Isaiah 32

32:1 a righteous king: The Messiah (11:1); the emphasis now is on righteous and wise leadership (Prov 8:20). • In Isaiah’s day, honest princes were few and far between (see Isa 3:1-6; 28:7-19).

32:2 like a shelter . . . a refuge: The same words were also used to describe God’s protection (25:4) and his provision of life-giving water (41:18; 43:19-20). The leaders would serve as God’s agents in blessing his people.

32:5 Only foolish people value fools and scoundrels as heroes (see also 19:11, 13; 32:6-8).

32:6 Because they do not care about God’s standards of justice and righteousness, fools have no regard for those who are hungry or thirsty (see 1:17; 58:7, 10).

32:7 smooth tricks . . . crooked schemes: See Prov 6:12, 18; 16:27; 24:8-9.

32:9-15 This prophecy of judgment was against the complacent women of Jerusalem. God’s promises regarding the future did not justify continuing in sin.32:9 The women of Jerusalem lie around in ease. Complacent in their high standard of life and low standard of morality, they put their trust in wealth and status to maintain their way of life.

32:10 In a short time: Assyria’s siege of Jerusalem (701 BC) was looming.

32:11 Burlap was worn to show . . . grief, especially when mourning (see Ps 30:11). The Assyrian conquest of the farmlands of Judah and most of its cities (except Jerusalem) would cause rich people in the large cities to mourn.

32:14 Jerusalem was eventually destroyed, but by the Babylonians, not the Assyrians (for a prediction of this, see 39:1-8).

32:15 The Spirit would transform the nation into a godly community and bring in an era of justice and righteousness (see also Joel 2:28-32). The Spirit is connected to the Messiah (Isa 11:1) and the servant (42:1; 61:1). • wilderness . . . bountiful crops: When the people are transformed, nature will be too.

32:17 Being right with God and humans will bring peace (Hebrew shalom; see 26:3; 48:18; 52:7; cp. Jas 3:18). Peace is more than the absence of conflict. It includes personal wholeness and does not depend on outside circumstances (see also Rom 5:1).

32:18 Living in safety and feeling at rest were blessings of Israel’s covenant with the Lord (see Lev 26:5-6), but the people’s sin had previously brought curses rather than blessings (cp. Isa 32:9-11).

32:19 the forest . . . the city: The godly would remain secure even with evidence of God’s judgment all around them.