Isaiah 1:21-28

A complete poem, of uncertain date, in elegiac rhythm. How has the city once loyal to Yahweh become faithless to her husband! Her silver has become dross, her wine adulterated. Her princes rebel against Yahweh; the thieves bribe them to secure acquittal, but the widow and orphan cannot even get their case before the courts. So Yahweh will take vengeance and purify the city in the furnace of trial, smelting out all the lead alloy (mg.). Then He will restore righteous judges as in David's time, when Jerusalem became an Israelite city, and give her a new name expressive of her true nature.

Isaiah 1:22. mixed: generally supposed to mean circumcised, i.e. diluted, or flat, if with water is omitted. Perhaps we should read thy wine is a thick juice (mohal).

Isaiah 1:25. throughly: as with alkali (cf. mg.), but read in the furnace (bakkur).

Isaiah 1:21 f. An insertion. It is colourless and generalising, and has several points of contact with later writings; it implies the division of the people into sharply distinguished classes. Judgment and righteousness appear to mean Yahweh's acts of deliverance, as in the later sections of the book; Isaiah never seems to use the word redeem (see Isaiah 29:22).