11 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem , which he saw during the [1]reigns of Uzziah , Jotham , Ahaz and Hezekiah , kings of Judah .
2 Listen , O heavens , and hear , O earth ; For the Lord speaks , " Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me. 3 "An ox knows its owner , And a donkey its master's manger , But Israel does not know , My people do not understand ." 4 Alas , sinful nation , People weighed down with iniquity , [2] Offspring of evildoers , Sons who act corruptly ! They have abandoned the Lord , They have despised the Holy One of Israel , They have turned away [3]from Him. 5 Where e will you be stricken again , As you continue in your rebellion ? The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint . 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises , welts and raw wounds , Not pressed out or bandaged , Nor softened with oil . 7 Your land is desolate , Your cities are burned with fire , Your fields -strangers are devouring them in your presence ; It is desolation , as overthrown by strangers . 8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard , Like a watchman's hut in a cucumber field , like a besieged city . 9 Unless the Lord of hosts Had left us a few survivors , We would be like Sodom , We would be like Gomorrah .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 1:1-9
Commentary on Isaiah 1:1-9
(Read Isaiah 1:1-9)
Isaiah signifies, "The salvation of the Lord;" a very suitable name for this prophet, who prophesies so much of Jesus the Saviour, and his salvation. God's professing people did not know or consider that they owed their lives and comforts to God's fatherly care and kindness. How many are very careless in the affairs of their souls! Not considering what we do know in religion, does us as much harm, as ignorance of what we should know. The wickedness was universal. Here is a comparison taken from a sick and diseased body. The distemper threatens to be mortal. From the sole of the foot even to the head; from the meanest peasant to the greatest peer, there is no soundness, no good principle, no religion, for that is the health of the soul. Nothing but guilt and corruption; the sad effects of Adam's fall. This passage declares the total depravity of human nature. While sin remains unrepented, nothing is done toward healing these wounds, and preventing fatal effects. Jerusalem was exposed and unprotected, like the huts or sheds built up to guard ripening fruits. These are still to be seen in the East, where fruits form a large part of the summer food of the people. But the Lord had a small remnant of pious servants at Jerusalem. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. The evil nature is in every one of us; only Jesus and his sanctifying Spirit can restore us to spiritual health.