Therefore is my people led away captive, because they had not knowledge, and their nobles have perished with famine, and their multitude were dried up with thirst.

“because of lack of knowledge because their heart was without knowledge. and its esteemed ones shall die of hunger Heb. וכבודו מתי רעב [lit. and its honor dead ones of hunger.] [Some editions add:] Payment in kind, corresponding to the satiety. shall be parched from thirst Thirst corresponds to their elaborate drinking feasts. Heb. צחה Aramaic for thirst.”

“Woe to you who rise up early in the morning to drunkenness. Here he charges them with their fault as regards the abuse of food: and first he charges the fault; second he threatens the punishment, at the words, therefore, captive. Concerning the first he does two things. First he charges gluttony as regards its species, second as regards its effect, at the words, and you do not regard the work of the Lord. Now the species of gluttony are five, which are contained in this verse: too hastily, sumptuously, too much, ardently, studiously. He says therefore first: woe to you who rise up early in the morning — as regards too hastily. Ecclesiastes 10: Woe to thee, O land, whose king is a child, and whose princes eat in the morning. Proverbs 23: When shall I awake, and find wine again? As regards ardently he says, to be pursued. As regards too much he says, even until evening. Proverbs 23: To whom is woe? To whom is a father's woe? To whom are quarrels? To whom are pits? To whom are wounds without cause? To whom is the gouging out of eyes? Is it not to those who tarry long over wine, and who apply themselves to draining the cups? That you may be inflamed with wine — unto luxury, and unto all vices. As regards studiously he says, harp and wine — sought after studiously, because with great zeal they prepare for themselves delight in foods. As regards sumptuously he says, in their feasts, in which great preparations are made and choice foods. Amos 6: you who eat the lamb from the flock, and the calves from the midst of the herd; who sing to the sound of the psaltery: as David they thought they had instruments of song, drinking wine in bowls, and anointed with the best ointment. Now the effect is thoughtlessness: and as regards this he says: and you do not regard the work of the Lord, which you ought to do; nor the works, which he himself has done. Proverbs 20: Wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness is riotous. Therefore, captive. Here he sets down the corresponding punishment; and first as regards the affection of the will: hence he says, therefore — as their knowledge is made captive through drunkenness, so shall they themselves be made captive. Hosea 4: My people has fallen silent, because it had not knowledge. But it seems that ignorance does not merit punishment, because it excuses fault. And it must be said that ignorance can denote merely a negation of knowledge; and thus it merits neither punishment nor pardon, as the ignorance of geometry in country-folk. It can also denote a privation of knowledge, such that it leaves behind the aptitude that was due in the subject; and thus it is clear that not to know those things which one is able and bound to know is culpable. Second, he sets down the punishment against the species of gluttony; and thus he sets down hunger and thirst, which correspond to that which is too hastily as regards its cause: because hunger is caused by the fact that someone delays too long in taking food; as if he were to say: you ate too quickly, but you delayed so much that you shall hunger. Again it corresponds to that species which is ardently as regards its own kind: for hunger is a desire for food: hence he says, and the nobles. And he sets down thirst against the multitude of the common people, who are accustomed to quench thirst at least with water; but against the nobles, who abounded in provisions, and were at times burdened with thirst, he sets down hunger. Lamentations 4: It was better for those slain by the sword than for those killed by hunger. Second, against the other species which is too much, he sets down the insatiability of those who take captive, in the captivity — hence he says: therefore Hell has enlarged, that is, death or the Devil, its soul, as regards its desire, opened its mouth, as regards its effect. And he speaks after a human manner, because Hell does not have a soul. Proverbs 27: Hell and destruction are never filled. Or Hell is said to mean Nebuchadnezzar. Habakkuk 2: Hell has enlarged its soul, and it is like death, and is not satisfied. Third, as regards the studious preparation of food, which arises from a certain haughtiness, he sets down the punishment of humiliation, at the words, and they shall go down. And he shows that they are to be humbled in three respects. First as regards captivity: hence he says, they shall go down, as though humbled, to it, namely to the Hell of captivity, its strong ones, as regards the powerful, and its exalted ones, as regards the rich and those eminent in other goods, in which they take pride, and its glorious ones, as regards the noble and famous. Jeremiah 39: and the king of Babylon killed all the nobles of Judah. He also put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, that he might be led into Babylon. And further in the same: and the remnant of the people who remained in the city, and the deserters who had fled over to him, and the rest of the common people who remained, Nebuzaradan the captain of the soldiers carried away to Babylon. Second, as regards the abasement of the captives: and man shall be bowed down, existing in captivity, as regards the exalted, and man shall be humbled, as regards the powerful, and the eyes of the lofty, as regards the glorious. Deuteronomy 28: among those nations also you shall not rest; neither shall there be rest for the sole of your foot. Third, as regards the exaltation of God who punishes. And he shall be exalted: he who before was despised shall appear on high, in just judgment, and God, holy in himself, shall be sanctified, that is, shall appear holy. Above, chapter 2: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Fourth, against the species which is sumptuously, he sets down the devouring of goods by enemies: and lambs shall feed, that is, shall be eaten by your enemies according to their own order, because the better ones first — as regards the animals; and as regards the produce of the earth, the deserts, that is your fields deserted by you, into fruitfulness, that is, the strangers made more fruitful. Deuteronomy 28: The Lord shall bring you, and your king whom you shall set over you, into a nation which you do not know, you and your fathers. Further in the same: the stranger who dwells with you in the land shall rise above you, and shall be higher. Mystically, the lambs, that is the saints, shall feed — they shall be refreshed with the doctrine of God the Father according to their order, that is, their capacity; the strangers are the Gentiles; and the deserts, left by the Jews, namely the sacred Scriptures, turned into fruitfulness, of spiritual understanding. Woe to you who draw. Here he charges the obstinacy of sinning: and first he charges the fault, second he threatens the punishment, at the words, because of this, as. Concerning the first he does two things. First he charges in general; second he explains in particular, at, who say. He says therefore first: woe to you who draw, that is, drag out iniquity with the cords of vanity, that is, with vain occasions, by which man is drawn to sins, while through increase the fault is prolonged. Proverbs 5: his own iniquities catch the wicked man, and he is bound fast with the cords of his own sins. And this is said as regards common sins; but as regards grave sins he adds: and sin as the cord of a cart, that is, by which a cart is bound and drawn, which is a greater thing. And he designates the gravity of sin by the cart. Below, chapter 58: loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the bundles that weigh down. Who say. Here he shows these vanities in particular, from which they were drawing sin upon themselves; and this in three respects. First as regards contempt of the judge; second as regards the excusing of sin, at the words, woe to you who say; third as regards presumption in sinning, at the words, woe to you who are wise. And here is the threefold cord, which is broken with difficulty: Ecclesiasticus 4. They despised the threat of the judge on account of two things: namely on account of the delay of the sentence: hence he says, let it hasten, and let the work of captivity, which you threaten, come quickly. Ecclesiastes 8: for because sentence is not pronounced quickly against evildoers, the sons of men commit evils without any fear. Second, on account of the removedness of the judge: hence he says, let it draw near: as if he were to say: he is in heaven, and cannot see; so let it become near. Ezekiel 9: for they said: the Lord has forsaken the earth, and the Lord does not see. Note, upon that phrase, and sin as the cord of a cart, that sin is called, first, a cord; and this because it draws, first, toward the example of sin. Proverbs 7: immediately he follows her, like an ox led to the sacrifice, and he does not know that the fool is being drawn to bonds. Second, toward the habit of sinning. Jeremiah 2: a wild ass accustomed to the wilderness, in the desire of his soul drew in the wind of his love. Third, toward the ruin of eternal death. Proverbs 24: deliver those who are being led to death, and do not cease to free those who are drawn to destruction. Second, sin is called vanity; and this because, first, it fails from the imitation of divine truth. Wisdom 13: all men are vain, in whom there is not the knowledge of God. Second, it fails from the attainment of the hoped-for end. Ecclesiastes 2: but to the sinner he has given affliction and superfluous care, that he may add and gather, and hand it over to him who has pleased God. But this too is vanity, and a vain anxiety of mind. Third, it fails from the long duration of time. Ecclesiasticus 17: the son of man is not immortal, and they were pleased in the vanity of malice. Wisdom 5: all those things have passed away like a shadow, and like a messenger running ahead. Third, sin is called a bond; and this because, first, it binds the intellect, lest it see. Wisdom 17: for since the wicked were persuaded that they could dominate the holy nation, they, fettered with the chains of darkness and of a long night, shut up under roofs, were pleasing to everlasting providence. And while they think themselves hidden in their dark sins, they have been scattered by the dark veil of forgetfulness. Second, it binds the hand, lest it do good. Third, the feet, lest they advance. Concerning these two, Matthew 22: bind his feet and hands, and cast him into outer darkness. Fourth, sin is called a cart; and this because, first, it oppresses with the burden of servitude. Jeremiah 16: and there you shall serve strange gods day and night, who will not give you rest. Second, with fear of heart. Wisdom 17: for since wickedness is cowardly, it has been given over to the condemnation of all. Third, with the unquiet of conscience. Below, chapter 57: but the heart of the wicked is like a raging sea, which cannot rest.”

“Therefore my people are gone into captivity,.... Or rather, as Kimchi explains it, "shall go into captivity"; the past for the future; for this cannot be understood even of the captivity of the ten tribes, for they were not carried captive until the sixth year of Hezekiah's reign, Kg2 17:6 whereas this prophecy was delivered out many years before, even in the time of Uzziah, as is manifest from the following chapter, Isa 6:1 and much less it cannot design the captivity of Judah, but respects the captivity by the Romans, in future time. Because they have no knowledge; of the work of the Lord, and the operations of his hands; the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "because they knew not the Lord", the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, the true Messiah; they knew not his person, office, grace, and Gospel; they did not own and acknowledge him, but despised and rejected him; their ignorance was affected and voluntary; they had the means of knowledge, but did not make use of them; they would not know him, they would not attend to the strong and clear evidence of his being the Messiah, which prophecies, miracles, and his doctrines, gave of him; the things belonging to their peace they knew not, these were righteously hid from them, and hence destruction came upon them, Luk 19:42 the words may be rendered in connection with the former, "therefore my people shall go into captivity without knowledge" (b), unawares, unthought of, and unexpected; and the Jews, to the last; did not think their city would be taken, but that in some way of other salvation and deliverance would be wrought for them: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst; or "shall be"; this is expressive of a famine of bread and water, which all, both high and low, prince and people, should be affected with; see Isa 3:1 and was true not only when Jerusalem was besieged by the Chaldeans, Jer 52:6, Jer 5:10 but when it was besieged by the Romans, in which the rich suffered as well as the poor; and was so great, that even women ate their own children, as Josephus (c) relates: this is threatened as a punishment of their rioting and drunkenness, Isa 5:11. (b) "idcirco exsulat populus meus absque scientia", Cocceius; so Montanus. (c) De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 10. sect. 2. 3. & 12. 3. & 6. 3, sect. 3.”

“are gone--The prophet sees the future as if it were before his eyes. no knowledge--because of their foolish recklessness (Isa 5:12; Isa 1:3; Hos 4:6; Luk 19:44). famished--awful contrast to their luxurious feasts (Isa 5:11-12). multitude--plebeians in contradistinction to the "honorable men," or nobles. thirst-- (Psa 107:4-5). Contrast to their drinking (Isa 5:11). In their deportation and exile, they shall hunger and thirst.”

“Therefore judgment would overtake them in this blind, dull, and stupid animal condition. "Therefore my people go into banishment without knowing; and their glory will become starving men, and their tumult men dried up with thirst." As the word "therefore" (lâcēn, as in Isa 1:24) introduces the threat of punishment, gâlâh (go into captivity) is a prophetic preterite. Israel would go into exile, and that "without knowing" (mibb'li-da'ath). The meaning of this expression cannot be "from want of knowledge," since the min which is fused into one word with b'li is not causal, but negative, and mibb'li, as a preposition, always signifies "without" (absque). But are we to render it "without knowing it" (as in Hos 4:6, where hadda'ath has the article), or "unawares?" There is no necessity for any dispute on this point, since the two renderings are fundamentally one and the same. The knowledge, of which Isa 5:12 pronounces them destitute, was more especially a knowledge of the judgment of God that was hanging over them; so that, as the captivity would come upon them without knowledge, it would necessarily come upon them unawares. "Their glory" (Cebōdō) and "their tumult" (hamono) are therefore to be understood, as the predicates show, as collective nouns used in a personal sense, the former signifying the more select portion of the nation (cf., Mic 1:15), the latter the mass of the people, who were living in rioting and tumult. The former would become "men of famine" (mĕthē rââb: מתי, like אנשׁי in other places, viz., Sa2 19:29, or בּני, Sa1 26:16); the latter "men dried up with thirst" (tsichēh tsâmâh: the same number as the subject). There is no necessity to read מתי (dead men) instead of מתי, as the lxx and Vulgate do, or מזי (מזה) according to Deu 32:24, as Hitzig, Ewald, Bttcher, and others propose (compare, on the contrary, Gen 34:30 and Job 11:11). The adjective tzicheh (hapax leg) is formed like Chirēsh, Cēheh, and other adjectives which indicate defects: in such formations from verbs Lamed - He, instead of e we have an ae that has grown out of ay (Olshausen, 182, b). The rich gluttons would starve, and the tippling crowd would die with thirst.”