Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 24

Makes the earth empty - That is, will depopulate it, or take away its inhabitants and its wealth. The word ‘earth’ here (ארץ 'ārets) is used evidently not to denote the whole world, but the land to which the prophet particularly refers—the land of Judea. It should have been translated ‘the land’ . It is possible, however, that the word here may be intended to include many of the nations that surrounded Palestine that were allied with it, or were connected with it in the desolations under Nebuchadnezzar.

And turns it upside down - Margin, ‘Perverts the face of it.’ That is, everything is thrown into confusion; the civil and religious institutions are disorganized, and derangement everywhere prevails.

And scatters abroad... - This was done in the invasion by the Chaldeans by the carrying away of the inhabitants into their long and painful captivity.

As with the people, so with the priest - This does not mean in moral character, but in destiny. It does not mean that the character of the priest would have any influence on that of the people, or that because the one was corrupt the other would be; but it means that all would be involved in the same calamity, and there would be no favored class that would escape. The prophet, therefore, enumerates the various ranks of the people, and shows that all classes would be involved in the impending calamity.

As with the taker of usury - This refers to one who lends money at interest. It was contrary to the Mosaic law for one Israelite to take interest from another (Leviticus 25:36; Deuteronomy 23:19; Nehemiah 5:7, 10); but it is not probable that this law was very carefully observed, especially in the corrupt times that preceded the Babylonian captivity.

The land - Hebrew, ‘The earth,’ as in (Isaiah 24:1). It is here rendered correctly ‘the land,’ as it should have been there - meaning the land of Canaan.

And spoiled - Its valuable possessions shall become the prey of the invading foe. This is an emphatic repetition of the declaration in (Isaiah 24:1), to show the absolute certainty of that which was threatened.

The earth mourneth — The word ‘earth’ here, as in Isaiah 24:1, means the land of Judea, or that and so much of the adjacent countries as would be subject to the desolation described. The figure here is taken from flowers when they lose their beauty and languish, or when the plant that lacks moisture, or is cut down, loses its vigor and its vitality, and soon withers (compare the note at Isaiah 1:30; Isaiah 34:4; Psalms 1:3).

The world — (תבל têbêl). Literally, the inhabitable world, but used here as synonymous with the ‘land,’ and denoting the kingdoms of Judah and Israel (compare the note at Isaiah 13:11).

The haughty people — Margin, as in the Hebrew, ‘Height of the people.’ It denotes the great, the nobles, the princes of the land. The phrase is expressive of rank, not of their moral character.

The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof — The statements in this verse are given as a reason why the curse had been pronounced against them and why these calamities had come upon them (Isaiah 24:6). The first reason is that the very earth became polluted by their crimes. This phrase may denote that injustice and cruelty prevailed to such an extent that the very earth was stained with gore and covered with blood under the guilty population. So the phrase is used in Numbers 33:33; Psalms 106:38. Or it may mean in general that the wickedness of the people was great and was accumulating, and the very earth under them was polluted by sustaining such a population. But the former is probably the correct interpretation.

Changed the ordinance — Or, the statute (חק chôq). This word, from חקק châqaq — to engrave, and then to make or institute a law or an ordinance — is usually applied to the positive statutes appointed by Moses. The word statute accurately expresses the idea. These they had changed by introducing new statutes and had in fact, if not in form, repealed the laws of Moses and introduced others.

Broken the everlasting covenant — The word ‘covenant’ here is evidently used, as it often is, in the sense of law. By the term ‘everlasting covenant,’ Vitringa correctly supposes, are denoted the laws of nature, the immutable laws of justice and right, which are engraved on the conscience and which are inflexible and perpetual.