Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 27 closes THE LITTLE APOCALYPSE (chs. 24–27). Verse 1's LEVIATHAN-the-fleeing-serpent prophecy directly anticipates Revelation 12:9, 20:2's 'great dragon, that ancient serpent.' The chapter also contains the new-VINEYARD-SONG (vv. 2–6) — the redemption-of-the-vineyard contrasted with Isaiah 5:1–7's-judgment-vineyard. Verse 9 is cited at Romans 11:27.
Notable Variants
27:1 LEVIATHAN-FLEEING-SERPENT → Rev 12:9, 20:2 dragon-serpent Christological-defeat; 27:2–6 NEW-VINEYARD-SONG (// Isa 5:1–7 reverse); 27:9 → Romans 11:27 'this will be my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.'
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 27 = LXX Isaiah 27. 13 verses. CLOSES THE LITTLE APOCALYPSE.
On that day the LORD will punish with His sword — His cruel, great, and mighty sword — Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and He will slay the dragon that is in the sea.
'In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea' tracks MT. LEVIATHAN-PUNISHED. THREE-NAMES for-the-chaos-creature: fleeing-serpent (nachash bariach), twisting-serpent (nachash aqalaton), dragon-in-the-sea (tannin). Revelation 12:9 ('the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan') and 20:2 directly-extend Christologically. Christ-defeats Leviathan.
On that day: "A vineyard of delight — sing of it!"
'In that day, A pleasant vineyard, sing of it!' tracks MT. NEW-VINEYARD-SONG opens. Inverse of-Isaiah 5's-judgment-vineyard.
"I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone harm it, night and day I guard it."
'I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone punish it, I keep it night and day' tracks MT. EVERY-MOMENT I-WATER-IT — divine-tending. Contrast with Isa 5's-abandoned-vineyard. John 15:1 ('I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser') Christologically-fulfills.
"Wrath is not in Me. If thorns and briers should confront Me in battle — I would march against them, I would burn them all together."
'I have no wrath. Would that I had thorns and briers to battle! I would march against them, I would burn them up together' tracks MT.
"Or let him take hold of My refuge, let him make peace with Me — yes, let him make peace with Me."
'Or let them lay hold of my protection, let them make peace with me, let them make peace with me' tracks MT. MAKE-PEACE-WITH-ME (// 2 Cor 5:20 'be reconciled to God').
In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall bud and blossom and fill the face of the world with fruit.
'In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit' tracks MT. FILL-THE-WORLD-WITH-FRUIT. Eschatological-fruitfulness. John 15:16's 'I appointed you that you should go and bear fruit' Christologically-extends.
Has He struck Israel as He struck those who struck her? Has she been slain as her slayers were slain?
'Has he struck them as he struck those who struck them? Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain?' tracks MT.
By measure, by exile, You contended with her; He removed her with His fierce wind on a day of east wind.
'Measure by measure, by exile you contended with them; he removed them with his fierce breath in the day of the east wind' tracks MT.
Therefore by this Jacob's guilt shall be atoned for, and this is the full fruit of removing his sin: when he makes all the altar stones like chalk stones ground to pieces — no Asherah poles or incense altars shall stand.
Masoretic (WLC)
לָכֵן בְּזֹאת יְכֻפַּר עֲוֹן־יַעֲקֹב וְזֶה כָּל־פְּרִי הָסִר חַטָּאתוֹ בְּשׂוּמוֹ כָּל־אַבְנֵי מִזְבֵּחַ כְּאַבְנֵי־גִר מְנֻפָּצוֹת לֹא־יָקֻמוּ אֲשֵׁרִים וְחַמָּנִים
Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to pieces, no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing
Septuagint (LXX)
διὰ τοῦτο ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἡ ἀνομία Ιακωβ καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἡ εὐλογία αὐτοῦ ὅταν ἀφέλωμαι αὐτοῦ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὅταν θῶσιν πάντας τοὺς λίθους τῶν βωμῶν κατακεκομμένους ὡς κονίαν λεπτήν καὶ οὐ μὴ μείνῃ τὰ δένδρα αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα αὐτῶν ἐκκεκομμένα ὥσπερ δρυμὸς μακράν
Therefore the lawlessness of Jacob shall be taken away, and this is his blessing — when I take away his sin, when they make all the stones of the altars crushed like fine dust, and their trees and idols shall not remain, hewn down as in a far-off thicket
ROMANS 11:27 CITATION — REMOVAL-OF-ISRAEL'S-SIN. Paul cites this verse (combined with Isa 59:20–21) at Romans 11:26–27: 'And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob; and THIS WILL BE MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS (kai hautē autois hē par' emou diathēkē, hotan aphelōmai tas hamartias autōn).' Paul's wording matches the LXX of Isa 27:9 verbatim for the take-away-sins clause.
PAUL'S ESCHATOLOGICAL HOPE for Israel rests-on this Isaianic-promise of-divine-sin-removal. The verse is the OT-foundation for Pauline-conviction that 'all Israel will be saved' through-divine-sovereign-action.
For the fortified city stands alone, a habitation abandoned and forsaken like a wilderness. There the calf grazes, there it lies down and strips bare its branches.
'For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness; there the calf grazes; there it lies down and strips its branches' tracks MT.
When its branches dry out they are broken off; women come and make fires with them. For this is not a people of understanding; therefore their Maker will not have compassion on them, and their Former will show them no favor.
'When its boughs are dry, they are broken; women come and make a fire of them. For this is a people without discernment; therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them; he who formed them will show them no favor' tracks MT.
On that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Brook of Egypt, and you shall be gathered one by one, O children of Israel.
'In that day from the river Euphrates to the Brook of Egypt the LORD will thresh out the grain, and you will be gleaned one by one, O people of Israel' tracks MT. EUPHRATES-TO-EGYPT — the ideal-Davidic-kingdom span. GLEANED-ONE-BY-ONE — individual-restoration.
On that day a great trumpet shall be blown, and those perishing in the land of Assyria and those driven out to the land of Egypt shall come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.
'And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain at Jerusalem' tracks MT. GREAT-TRUMPET-OF-INGATHERING. Matthew 24:31 ('he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds') Christologically-extends. 1 Cor 15:52, 1 Thess 4:16 (last-trumpet for-resurrection) extend.