Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 27

In that day - In that future time when the Jews would be captive in Babylon, and when they would sigh for deliverance (see the note at Isaiah 26:1). This verse might have been connected with the previous chapter, as it refers to the same event, and then this chapter would have more appropriately commenced with the poem or song which begins in Isaiah 27:2.

With his sore - Hebrew, הקשׁה haqāshâh - ‘Hard.’ Septuagint, Τὴς ἁγίαν Tēn hagian - ‘Holy.’ The Hebrew means a sword that is hard, or well-tempered and trusty.

And great, and strong sword - The sword is an emblem of war and is often used among the Hebrews to denote war (Leviticus 26:25). It is also an emblem of justice or punishment, as punishment then, as it is now in the Turkish dominions, was often inflicted by the sword (Deuteronomy 32:41–42; Psalms 7:12; Hebrews 11:37). Here, if it refers to the overthrow of Babylon and its tyrannical king, it means that God would punish them by the armies of the Medes, employed as his sword or instrument. Thus in Psalm 17:13, David prays, Deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword (compare to the notes at Isaiah 10:5-6).

Leviathan - לויתן livyâthân. The Septuagint renders this, Τὴν δράκοντα Tēn drakonta - ‘The dragon.’ The word ‘leviathan’ is probably derived from לוה lâvâh in Arabic, meaning to weave or to twist (Gesenius), and literally means “the twisted animal.”

The word occurs in six places in the Old Testament. It is translated in Job 3:8 as ‘mourning’ (Margin, ‘leviathan’); in Job 41:1 as ‘leviathan,’ in which chapter there is an extended description of the animal; in Psalm 74:14, it is rendered ‘leviathan’ and seems to be applied to Pharaoh; and in Psalm 104:26 and in the passage before us, it is also twice rendered ‘leviathan.’

Bochart (Hierez. ii. 5. 16-18) has presented an extended argument to show that by the leviathan, the crocodile is intended, and his argument is, in my view, conclusive. On this subject, Bochart, Dr. Good (on Job 41), and Robinson’s Calmet may be consulted.

The crocodile is a natural inhabitant of the Nile and of other Asiatic and African rivers. It possesses enormous voracity and strength, as well as fleetness in swimming. It attacks mankind and all animals with prodigious impetuosity and is furnished with a coat of mail so scaly and callous that it will resist the force of a musket ball in every part except under the belly. It is, therefore, an appropriate image by which to represent a fierce and cruel tyrant.

The sacred writers were accustomed to describe kings and tyrants by an allusion to strong and fierce animals.

Thus, in Ezekiel 29:3-5, the dragon, or the crocodile of the Nile, represents Pharaoh. In Ezekiel 22:2, Pharaoh is compared to a young lion and to a whale in the seas. In Psalm 74:13-14, Pharaoh is compared to the dragon and to the leviathan. In Daniel 7, the four monarchs that would arise are likened to four great beasts. In Revelation 12, Rome, the new Babylon, is compared to a great red dragon.

In this passage, I suppose that the reference is to Babylon, or to the king and tyrant that ruled there and had oppressed the people of God. However, among commentators, there has been the greatest variety of explanation.

As a specimen of the various senses which commentators often assign to passages of Scripture, we may notice the following views that have been taken of this passage. The Chaldee Paraphrast regards the leviathans, which are twice mentioned, as referring, the first one to some king like Pharaoh, and the second to a king like Sennacherib. Rabbi Moses Haccohen supposes that the word denotes the most select or valiant of the rulers, princes, and commanders that were in the army of the enemy of the people of God.

Jarchi supposes that by the first-mentioned leviathan is meant Egypt, by the second Assyria, and by the dragon which is in the sea, he thinks Tyre is intended.

Aben Ezra supposes that by the dragon in the sea, Egypt is denoted. Kimchi supposes that this will be fulfilled only in the times of the Messiah, and that the sea monsters mentioned here are Gog and Magog—and that these denote the armies of the Greeks, the Saracens, and the inhabitants of India.

Abarbanel supposes that the Saracens, the Roman Empire, and the other kingdoms of Gentiles are intended by these sea monsters. Jerome, Sanctius, and some others suppose that Satan is denoted by the leviathan.

Brentius supposes that this was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost when Satan was overcome by the preaching of the gospel. Other Christian interpreters have supposed that by the leviathan first mentioned Mahomet is intended; by the second, heretics; and by the dragon in the sea, Pagan India.

Luther understood it of Assyria and Egypt. Calvin supposes that the description properly applies to the king of Egypt, but that under this image other enemies of the church are embraced, and does not doubt that allegorically Satan and his kingdom are intended.

The simpler interpretation, however, is that which refers it to Babylon. This suits the connection. It accords with the previous chapters, agrees with all that occurs in this chapter, and with the image which is used here. The crocodile, the dragon, the sea monster—extended, vast, unwieldy, voracious, and odious to the view—would be a most expressive image to denote the abhorrence with which the Jews would regard Babylon and its king.

The piercing serpent - The term ‘serpent’ (נחשׁ nāchâsh) may be given to a dragon or an extended sea monster . The term ‘piercing’ is, in the Margin, ‘Crossing like a bar.’ The Septuagint renders it, Ὄφιν Φεύγοντα Ophin pheugonta - ‘Flying serpent.’

The Hebrew, בריח bāriyach—rendered ‘piercing’—is derived from ברץ bârach, meaning ‘to flee,’ and then to stretch across, or pass through, as a bar through boards (Exodus 36:33). Hence, this word may mean fleeing, extended, a crossbar for fastening gates, or the crosspiece for binding together the boards for the tabernacle of the congregation (Exodus 26:26; Exodus 36:31).

Lowth renders it, ‘The rigid serpent,’ probably with reference to the hard scales of the crocodile. The word extended, huge, vast, will probably best suit the connection. In Job 26:13, it is rendered, the crooked serpent, referring to the constellation in the heavens by the name of the Serpent (see the note at that place). The idea of piercing is not in the Hebrew word, nor is it ever used in that sense.

That crooked serpent - This is correctly rendered and refers to the fact that the monster here referred to throws itself into immense volumes or folds, a description that applies to all serpents of vast size. Virgil has given a similar description of sea monsters throwing themselves into vast convolutions:

‘Ecce autem gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta
—immensis orbibus angues.’
—AEn. ii. 203.

And again:

‘Sinuantque immensa volumine terga.’
Idem. 208.

The reference in Isaiah, I suppose, is not to different kings or enemies of the people of God, but to the same. It is customary in Hebrew poetry to refer to the same subject in different members of the same sentence or in different parts of the same parallelism.

The dragon - Referring to the same thing under a different image—to the king of Babylon. On the meaning of the word ‘dragon,’ see the note at Isaiah 13:22.

In the sea - In the Euphrates, or in the marshes and pools that encompass Babylon (see notes at Isaiah 11:15 and Isaiah 18:2). The sense of the whole verse is that God would destroy the Babylonian power, which was such an object of loathsomeness and terror to the Jews.

Sing you unto her - That is, sing to, or respecting the vineyard. The word rendered ‘sing’ (ענוּ ‛anû) properly signifies “answer, respond to;” and then, sing a responsive song, where one portion of the choir responds to another . This has been well expressed here by Lowth in his translation:

‘To the beloved Vineyard, sing you a responsive song.’

It is the commencement of a song, or hymn respecting Judea, represented under the image of a vineyard, and which probably continues to the end of the chapter.

A vineyard - (see the notes at Isaiah 5:1 and following) The Hebrew phrase rendered ‘a vineyard of red wine’ is the title to the song; or the responsive song respects the ‘vineyard of red wine.’

Of red wine - (חמר chemer). Lowth proposes to read instead of this, חמד chemed—pleasantness, beauty, or beloved.” He observes that many manuscripts have this meaning, and that it is followed by the Septuagint and the Chaldee. The Septuagint reads it: Ἀμπελών καλλὸς Ampelōn kallos – ‘Beautiful vineyard.’ This would well suit the connection, and this slight error in transcribing might have easily occurred.

But the authority in the manuscripts for the change is not conclusive. The word which now occurs in the text properly denotes “wine,” from חמר châmar—to “ferment.” The word חמר châmar also has the meaning “to be red” (Psalms 75:8; Job 16:16); and according to this, our translators have rendered it ‘of red wine.’ Bochart (Geog. Sac. ii. 1, 29) renders it, ‘A vineyard fertile in producing wine.’ The correct translation would be one that would not seem very congruous in our language, ‘a vineyard of wine,’ or ‘a wine-vineyard.’

I the Lord do keep it — There is understood here or implied an introduction; as ‘Yahweh said’ .

I will water it every moment — That is, constantly, as a vinedresser does his vineyard.

Fury is not in me — That is, I am no longer angry with it. He had punished His people by removing them to a distant land. But although He had corrected them for their faults, He had not laid aside the affection of a Father.

Who would set — Hebrew, ‘Who would give me.’ The Septuagint renders this, ‘Who would place me to keep the stubble in the field?’ Great perplexity has been felt regarding the interpretation of this passage. Lowth translates it:

‘O that I had a fence of the thorn and the brier;’

This evidently shows that he was embarrassed with it and could not make consistent sense of it. The whole sentence must refer either to the people of God or to His enemies. If to His people, it would be an indication that they were like briers and thorns, and that if His fury should rage they would be consumed. Therefore, He calls upon them (Isaiah 27:5) to take hold of His strength and to be at peace with Him.

If it refers to His enemies, then it expresses a wish that His enemies were in His possession, or a purpose to go against them as fire among thorns and to consume them if they should presume to set themselves against His vineyard. This latter I take to be the true sense of the passage.

The phrase ‘who would set me,’ or in Hebrew, ‘who will give me,’ may be expressed by “utinam,” indicating strong desire. It may be paraphrased thus: ‘I retain no anger against My people. I have indeed punished them, but My anger has ceased. I will now defend them. If they are attacked by foes, I will guard them. When their foes approach, I desire, I earnestly wish, that they may be in My possession, that I may destroy them—as the fire rages through briers and thorns.’

This expresses a firm determination to defend His people and to destroy their enemies, unless (Isaiah 27:5), which He would prefer, they should repent and be at peace with Him.

The briers and thorns — His enemies, and the enemies of His people (Compare the notes at Isaiah 9:17 and Isaiah 10:17). Perhaps the phrase is used here to denote enemies, because briers and thorns are such great enemies to a vineyard, impeding growth and fertility.

I would go through them — Or, rather, I would go against them in battle to destroy them.

I would burn them up together — As fire devours the thorns and briers; that is, I would completely destroy them.

Or let him - The Hebrew word rendered here "or" (או 'ô) means “unless.” The sense is that the enemies of the Jewish people will be completely destroyed as briers are by fire, “unless” they flee to God for refuge.

Take hold of my strength - This means, let the enemy take hold of me to become reconciled to me. The imagery here is likely taken from the act of fleeing to grasp the horns of the altar for refuge when one was pursued (compare to 1 Kings 1:50; 1 Kings 2:28).

That he may make peace with me - This means peace with me as the guardian of the vineyard. If this is done, they will be safe.

And he shall make peace with me - This means that even the enemy of me and of my vineyard may be permitted to make peace with me. Learn:

1. That God is willing to be reconciled to His enemies.
2. That peace must be obtained by seeking His protection, by submitting to Him, and by laying hold of His strength.
3. That if this is not done, His enemies must inevitably be destroyed.
4. He will defend His people, and no weapon that is formed against them shall prosper.