For the present, however, Jerusalem was saved from this extremity. The omnipotence of God had mercifully preserved it: "Unless Jehovah of hosts had left us a little of what had escaped, we had become like Sodom, we were like Gomorrah." Sarid (which is rendered inaccurately σπέρμα in the Sept.; cf., Romans 9:29) was used, even in the early Mosaic usage of the language, to signify that which escaped the general destruction (Deuteronomy 2:34, etc.); and כּמעט (which might very well be connected with the verbs which follow: "we were very nearly within a little like Sodom," etc.) is to be taken in connection with sarid, as the pausal form clearly shows: "a remnant which was but a mere trifle" (on this use of the word, see Isaiah 16:14; 2 Chronicles 12:7; Proverbs 10:20; Psalm 105:12). Jehovah Zebaoth stands first, for the sake of emphasis. It would have been all over with Israel long ago, if it had not been for the compassion of God (vid., Hosea 11:8). And because it was the omnipotence of God, which set the will of His compassion in motion, He is called Jehovah Zebaoth, Jehovah (the God) of the heavenly hosts - an expression in which Zebaoth is a dependent genitive, and not, as Luzzatto supposes, an independent name of God as the Absolute, embracing within itself all the powers of nature. The prophet says "us" and "we." He himself was an inhabitant of Jerusalem; and even if he had not been so, he was nevertheless an Israelite. He therefore associates himself with his people, like Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:22. He had had to experience the anger of God along with the rest; and so, on the other hand, he also celebrates the mighty compassion of God, which he had experienced in common with them. But for this compassion, the people of God would have become like Sodom, from which only four human beings escaped: it would have resembled Gomorrah, which was absolutely annihilated. (On the prefects in the protasis and apodosis, see Ges. 126, 5.)

Isaiah 1:15 Parallel Commentaries

when

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

1 Kings 8:22,54 And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel...

Ezra 9:5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell on my knees...

Job 27:8,9,20 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he has gained, when God takes away his soul...

Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Psalm 134:2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.

Proverbs 1:28 Then shall they call on me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

Jeremiah 14:12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them...

Ezekiel 8:17,18 Then he said to me, Have you seen this, O son of man...

Micah 3:4 Then shall they cry to the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time...

Zechariah 7:13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, said the LORD of hosts:

Luke 13:25-28 When once the master of the house is risen up, and has shut to the door, and you begin to stand without, and to knock at the door...

1 Timothy 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

I will

Isaiah 58:7 Is it not to deal your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor that are cast out to your house? when you see the naked...

Psalm 55:1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not yourself from my supplication.

make many prayers. Heb. multiply prayer

Matthew 6:7 But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 23:14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer...

your hands

Isaiah 59:2,3 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear...

Jeremiah 7:8-10 Behold, you trust in lying words, that cannot profit...

Micah 3:9-11 Hear this, I pray you, you heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment...

blood. Heb. bloods