8 Cursed are those who are joining house to house, and putting field to field, till there is no more living-space for any but themselves in all the land! 9 The Lord of armies has said to me secretly, Truly, numbers of great and fair houses will be waste, with no one living in them. 10 For ten fields of vines will only give one measure of wine, and a great amount of seed will only give a small measure of grain. 11 Cursed are those who get up early in the morning to give themselves up to strong drink; who keep on drinking far into the night till they are heated with wine! 12 And corded instruments and wind-instruments and wine are in their feasts: but they give no thought to the work of the Lord, and they are not interested in what his hands are doing. 13 For this cause my people are taken away as prisoners into strange countries for need of knowledge: and their rulers are wasted for need of food, and their loud-voiced feasters are dry for need of water. 14 For this cause the underworld has made wide its throat, opening its mouth without limit: and her glory, and the noise of her masses, and her loud-voiced feasters, will go down into it. 15 And the poor man's head is bent, and the great man goes down on his face, and the eyes of pride are put to shame: 16 But the Lord of armies is lifted up as judge, and the Holy God is seen to be holy in righteousness. 17 Then the lambs will get food as in their grass-lands, and the fat cattle will be feasting in the waste places.
18 Cursed are those who make use of ox-cords for pulling the evil thing, and the bands of a young ox for their sin! 19 Who say, Let him do his work quickly, let him make it sudden, so that we may see it: let the design of the Holy One of Israel come near, so that it may be clear to us. 20 Cursed are those who give the name of good to evil, and of evil to what is good: who make light dark, and dark light: who make bitter sweet, and sweet bitter! 21 Cursed are those who seem wise to themselves, and who take pride in their knowledge! 22 Cursed are those who are strong to take wine, and great in making mixed drinks! 23 Who for a reward give support to the cause of the sinner, and who take away the righteousness of the upright from him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 5:8-23
Commentary on Isaiah 5:8-23
(Read Isaiah 5:8-23)
Here is a woe to those who set their hearts on the wealth of the world. Not that it is sinful for those who have a house and a field to purchase another; but the fault is, that they never know when they have enough. Covetousness is idolatry; and while many envy the prosperous, wretched man, the Lord denounces awful woes upon him. How applicable to many among us! God has many ways to empty the most populous cities. Those who set their hearts upon the world, will justly be disappointed. Here is woe to those who dote upon the pleasures and the delights of sense. The use of music is lawful; but when it draws away the heart from God, then it becomes a sin to us. God's judgments have seized them, but they will not disturb themselves in their pleasures. The judgments are declared. Let a man be ever so high, death will bring him low; ever so mean, death will bring him lower. The fruit of these judgments shall be, that God will be glorified as a God of power. Also, as a God that is holy; he shall be owned and declared to be so, in the righteous punishment of proud men. Those are in a woful condition who set up sin, and who exert themselves to gratify their base lusts. They are daring in sin, and walk after their own lusts; it is in scorn that they call God the Holy One of Israel. They confound and overthrow distinctions between good and evil. They prefer their own reasonings to Divine revelations; their own devices to the counsels and commands of God. They deem it prudent and politic to continue profitable sins, and to neglect self-denying duties. Also, how light soever men make of drunkenness, it is a sin which lays open to the wrath and curse of God. Their judges perverted justice. Every sin needs some other to conceal it.