Глава 30

1–5. Woe to those who seek help from Egypt, and not from the Almighty. 6–8. Prophecy about Egypt. 9–14. Disobedience of the Jews. 15–26. Correction of God's people. 27–33. Destruction of Assur. Isaiah 30:1–5. The prophet reproaches his compatriots for the fact that they, failing to cope with the will of God, enter into an alliance with Egypt. From this union they will not receive any benefit, but only shame. Isa.30:1. Woe to the disobedient sons, says the Lord, who take counsel, but without Me, and make covenants, but not according to My spirit, so as to add sin to sin: Isa.30:2. without asking My lips, they go to Egypt to strengthen themselves with the strength of Pharaoh and hide under the shadow of Egypt. “Without Me” is more correct: contrary to My will. 35 “Not according to My Spirit,” that is, not as God taught them through the true prophets, who spoke under the influence of the Spirit of God. “Sin upon sin”, i.e. they already have many sins, and they still add new ones to the old ones! “My mouth,” that is, My messenger, the prophet Isaiah. “Under the shadow” is the same as “under protection.” Isa.30:3. But the power of Pharaoh will be a shame to you, and hiding under the shadow of Egypt will be a dishonor; Isa.30:4. because his princes are already in Zoan, and his ambassadors have reached Hanes. Isa.30:5. They will all be put to shame because of a people who are useless to them; there will be no help or benefit from him, but shame and disgrace. “Princes”, i.e. envoys of the Jewish king. “Zoan” – see chap. Isa.19:11. “Hanes” is a city in Central Egypt, in Greek – Ανσις (Egyptian: Hnes), located on one of the Nile islands. Both of these cities are named by the prophet as the most outstanding points: the first, from the end of the 2nd millennium BC, was already the residence of the pharaohs, and the last took the place of the first among other cities of Egypt. Isaiah 30:6–8. The motionless, clumsy hippopotamus - Egypt - will not budge to help its allies - the Jews. The prophet must inscribe the divine saying about Egypt (6th art.) on a board, which must be placed before the eyes of the people and, in addition, written down in a special scroll. Isa.30:6. Heaviness on the animals going south, through the land of oppression and cramped conditions, from where come lionesses and lions, adders and flying snakes; they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels to a people who will not benefit them. “Heaviness” - in Hebrew. massa, which means a) heaviness, heavy burden and b) vision. In the Russian Synodal translation, we are obviously talking about the heavy packs carried by animals going to Egypt with the envoys of the King of Judah. These packs contain gifts for Pharaoh, from whom the envoys of the king of Judah were supposed to ask for help in the fight against Assyria. But it is most natural to understand the word massa in the sense of “vision”, “prophecy” and the expression “animals” should be replaced with the expression “monster”, because in Hebrew. The text contains plurals here. number - behemoth - in the sense of indicating the enormity of one animal (cf. Job 40:10–15). This Hebrew word is very close to the Egyptian name for the hippopotamus - pehe-mau (pehemo) and it is very likely that the prophet here had in mind this particular animal, which could seem to him a suitable symbol of the huge and motionless Egyptian kingdom. “Going south” – more correctly: “living in the south.” This is the name of Egypt in contrast to the northern, Babylonian, kingdom. “The land of oppression and distress” is the Arabian-Sinai desert and Egypt itself, which was connected to this desert. “Aspid” (Heb. eptehe) – viper. “Flying snakes” - see Is. 14:29 (cf. Herod. II, 75; III, 107-109). Isa.30:7. For the help of Egypt will be in vain and in vain; Therefore I said to them: Their strength is to sit still. “I said” translated from Hebrew (if read instead: hem-schabat – hajoschebat): “I call it (Egypt) the motionless Ragab.” Ragab (Rahab; monster) is the name of Egypt (see Ps.86:4; Ps.88:11). The idea behind these words is that it is very difficult for the Egyptians to move their troops to help the Jews. Isa.30:8. Now go, write this on their board, and write it in the book so that it remains for the future, forever, forever. The prophet must inscribe the words of verse 7 on a board in front of them - that is, in front of the Jews, so that everyone can read them. “In a book” - in a scroll, to keep at home, in case the board is lost. Isaiah 30:9–14. Explaining the purpose of the previous command, the prophet says that the Jews are a stubborn people in their disobedience to Divine revelation and its heralds - the prophets. They don’t want to listen to the truth - they only like flattery. For this they will suffer a terrible punishment from the Lord. Isa.30:9. For this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who do not want to listen to the law of the Lord, Isa.30:10. who say to the seers: “Stop seeing,” and to the prophets: “Do not prophesy to us the truth, tell us flattering things, predict pleasant things; Isa.30:11. get off the road, deviate from the path; remove the Holy One of Israel from our sight." “Seers” - in Hebrew. roim from verb. raah - to see something extraordinary, inaccessible to ordinary human eyes. “Prophets” – chozim – from chaza – to contemplate in a special enthusiastic state. However, both names actually mean almost the same state of prophetic ecstasy (cf. Is. 29 and 1 Samuel 9:9). “Remove the Holy One of Israel from our sight,” that is, we do not want to obey the instructions of the Almighty. Isa.30:12. Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: Because you reject this word, but trust in deceit and untruth, and rely on it: Isa.30:13. then this lawlessness will be for you like a crack threatening to fall, revealed in a high wall, the destruction of which will come suddenly, in an instant. Isa.30:14. And He will destroy it, as one crushes an earthen vessel, breaking it without mercy, so that in its fragments there will not be found a single shard to take fire from the hearth or draw water from a reservoir; “You hope for deception” - more precisely: for suppression (schek). Here is a hint of the violent actions of Jewish politicians against a people who probably did not want to enter into an alliance with Egypt. "Lawlessness... is like... a crack." The falling away of the Jews from the Lord is as dangerous for their state as a crack that gradually widens is dangerous for a stone house. The “wall” that the Almighty wants to destroy is the state of Judah, of which nothing will remain. Isa.30:15. For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: If you had remained in place and at rest, you would have been saved; in silence and trust is your strength; but you didn't want to Isa.30:16. and they said: “No, we’ll run away on horses,” and that’s why you’ll run; “We will ride fast,” - for that reason those pursuing you will be fast. Isa.30:17. A thousand will flee from the threat of one, and a thousand will flee from the threat of five, so that your remnant will be like a marker on the top of a mountain and like a banner on a hill. The Jews will face a terrible defeat, despite their alliance with Egypt! However, the Almighty, as the God of righteousness, will again reward Judah with His mercies after he corrects himself and atones for his guilt before God with his suffering. The Lord will then send His people fertility as a necessary condition for a quiet life. "Staying in Place". The Jews were apparently planning at that time to raid the areas that belonged to the Assyrians. “Let’s run away..., let’s gallop away” - perhaps more correctly: “let’s rush, let’s gallop.” The Jews relied on the horses and chariots they could get from the Egyptians. “That’s why you will run,” that is, horses and chariots will only help you escape from your enemies! “Like a milestone” - in Hebrew. like a cedar or like a mast; made from cedar. Here the prophet indicates that the remnant of Israel will be very small - like a lonely mast. Isa.30:18. And therefore the Lord hesitates to have mercy on you, and therefore still holds back to have mercy on you; for the Lord is a God of righteousness: blessed are all those who trust in Him! Isa.30:19. The people will live in Zion in Jerusalem; You will not cry much - He will have mercy on you, according to the voice of your cry, and as soon as He hears it, He will answer you. Isa.30:20. And the Lord will give you bread in time of trouble and water in time of need; and your teachers will no longer hide themselves, and your eyes will see your teachers; Isa.30:21. and your ears will hear a word behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” even if you turn to the right and if you turn to the left. “And therefore the Lord delays.” The Lord has not yet and will not soon send deliverance to Zion, because Divine justice demands that the guilty Jews be punished. "Blessed are you". But, on the other hand, the one who puts his hope in God is blessed, because he will find an answer to God in all his prayers. "People" . i.e., repentant Jews will inhabit Jerusalem again. The City of God, therefore, will not have the sad fate that Babylon and Nineveh suffered, forever abandoned to desolation. “Your teachers... will not hide,” that is, the true prophets, who in Judea were always persecuted and persecuted as troublemakers (1 Kings 18:17; Am. 7:10; Jer. 38 et seq.), will be respected by the people. “Behind you”, i.e. following you. Isa.30:22. Then you will consider the setting of idols of your silver and the setting of graven images of your gold to be unclean; you will cast them away as uncleanness; you will tell them: get out of here. The Jews, in time, will abandon their idols, to which they were previously so attached. "The Salary of Idols". For the most part, idol images were made of wood (Isa. 40:19), and then covered with a thin layer of gold or gold plates (cf. Ex. 32:20). Isa.30:23. And He will give rain on your seed with which you sow the field, and bread, the fruit of the ground, and it will be abundant and juicy; in that day your flocks will feed in wide pastures. Isa.30:24. And the oxen and donkeys cultivating the field will eat salted fodder, cleaned with a shovel and a winnow. Isa.30:25. And on every high mountain and on every exalted hill streams and streams of water will flow, on the day of the great defeat, when the towers will fall. Isa.30:26. And the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, on the day when the Lord binds up the wound of His people and heals the wounds inflicted on them. “Salted food” is specially prepared crumble with salt or salted cut grass. This food was tastier and healthier for the animals. “The day of great defeat” is the day of God’s terrible punishment, which will fall on world powers hostile to the Jews (cf. Is. 22 et seq.). “Towers” ​​- here we mean the fortifications of the same capitals hostile to the Jews. “Like the light of seven days,” that is, then it will be so light, as if the entire supply of light for a week shone at once. Isaiah 30:27–33. The Lord will punish the enemies of Judah in the most merciless way and the Jews will rejoice at this time. A place has already been prepared for Judah’s main enemy, the king of Asshur, to burn his body. Isa.30:27. Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar, His anger burns and its flame is strong, His mouth is filled with indignation, and His tongue is like a consuming fire, Isa.30:28. and His breath is like an overflowing stream, which rises even to the neck, to scatter the nations until they are exhausted; and there will be a bridle in the jaws of the nations that leads to error. “The name of the Lord comes from afar.” The expression “name” in Holy Scripture is often used to designate a person or being. So the expression to give a name is equivalent to the expression: to create beings. “I... called you by name,” God addresses, for example, Israel (Is. 43:1). This means that the Lord created Israel as a people. Further, in the 9th chapter. book Isaiah (v. 6) the essence, the dignity of the Messiah is indicated by His names. And among the Babylonians, the expression name was also considered identical with the person bearing that name. When a Babylonian wizard knew the name of a person, he considered that person to be in his power. Whoever knew the name of any god, according to the Babylonian idea, could force this god to fulfill his will. 36. Thus, in the present case, Isaiah obviously wants to say that he sees the Lord Himself going to judgment, revealing His holiness and justice. One can even see here an indication of the personality of the Messiah, to whom the Father entrusted all His rights, as the Judge of the world (John 5:22). “Scatter the nations to the point of exhaustion,” that is, winnow the nations so that all unsuitable elements disappear from them. "The bridle that leads to error". With these words, the prophet indicates that the pagan peoples will be forced to leave their previous path and follow a path that previously seemed erroneous to them. 37 Isa.30:29. And you will have songs, as on the night of a sacred holiday, and joy of heart, like one going with a flute to the mountain of the Lord, to the stronghold of Israel. "On the night of the sacred holiday". Here the prophet means Easter, because no other holiday was celebrated by the Jews at night. "Walking with a pipe" On Passover, many Jews went with flutes or pipes. And during Easter or Unleavened Bread Week, processions were organized in Jerusalem, going to the church with singing and music. Isa.30:30. And the Lord will roar with His majestic voice and reveal His oppressive arm in great anger and in the flames of a consuming fire, in a storm and in a flood and in a hail of stones. Isa.30:31. For at the voice of the Lord Assyrian, slain with the rod, will tremble. Isa.30:32. And every movement of the staff assigned to him, which the Lord directs at him, will be with tympanums and harps, and He will go against him in a devastating war. Isa.30:33. For Tophet was established long ago; it is prepared for the king, deep and wide; there is a lot of fire and wood in its fire; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, will kindle it. Depicting in 27–28 art. the approach of the formidable Judge, the prophet from Art. 30. begins to depict the very execution of the trial. “The Lord will roar.” Here the prophet is obviously talking about thunder, which was usually considered to be the voice of God (1 Samuel 12:18; Job 26:14). "From the voice of the Lord". Here, apparently, the prophet imagines the Most High as a mighty warrior, emitting a military cry when attacking the enemy (Joel.3:16; Am.1:2). “Struck by the rod.” As can be seen from what follows, the blows of the rod of God will be fatal for Assyrian. "With tympanums and zithers". During the execution of their enemies the Assyrians, the Jews will play musical instruments, glorifying the Great Judge. "Tophet". This was the name of the valley of the sons of Ginnom near Jerusalem, where all carrion was burned (Interpretation of the Bible, vol. 2, p. 533). But here the prophet takes this name as a common noun - to designate the place where corpses are burned in general (this, perhaps, is indicated by the form of this name in the prophet - tophteh). The Assyrian king made a fire for himself in Nineveh, when there was no longer any way to escape from his enemies, and burned on it along with his wives and children. "Like a stream of brimstone". With these words, the prophet indicates that the fire will immediately light up, as if it had been doused with sulfur. Chapter 30 contains a whole poem directed against the union with Egypt. Its stanzas are distributed as follows: 1 stanza – 29 chapters. 15–16 art. – (3, 2, 2) 1 stanza – 30 chapters. 1–2 tbsp. – (3, 2, 2) 2nd stanza – 30 chapters. 3–7 tbsp. – (3, 2, 2) 3rd stanza – 30 chapters. 8–11 art. – (2, 2, 2, 2) 1 stanza – 30 chapters. 12–14 art. – (3, 2, 2) 2nd stanza – 30 chapters. 15–17 art. – (3, 2, 2) 3 stanza – 30 chapters. 18–19 Art. – (2, 2) 1 stanza – 30 chapters. 20–22 art. – (3, 2) 2nd stanza – 30 chapters. 23–24 art. – (2, 3) 3 stanza – 30 chapters. 25–26 art. – (2, 2) 1 stanza – 30 chapters. 27–29 Art. – (2, 2, 3) 2nd stanza – 30 chapters. 30–33 art. – (2, 2, 3) In the Slavic translation from LXX-i - “make a council not with Me.” Note ed. A very interesting note about the Babylonian tradition of naming God: - to know his name - to be able to FORCE him to do something. Apparently here are the roots of the Jewish religious tradition that no one should call God by name. After all, in this way - to know the name of God - to be able to command him. On the other hand, numerous attempts by interpreters at all times to name God are completely obvious attempts to humiliate him, to reduce him to the level of one of the pagan gods. Note ed. In the Slavic translation from 16: “And His spirit, like water in the enticing wilds, will come even to the neck and be divided, to confuse the tongues from the deception of vain things.” As you can see, there is a completely clear indication here - “His spirit will come... to confuse the pagans from the deception of vain things” (to point out to them their wrong behavior). Note ed. You might be interested in: