Isaiah 32 – “Prophetic Curses and Blessings”

10 - Isaiah

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The land will become desert and the cities will be abandoned. A righteous government will usher in an era of justice and prosperity.

II. Photo
Justice will prevail: “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and ministers shall govern with justice; Every one of them shall be… like the shade of a massive rock in a languishing land.” (vv. 1-2)

III. Important Verses
1-2: Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, And ministers shall govern with justice; Every one of them shall be Like a refuge from gales, A shelter from rainstorms; Like brooks of water in a desert, Like the shade of a massive rock In a languishing land.
5: No more shall a villain be called noble, Nor shall “gentleman” be said of a knave.
9-10: You carefree women, Attend, hear my words! You confident ladies, Give ear to my speech! In little more than a year, You shall be troubled, O confident ones, When the vintage is over And no ingathering takes place.
15-19: Till a spirit from on high is poured out on us, And wilderness is transformed into farm land, While farm land rates as mere brush. Then justice shall abide in the wilderness And righteousness shall dwell on the farm land. For the work of righteousness shall be peace, And the effect of righteousness, calm and confidence forever. Then my people shall dwell in peaceful homes, In secure dwellings, In untroubled places of rest. And the brush shall sink and vanish, Even as the city is laid low.

IV. Outline

1-8. Prophetic blessing
    1-2. A righteous government will rule
    3-8. The people will realize right from wrong
9-20. Prophetic curse and blessing
    9. Address to the women
    10. The crops will not yield fruit
    11-14. Exhortation to lament the coming distress
    15-19. Righteousness will heal the land
    20. Beatitude

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Blenkinsopp, Joseph. “Isaiah 1-39” The Anchor Bible vol. 19 (New York: Doubleday, 2000).
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Sweeney, Marvin A. “Isaiah 1-39 with an Introduction to Prophetic Literature” The Forms of Old Testament Literature vol. 16 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1996).
Photo taken from http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~dsomaya/2006/img/medium/dadly_cordero_the_rock_tree_md.jpg

Published