Testimonia — Early Christian Bible Commentary

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Isaiah 33 · World English Bible

1Woe to you who destroy, but you weren’t destroyed, and who betray, but nobody betrayed you! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed; and when you have finished betrayal, you will be betrayed.

2LORD, be gracious to us. We have waited for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

3At the noise of the thunder, the peoples have fled. When you lift yourself up, the nations are scattered.

4Your plunder will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men will leap on it as locusts leap.

5The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high. He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.

6There will be stability in your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is your treasure.

7Behold, their valiant ones cry outside; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.

8The highways are desolate. The traveling man ceases. The covenant is broken. He has despised the cities. He doesn’t respect man.

9The land mourns and languishes. Lebanon is confounded and withers away. Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel are stripped bare.

10“Now I will arise,” says the LORD. “Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted.

11You will conceive chaff. You will give birth to stubble. Your breath is a fire that will devour you.

12The peoples will be like the burning of lime, like thorns that are cut down and burned in the fire.

13Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and, you who are near, acknowledge my might.”

14The sinners in Zion are afraid. Trembling has seized the godless ones. Who among us can live with the devouring fire? Who among us can live with everlasting burning?

15He who walks righteously and speaks blamelessly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from looking at evil—

16he will dwell on high. His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure.

17Your eyes will see the king in his beauty. They will see a distant land.

18Your heart will meditate on the terror. Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed? Where is he who counted the towers?

19You will no longer see the fierce people, a people of a deep speech that you can’t comprehend, with a strange language that you can’t understand.

20Look at Zion, the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won’t be removed. Its stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.

21But there the LORD will be with us in majesty, a place of wide rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars will go, neither will any gallant ship pass by there.

22For the LORD is our judge. The LORD is our lawgiver. The LORD is our king. He will save us.

23Your rigging is untied. They couldn’t strengthen the foot of their mast. They couldn’t spread the sail. Then the prey of a great plunder was divided. The lame took the prey.

24The inhabitant won’t say, “I am sick.” The people who dwell therein will be forgiven their iniquity.

World English Bible · World English Bible; source eBible.org.

Notes on Isaiah 33

1868 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Isa. xxxiii. 20.

Editorial footnote · Against Heresies, Book 3 / Chap. xx. — God showed Himself, by the fall of man, as patient, benign, merciful, mighty to save. Man is therefore most ungrateful, if, unmindful of his own lot, and of the benefits held out to him, he do not acknowledge divine grace., editorial note cite_note-388 · Original source

1870 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Isa. xxxiii. 13.

Editorial footnote · Epistle of Barnabas, The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers / THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS. / THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS. / Chap. ix.—The spiritual meaning of circumcision., editorial note f562 · Original source

1870 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Isa. xxxiii. 16. Cod. Sin. has, “thou shalt dwell.”

Editorial footnote · Epistle of Barnabas, The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers / THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS. / THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS. / Chap. xi.—Baptism and the cross prefigured in the Old Testament., editorial note f610 · Original source

1870 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Isa. xxxiii. 16-18.

Editorial footnote · Epistle of Barnabas, The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers / THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS. / THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS. / Chap. xi.—Baptism and the cross prefigured in the Old Testament., editorial note f612 · Original source

1885 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Isa. xxxiii. 13–19.

Editorial footnote · Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter LXX.—So also the mysteries of Mithras are distorted from the prophecies of Daniel and Isaiah., editorial note cite_note-267 · Original source

1885 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Isa. xxxiii. 16. Cod. Sin. has, “thou that dwell.”

Editorial footnote · The Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter XI.—Baptism and the cross prefigured in the Old Testament., editorial note cite_note-154 · Original source

1885 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Isa. xxxiii. 16–18.

Editorial footnote · The Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter XI.—Baptism and the cross prefigured in the Old Testament., editorial note cite_note-156 · Original source

1886 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Isa. xxxiii. 10, 11.

Editorial footnote · The Treatises of Cyprian, Chapter uncertain; original source section: Part 26, editorial note cite_note-2 · Original source

1886 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Isa. xxxiii. 14–17.

Editorial footnote · The Treatises of Cyprian, Chapter uncertain; original source section: Part 29, editorial note cite_note-2 · Original source

1892 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Isaiah xxxiii. 15. Observe the inversion.

Editorial footnote · Letters, Chapter uncertain; original source section: Letter 102, editorial note cite_note-6 · Original source

Date uncertain | Author uncertain

He speaks moreover concerning our ears, how He hath circumcised both them and our heart. The Lord saith in the prophet, “In the hearing of the ear they obeyed me.” And again He saith, “By hearing, those shall hear who are afar off; they shall know what I have done.” And, “Be ye circumcised in your hearts, saith the Lord.” And again He says, “Hear, O Israel, for these things saith the Lord thy God.” And once more the Spirit of the Lord proclaims, “Who is he that wishes to live for ever? By hearing let him hear the voice of my servant.” And again He saith, “Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for God hath spoken.” These are in proof. And again He saith, “Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of this people.” And again He saith, “Hear, ye children, the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” Therefore He hath circumcised our ears, that we might hear His word and believe, for the circumcision in which they trusted is abolished. For He declared that circumcision was not of the flesh, but they transgressed because an evil angel deluded them. He saith to them, “These things saith the Lord your God”—(here I find a new commandment)—“Sow not among thorns, but circumcise yourselves to the Lord.” And why speaks He thus: “Circumcise the stubbornness of your heart, and harden not your neck?” And again: “Behold, saith the Lord, all the nations are uncircumcised in the flesh, but this people are uncircumcised in heart.” But thou wilt say, “Yea, verily the people are circumcised for a seal.” But so also is every Syrian and Arab, and all the priests of idols: are these then also within the bond of His covenant? Yea, the Egyptians also practise circumcision. Learn then, my children, concerning all things richly, that Abraham, the first who enjoined circumcision, looking forward in spirit to Jesus, practised that rite, having received the mysteries of the three letters. For [the Scripture] saith, “And Abraham circumcised ten, and eight, and three hundred men of his household.” What, then, was the knowledge given to him in this? Learn the eighteen first, and then the three hundred. The ten and the eight are thus denoted—Ten by I, and Eight by H. You have [the initials of the name of] Jesus. And because the cross was to express the grace [of our redemption] by the letter T, he says also, “Three Hundred.” He signifies, therefore, Jesus by two letters, and the cross by one. He knows this, who has put within us the engrafted gift of His doctrine. No one has been admitted by me to a more excellent piece of knowledge than this, but I know that ye are worthy.

Source passage · edition’s verse reference · Epistle of Barnabas, The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers / THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS. / THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS. / Chap. ix.—The spiritual meaning of circumcision., source paragraph 174 · Original source