Isa. 24 Judgments on Judah for their defilements and transgressions, Isa. 24:1–12. A remnant shall praise God, Isa. 24:13–15. God, by his judgments on his people and their enemies, will advance his kingdom, Isa. 24:16–23.

The earth; or, the land, to wit, of Canaan, or Israel, or Judea. It is usual with all writers, when they write of their own country, to call it the land, by way of eminency. There are many things in this prophecy which manifestly concern this land and people; and nothing, at least before Isa.

It shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; the approaching calamity shall be universal, without any respect or distinction of persons or ranks of men; the priests themselves, having been partakers of the people’s sins, shall also partake with them in their plagues.

The world: from this word some infer that this prophecy concerns not only the land of Judea, but also the neighbouring countries. But if the proper signification of that word be urged, this prophecy must be extended to all the parts of the world, which these learned men will not allow.

The earth also, Heb. And the land; or, this land; for here is an emphatical article in the Hebrew text. Is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; by the wickedness of its people; of which see Lev. 18:25, Lev. 18:27, Num. 35:33;c.

The curse; the curse of God threatened to transgressors, Deut. 28:15, Deut. 29:20, and imprecated by and upon themselves, if they should not persist in their obedience to God, Deut. 27:26, and elsewhere. Are burned; are consumed by the wrath of God, which is commonly compared to fire.

The new wine mourneth, because there are either none, or none but the enemies of God and Israel, to drink it. Grief is ascribed to senseless creatures by a figure usual in all authors.

Tabrets; which they used in their feasts and revellings. The noise: the word properly signifies a roaring noise and confused clamour, such as drunken men make, Ps. 78:65, Zech. 9:15.

Because of the fears and miseries wherewith it is mixed.

The city; Jerusalem, and other cities; for the singular word may be here taken collectively. Of confusion; or, of vanity, or emptiness, or desolation; for this Hebrew word signifies all these things. And the city may be thus called, either, 1.

There is a crying for wine; for the want or loss of their wine, and spoil of their vines, whereby they were deprived of the means both of their delight and profit; whereby he intimates their gross sensuality and sottishhess, that instead of crying for their sins, and humbling themselves under God’s…

The gates of the city are totally ruined, that the enemy may enter when and where they please.

When thus it shall be, when this judgment shall be executed, in the midst of the land; in the land. But withal this phrase may intimate that the judgment should not be slight and superficial, and in the skirts of the land; but that it should reach their very heart, their most inward and best…

They; the remnant preserved. For the majesty of the Lord; for his glorious power and goodness manifested in their deliverance. They shall cry aloud, in way of exultation and thanksgiving to God.

Glorify ye the Lord: these are the words either, 1. Of the remnant, who being themselves delivered, do encourage and exhort their brethren to glorify God with them; or, 2.

From the uttermost part of the earth, from all the parts of the earth or land in which the Jews are or shall be, have we heard songs, songs of joy and praise. Even glory to the righteous; or, glory be to the righteous; which may seem to be the matter of the song.

Great and various judgments, some actually inflicted, and others expected and justly feared, as the punishment of their last-mentioned treachery.

He who fleeth from the noise of the fear; upon the report of some terrible evil coming towards him; the act, fear, being here put for the object, or the thing feared, as it is in many places. And thus this very phrase is taken Job 15:21.

This is repeated again, partly to show the dreadfulness and certainty of these judgments, and partly to awaken and affect the stupid Israelites, who greatly needed it.

The earth; the people of the earth. Shall reel to and fro like a drunkard; shall be sorely perplexed and distressed, not knowing whither to go, nor what to do. Like a cottage; or like a lodge in a garden, of which this word is used, Isa.

In that day; either when God shall punish the apostatical Jews, or about or after that time, or in a time known to God; for this phrase is oft used indefinitely, and without any respect to the time designed in the foregoing passages.

They shall be gathered together, by God’s special providence, in order to their punishment, as the following words show. And thus the unbelieving Jews were generally gathered together at Jerusalem, to their solemn feast, when Titus came and besieged, and after some time took and destroyed them;…

The moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed. The sun and moon are here considered either, 1. As they were abused to idolatry; for these two were most eminent idols, and most generally worshipped, especially in those Eastern countries, Deut. 4:19, Deut.