upheaval and moral decline in Judah. While there were periods of prosperity, particularly under Uzziah, this often led to social stratification, economic disparity, and oppression of the poor. The judicial system, intended to be a safeguard for the vulnerable and an expression of God's righteous governance (as outlined in the Mosaic Law, e.g., Deuteronomy 16:18-20), had become deeply corrupted. Judges and officials, instead of upholding justice, were accepting bribes (shochad) to pervert legal proceedings. This practice was a direct violation of divine law (e.g., Exodus 23:8 and Deuteronomy 27:25). Such corruption was not merely a social ill but a profound theological offense, as it undermined God's character and His covenant with Israel, leading to the breakdown of societal order and trust.
Key Themes
The central theme in Isaiah 5 and particularly in verse 23 is the Perversion of Justice. God's expectation for His people was that they would embody His righteousness, especially in their societal structures. Instead, those entrusted with upholding justice were actively subverting it. This ties into the broader theme of Social Injustice prevalent throughout prophetic literature, where the powerful exploit the weak and vulnerable. Another significant theme is Moral Inversion, where society has become so spiritually bankrupt that it has lost the ability to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, as explicitly stated in Isaiah 5:20. The "reward" mentioned in the verse directly points to the theme of Bribery and Corruption, revealing that personal gain had eclipsed ethical and divine imperatives. Ultimately, these themes highlight Israel's Covenant Unfaithfulness and the inevitable Divine Judgment that follows such widespread apostasy, demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to righteousness.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root means "to be (causatively, make) right (in a moral or forensic sense)." In a judicial context, it means to declare righteous, acquit, or vindicate. Isaiah 5:23 uses it ironically or perversely, describing the act of declaring someone righteous who is, in fact, wicked, thereby corrupting the very essence of justice.
This term denotes someone who is "morally wrong" or "an (actively) bad person." It refers to the guilty party, the one who has committed an offense against God or man. The verse highlights the egregious act of acquitting such a person, demonstrating a fundamental breakdown of moral order.
This word signifies "a donation (venal or redemptive); bribe(-ry), gift, present." In this context, it unequivocally refers to a bribe, the illicit payment given to sway a judge's decision. It underscores the mercenary motivation behind the perversion of justice, revealing that personal gain had superseded divine law and ethical conduct.
Verse Breakdown
"Which justify the wicked for reward"
This clause condemns those who, in their judicial capacity, declare the guilty party to be innocent. The Hebrew word for "justify" (tsâdaq) in its proper sense means to declare righteous, but here it is twisted to mean declaring the unrighteous to be righteous. The motivation for this perversion is explicitly stated as "for reward" (ʻêqeb shachad), indicating that bribes or personal gain are the driving force behind these unjust rulings. This practice directly violates God's commands against accepting bribes and perverting justice, turning the legal system into a tool of oppression rather than a mechanism for truth and fairness.
"and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!"
This second clause describes the inverse, yet equally egregious, act of injustice. Not only are the wicked acquitted, but the righteous—those who are innocent and have a just cause—are denied their rightful vindication. The phrase "take away" (çûyr) implies an active removal or denial of their "righteousness" (tsᵉdâqâh), meaning their just standing, their legal rights, or their moral integrity is stripped from them. This could involve false accusations being upheld, legitimate claims being dismissed, or innocent people being condemned, all in service of the corrupt system. Together, the two clauses paint a vivid picture of a judicial system utterly inverted, where good is called evil and evil good, leading to profound societal injustice and a direct affront to God's character.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 5:23 employs several potent Literary Devices to underscore its message of condemnation. The most prominent is Antithetical Parallelism, where the two clauses present contrasting but complementary ideas that highlight the complete perversion of justice: "justify the wicked" is set against "take away the righteousness of the righteous." This structure emphasizes the profound inversion of moral and legal standards. There is also a strong element of Irony, as those who are supposed to uphold justice are the very ones destroying it. The term "justify" (tsâdaq), which typically implies a divine act of making righteous or a legal act of declaring innocent, is used here in a perverse sense, highlighting the shocking misuse of authority. The "reward" serves as a form of Metonymy, where the payment stands in for the entire corrupt system of bribery and self-interest that drives the injustice. The entire "woe" functions as a Prophetic Denunciation, a formal declaration of judgment against a specific sin, carrying the weight of divine authority and impending consequence.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 5:23 profoundly reflects God's unwavering character as a righteous and just Judge, a theme woven throughout the entire biblical narrative. The perversion of justice condemned here is not merely a societal ill but a direct affront to God's very nature and His covenant with Israel, which mandated a society governed by equity and fairness. This verse underscores the biblical principle that true justice is not merely a legal formality but a moral imperative, reflecting God's own holiness and His concern for the vulnerable. When human systems fail to uphold this standard, they incur divine wrath, as seen in the subsequent judgments pronounced by Isaiah. The lament over the "vineyard" producing "wild grapes" of injustice (Isaiah 5:7) finds its specific manifestation in this judicial corruption, demonstrating how far Israel had fallen from its divine calling to be a light of righteousness to the nations.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 5:23 serves as a timeless mirror reflecting the human propensity to pervert justice for personal gain, a sin that continues to plague societies today. This verse compels us to examine not only overt acts of bribery and judicial corruption but also more subtle forms of injustice in our own spheres of influence. It challenges us to consider how we might, even unwittingly, "justify the wicked" by overlooking wrongdoing for convenience, personal benefit, or out of fear, or "take away the righteousness of the righteous" by failing to speak up for truth, by participating in gossip, or by allowing false narratives to prevail. As followers of Christ, we are called to embody God's justice and righteousness, advocating for the oppressed, upholding truth, and resisting any system or attitude that distorts fairness. Our commitment to justice should extend beyond legal courts to every interaction, ensuring that integrity, truth, and compassion guide our decisions and relationships, reflecting the character of a just God and striving to build a society that honors His standards.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "justify the wicked for reward" mean in Isaiah 5:23?
In Isaiah 5:23, "justify the wicked for reward" means to declare a guilty person innocent in a legal setting because of a bribe or payment. It describes a profound corruption of the judicial system where judges or officials are swayed by personal gain (the "reward") to acquit those who are morally and legally culpable, thereby perverting justice and undermining the rule of law. This practice was a direct violation of God's commands against bribery and partiality in judgment, as seen in Exodus 23:8 and Deuteronomy 16:19.
How does "take away the righteousness of the righteous from him" relate to the first part of the verse?
The second part of the verse, "and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him," is the inverse and complementary act of injustice to the first. While the first clause describes acquitting the guilty, this clause describes condemning or denying justice to the innocent. It means that those who are morally upright and have a just cause are stripped of their rightful standing, their legal rights, or their vindication. Their "righteousness" (their just claim or innocence) is effectively removed or ignored by the corrupt legal system. Together, the two clauses paint a picture of a completely inverted system where the wicked are freed, and the righteous are oppressed, highlighting the complete breakdown of divine justice in society.
Is this verse still relevant today?
Absolutely. While written thousands of years ago, Isaiah 5:23 remains profoundly relevant. It speaks to universal human tendencies towards corruption, greed, and the abuse of power. The perversion of justice, whether through bribery, favoritism, political influence, or systemic bias, continues to be a global issue in legal systems, corporate environments, and even personal relationships. The verse serves as a timeless warning against compromising truth and fairness for personal gain and calls believers to uphold integrity and advocate for true justice in all spheres of life, reflecting God's own righteous character. It reminds us that God holds those in positions of authority accountable for how they exercise their power.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 5:23's lament over the perversion of justice finds its ultimate resolution and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The prophet condemns those who "justify the wicked for reward," yet Christ, uniquely, justifies the ungodly, not for any "reward" or bribe, but by His own sacrificial grace. The Apostle Paul declares that God "justifies the ungodly" (Romans 4:5), a justification freely given through faith in Christ's atoning work on the cross, where He bore the penalty for our sins (Romans 3:24-26). This divine justification is the antithesis of the corrupt human justice condemned by Isaiah; it is a righteous declaration based on perfect love and holiness, not on perverted gain. Furthermore, the verse laments those who "take away the righteousness of the righteous." In Christ, the truly righteous—those who trust in Him—are not stripped of their righteousness but are clothed with His perfect righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). He is the ultimate "righteous One" (1 John 2:1) who suffered injustice at the hands of a corrupt human system, being condemned despite His perfect innocence (Luke 23:14-15). His unjust condemnation, however, became the means by which true justice and righteousness were secured for all who believe. Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, perfectly embodies the justice that humanity failed to uphold, and through His finished work, He establishes a kingdom where righteousness reigns (Romans 14:17) and where true justice will ultimately prevail (Revelation 21:1-4).