Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 24 opens THE LITTLE APOCALYPSE OF ISAIAH (chapters 24–27) — universal-cosmic-judgment-and-restoration. The chapter describes WHOLE-EARTH judgment: the earth-staggers-like-a-drunkard (v. 20), the heavenly-host punished (v. 21), and the LORD-reigns-on-Mount-Zion (v. 23). The little-apocalypse anticipates Daniel 7–12 and Revelation.
Notable Variants
24:5 'broke the everlasting covenant' Noahic-covenant violation; 24:21–22 'the host of heaven, in heaven … punished' angelic-judgment; 24:23 'sun ashamed, moon abashed' → Rev 21:23 (no need of sun in New Jerusalem).
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 24 = LXX Isaiah 24. 23 verses. Opens THE LITTLE APOCALYPSE OF ISAIAH (chs. 24–27).
Look — the LORD is about to empty the earth and lay it waste. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
'Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants' tracks MT. EMPTY-THE-EARTH apocalyptic-imagery.
It will be the same for the people as for the priest, for the servant as for his master, for the maid as for her mistress, for the buyer as for the seller, for the lender as for the borrower, for the creditor as for the debtor.
'And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor' tracks MT. UNIVERSAL-LEVELING — death-and-judgment-equalize.
The earth will be utterly emptied, utterly plundered — for the LORD has spoken this word.
'The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the LORD has spoken this word' tracks MT.
The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers. The exalted of the earth's people languish.
'The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the highest people of the earth languish' tracks MT. EARTH-MOURNS / EARTH-WITHERS — creation-affected-by-human-sin. Romans 8:20–22 ('creation was subjected to futility … creation will be set free') extends.
The earth is polluted beneath its inhabitants, for they have transgressed instructions, violated the decree, broken the everlasting covenant.
'The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant' tracks MT. EVERLASTING-COVENANT BROKEN. Likely-Noahic-covenant (Genesis 9:16) — universal-applicability. Earth-pollution-from-sin.
Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants bear their guilt. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few people remain.
'Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left' tracks MT.
The new wine mourns, the vine languishes; all who were glad at heart now sigh.
'The wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh' tracks MT.
The joyful tambourines have ceased, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful lyre has ceased.
'The mirth of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the jubilant has ceased, the mirth of the lyre is stilled' tracks MT.
No longer do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
'No more do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it' tracks MT.
The city of chaos is broken; every house is shut, none may enter.
'The wasted city is broken down; every house is shut up so that none can enter' tracks MT.
There is an outcry in the streets over the wine; all joy has grown dark; the gladness of the earth is banished.
'There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine; all joy has grown dark; the gladness of the earth is banished' tracks MT.
Desolation remains in the city; the gate is battered to ruins.
'Desolation is left in the city; the gates are battered into ruins' tracks MT.
For so it will be in the midst of the earth, among the peoples: like the beating of an olive tree, like the gleaning when the grape harvest is over.
'For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done' tracks MT. GLEANINGS — remnant-imagery.
They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they cry out for the majesty of the LORD.
'They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west' tracks MT.
Therefore in the east glorify the LORD; in the coastlands of the sea, glorify the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
'Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel' tracks MT.
From the ends of the earth we hear songs: "Glory to the Righteous One!" But I say, "I waste away! I waste away! Woe to me! The treacherous betray! The treacherous utterly betray!"
'From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise: Glory to the Righteous One. But I say: I waste away, I waste away. Woe is me! For the traitors have betrayed, with betrayal the traitors have betrayed' tracks MT. RIGHTEOUS-ONE (tzaddiq / dikaiō). 1 Pet 3:18 ('the righteous for the unrighteous') Christologically extends. Acts 3:14, 7:52, 22:14 (Jesus as 'the Righteous One') Christological-title.
Terror, pit, and trap await you, O inhabitant of the earth!
'Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth!' tracks MT. THREE-FOLD JUDGMENT — jeremiah 48:43 echoes.
Whoever flees from the sound of terror will fall into the pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in the trap. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble.
'He who flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble' tracks MT. WINDOWS-OF-HEAVEN-OPEN — Genesis 7:11 flood-imagery extended-to-eschatological-deluge.
The earth is utterly shattered; the earth is split apart; the earth is violently shaken.
'The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken' tracks MT.
The earth staggers like a drunkard, sways like a hut in the wind. Its transgression weighs heavy upon it; it falls and will not rise again.
'The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again' tracks MT. EARTH-STAGGERS-LIKE-DRUNKARD apocalyptic-imagery.
On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven in the heights and the kings of the earth on the earth.
'On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven in heaven, and the kings of the earth on the earth' tracks MT. HOST-OF-HEAVEN PUNISHED. Angelic-judgment. Jude 6 ('the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority … he has kept in eternal chains') and 2 Peter 2:4 extend.
They will be gathered together like prisoners in a dungeon, shut up in a prison; and after many days they will be visited.
'They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished' tracks MT. ANGELS-IN-PIT. Revelation 20:1–3 (Satan-bound-in-pit-for-thousand-years) extends.
The moon will be humiliated and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders — glory.
'Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders' tracks MT. SUN-AND-MOON-ASHAMED. Revelation 21:23 ('the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light') Christologically-extends. The eschatological-divine-light surpasses-cosmic-luminaries.