Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Isaiah 56:9 - 56:12

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Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Isaiah 56:9 - 56:12


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The Neglect of Jehovah's Flock by its Shepherds

v. 9. All ye beasts of the field come to devour, yea, all ye beasts In the forest!
It is an ironical call to the enemies of the Church to take advantage of Israel's helplessness, since she is lying there without protection, her shepherds living a life of ease and indulgence.

v. 10. His watchmen,
the men on the lookout in the watch-tower of city or fold, in this case the prophets of Israel, are blind, the false teachers deliberately blinding themselves against the needs of the people; they are all ignorant, lacking in true spiritual understanding, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark, like shepherd dogs too lazy or indifferent to raise the alarm at the coming of the wolves; sleeping, lying down, idle dreamers and sluggards, loving to slumber, delighting in self-indulgence. Instead of feeding the flock of the Lord with the Word of God entrusted to them, the false prophets of all times have only their own comfort, the enrichment of their own lazy selves, in mind. Physical laziness usually goes together with intellectual and spiritual relaxation.

v. 11. Yea, they are greedy dogs, which can never have enough,
the covetousness of false prophets having become proverbial, and they are shepherds that cannot understand, that is, they want to be shepherds, they desire so to be regarded, and yet they have no insight into the demands of their position, they do not realize that their actions give the lie to the title which they bear; they all look to their own way, following the desire of their own evil heart, every one for his gain, from his quarter, to the very end of the gain which they may get out of their position, every one intent upon getting as much as possible out of the people and out of his office.

v. 12. Come ye, say they,
in the spirit which always characterizes their self-indulgence, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink, in an orgy of bestial drinking; and tomorrow shall be as this day and much more abundant, literally, "great, much more in excess," a strong expression denoting the habitual and intentional indulgence in intoxicants, with all its accompanying bestiality.