Chapter 33

     One could easily develop a reasonably strong argument to
include this chapter in with the ch. 28-32 block and the more I
look at it the more I think that it should be.  But, what does
separate it from those preceding it is the literary structure.  In
this chapter Isaiah presents a masterful psalm whose subject is
largely derivative of that of ch. 28-32, but also interweaves a
number of classically psalmic subjects.  (I am not really all that
excited by psalms so if you really dig them you will be
disappointed by my glossing over some of the stuff associated with
that particular form of literature, but feel free to comment on
them yourself and post to the list.)

     Note the numerous footnote emendations in the JPS rendition. 
Pretty much all of the translations have difficulty with some parts
of this chapter and provide various methods of dealing with them
from textual dislocation (as is the case with the JPS) to
emendation, especially verses 20 on.  We see then that the text has
suffered some over the ages for one reason or another.  As such, I
will develop interpretations for those passages (particularly v. 21
and 23) and label them as tentative pending a better copy of
Isaiah.  The general meaning of the chapter is easily discerned,
its just that the meaning of a couple of the verses is obscure.

     Given the potential of cross references of the "destroyer"
referred to in this chapter with 27:1 and chapter 14 one can easily
develop an interpretation that applies to the adversary.  As this
interpretation is fairly obvious I will not bother to comment on it
at length.  Except that with the destruction with all mortal
destroyers and the wicked in general on the Day of the Lord, the
adversary would be left with no minions on the earth.

     Overall, in this chapter Isaiah presents an antithesis between
the Lord and the "destroyer", both of which characters are dealt
with repeatedly by him previously in this book. But, here the
rhetorical structure is that of pleading with the Lord in behalf of
his people, typical of prophets from Moses on down to modern times. 
The chapter follows this pattern:

     A. (v. 1) Destroyer to be destroyed
     B. (v. 2) Lord is the Deliverer
          Aa. (v. 3) Wicked nations scattered by Lord
          Ab. (v. 4) Their plunder is physical
          Ba. (v. 5) Zion established by Lord
          Bb. (v. 6) Their plunder is spiritual
     A. (v. 7-9) What the destroyers have brought upon Israel
     B. (v. 10-13) What the Lord will bring upon the destroyers
     A. (v. 14) Sinners in Zion destroyed
     B. (v. 15-16) Righteous in Zion exalted
     A. (v. 17-19) Destroyers banished
     B. (v. 20-24) Zion established

v1  The JPS rendering does not use the exact term "destroyer" but
just about all of the other modern translations do and the term
employed by them is pretty much a synonym.  Isaiah uses these kinds
of descriptors elsewhere in describing both Assyria and Babylon. 
As is the case with 10:15-19 the Lord states that once this
destroyer has fulfilled his purposes and destroyed the wicked among
Israel, He will then destroy the destroyer of Israel.

v2 is a psalmic plea to the Lord for protection and deliverance. 
Compare Ps. 123:3, 77:15, 98:1, 89:14 and 68:20-23.  This contrasts
v. 1 in that here is a prophet pleading for his people, where the
previous verse is a prophet condemning a people.

v3  The Lord's great and powerful voice causes the wicked nations
to flee, cp. 17:13, 29:6 and 30:30; cp. 31:4 for the "roaring".

v4  The JPS rendering and interpretation provided in the footnotes
is obtuse.  A better rendering (i.e. one I like better) is provided
by the NAS:

     And your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
     As locusts rushing about, men rush about on it.

I would interpret the references to the locusts to be akin to the
symbolism employed in Joel 1:4, Nahum 3:15-17, Amos 7:1, Jer. 56:23
and 51:27 (also cf. Judges 6:4-5 and 7:12 for the root of the
symbolism) where the invading armies are compared to locusts.  The
loot being gathered here is obviously physical loot that is a
result of conquest.

v5 contrasts v. 3 as it presents the Lord as supporting Zion while
v. 3 presents the Lord scattering and smiting the wicked nations.

v6 presents the wealth of those who dwell in Zion under the
protection of the Lord as spiritual wealth of faithfulness, wisdom,
devotion and reverence.  Contrast this with the plunder of v. 4. 
This kind of spiritual wealth is typical of the Proverbs.

v7-9 presents Isaiah as the prophet pleading with the Lord for
mercy on those being afflicted by the destroyer.  In v. 7 Isaiah
uses two poetical names for those at Jerusalem, see the JPS
footnotes.  Verse 8a-b and v. 9 present what the destroyer has done
to all of Judah's country surrounding Jerusalem, both near and far
(the various cities mentioned in v. 9 were cities under Judah's
protection that were scattered about Judah's territories at various
distances and directions from Jerusalem, so the image Isaiah wants
to present is that of all of the lands of Judah being afflicted by
the destroyer).  Thus, Isaiah present their beleaguered condition
to the Lord and begs for retribution.

v8c-e presents some difficulties as the meaning of the Hebrew
appears to obscure.  Following the JPS emendations one could
develop the interpretation that Isaiah is appealing to the
Abrahamic covenant in the same manner as Moses did in Exod. 32:11-
14.  In this case Isaiah would be saying to the Lord that if He did
not come and save them the covenant with Abraham would be
renounced, and the Lord cannot allow that to happen.  Following a
more literal reading of the unemended text we would develop the
interpretation that it is in reference to the failure of the
political alliances with Egypt (cf. ch. 31) to protect the Lord's
people so they are now left with the Lord as their only defense. 
So, Isaiah comes and begs the Lord to come and save them.

v9 cp. 2:13 and 24:4-5.

v10-13 presents a series of statements by the Lord that are largely
derivative of the psalms (v. 10 cp. Ps. 12:4 and 17:13 and on v. 13
cp. Ps. 98:2).  The Lord will show Himself to be exalted in the
great and terrible Day of the Lord as He reveals Himself and
destroys His enemies.  His enemies shall be burned up and consumed
entirely, compare 30:27-33 and Joel 2:5 for Assyria as the object
of the Lords burning wrath and 5:24 for Israel as the object of the
Lord's burning wrath.

v11  That they are giving birth to hay and straw probably means
that the works of their hands or their acts result in their
condition being such that they catch flame quickly in the heat of
the Lord's wrath.  So, they are figurative straw for the figurative
burning, compare 27:11.

v14  Again Isaiah makes use of psalmic themes, cp. Ps. 15:1-15,
24:3-5 and 50:1-5.  Note that these psalms invoke a temple theme
(where the burnings are reference to the sacrificial altar) and the
theme of dwelling in the Lord's presence.  These sinners in Zion
(cp. 29:9-15) are stuck with fear as the Lord reveals Himself. 
While the righteous in Zion would rejoice at the appearance of the
Lord of Deliverance (i.e. the fire would represent the fires of
sanctification), those who are wicked will be smitten rather then
delivered (i.e. the fires of consumption).  Note that the Assyrian
invaders are likened to a fiery scourge elsewhere in Isaiah, but
here in comparison to the Lord's eternal burning that scourge is
nothing (that scourge does not put the fear of God into them, but
this one strikes them with fear).  The latter portion of the verse
then poses a rhetorical question that can be attributed to those
sinners in Zion (or more broadly the inhabitants of Zion in
general, but the righteous ones would already know the answer to
the question so they would not bother to pose it in the first
place) and answered in the following verses, cp. Mal. 3:2.  For the
devouring fire of the Lord, cp. Deut. 4:24 and 9:3, Exod. 19:18.

v15-16  Here Isaiah or perhaps even the Lord responds to the
question of the previous verse.  The answer is a summary of the
Torah (i.e. the Law of Moses or Pentateuch), cp. Exod. 18:21 and
23:8, Lev. 19:13, Deut. 10:17, 16:19 and 27:25.  Thus, those who
are spared the Lord's wrath and can dwell in the midst of His
burnings (i.e. Temple from v. 14) are those that keep the Law. 
Then verse 16 goes on to present a number of typical covenant
blessings (cp. Deut. 28:5) those who dwell with the Lord will
enjoy, and these again are largely derivative of psalms (cp. Ps.
144:2, 111:4-5). 

v15e-f  If we were to liken this passage to ourselves we would
render it:

     Stops his ears against listening to the radio,
     Stops his eyes against looking at television.

v16  On the symbolism employed here, contrast 30:20.  Also consider
the number of times Jesus referred to himself as the provider of
and personification of the bread and water of life in the NT (also
cp. 55:1-2).

v17-19  The traditional interpretation on this passage is that when
the Lord comes to establish Himself (v. 17), He will banish the
occupying heathen nations who collect taxes (v. 18) and ultimately
eliminate these foreign nations altogether (v. 19, cp. 28:11, Deut.
28:49; but also cp. 19:18 where Isaiah compares religion to
language which would make this a critique of the foreign nation's
religion).  The JPS rendering is sufficiently ambiguous to present
an alternative interpretation as well.  Which would be that with
the establishment of the Lord as King (v. 17), He will cause them
to prosper to such a degree that the people will be overwhelmed by
the wealth and number of buildings so that they will not be able to
express their awe (v. 18, with the interpretation on 19 staying the
same).  If one were to adopt the latter interpretation they would
shift v. 17-18 up and group it with v. 16 so as to keep the A-B
pattern, but overall either interpretation suits me fine as both
have cross references to support them and neither presents anything
novel.

     One will note that the JPS offers an emendation on v. 17a that
changes "a king in his beauty" to "perfection of beauty".
Superficially this would look as though they were seeking to avoid
the potential messianic aspects of the "king", but checking the
cross reference of Ps. 50:2 shows that this is not the case.  They
are simply being faithful to the psalmic nature of this chapter.

v20-24 present a number of images that are intended to show the
establishment of Zion.  Verse 20 contrasts the eschatological Zion
with the Tabernacle in the Wilderness during the forty years
wandering and states Zion will not be moved as was the Tabernacle. 
Verse 21 is where things getting messy, so see below.  Verse 22
announces that the Lord Himself will be the ruler and Lawgiver in
Zion (cp. Ps. 46:7-11).  Verse 23 states that all in Zion will
gather "booty", even the lame.  Here Isaiah is obviously invoking
the previously made definition from v. 6 that the booty of them at
Zion is spiritual wealth.  And then v. 24 closes out the chapter
with a statement that alludes to the elimination of both physical
and spiritual ills in Zion.

v21  Just about all translations differ to some degree in how they
deal with this text, so the interpretations also vary.  The JPS
rendering dislocates some text from v. 23 and groups is all
together based on apparent subject.  Their rendering also presents
the images as a metaphor for the Lord, "the Lord in His greatness
shall be for us like...".  They then provide an interpretation in
the footnotes of the metaphor being a land that cannot be invaded
warships as the water is too shallow or my armies as the water is
too broad.  Another possible interpretation is that Isaiah is
referring to the collapse of the merchant trade and the subsequent
rotting of their trading vessels (cp. ch. 23 where Tyre is
condemned) with the establishment of Zion because there all people
would live the United Order.  If you do not dislocate the text from
v. 23 you could come up with the interpretation that the spoil
those at Zion will gather will not only be spiritual but also
physical as they will inherit the wealth of the wicked nations who
have just been destroyed by looting the abandoned warships.