Discovery BoxIsaiah 1:19 
Context1:19 If you have a willing attitude and obey, 1
then you will again eat the good crops of the land.
Isaiah 5:21-22
Context5:21 Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, 2
those who think they possess understanding. 3
5:22 Those who are champions 4 at drinking wine are as good as dead, 5
who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.
Isaiah 10:1
Context10:1 Those who enact unjust policies are as good as dead, 6
those who are always instituting unfair regulations, 7
Isaiah 18:1
Context18:1 The land of buzzing wings is as good as dead, 8
the one beyond the rivers of Cush,
1 tn Heb “listen”; KJV “obedient”; NASB “If you consent and obey.”
2 tn Heb “Woe [to] the wise in their own eyes.” See the note at v. 8.
3 tn Heb “[who] before their faces are understanding.”
sn Verses 18-21 contain three “woe-sayings” that are purely accusatory and have no formal announcement of judgment attached (as in the “woe-sayings” recorded in vv. 8-17). While this lack of symmetry is odd, it has a clear rhetorical purpose. Having established a pattern in vv. 8-17, the prophet deviates from it in vv. 18-21 to grab his audience’s attention. By placing the “woes” in rapid succession and heaping up the accusatory elements, he highlights the people’s guilt and introduces an element of tension and anticipation. One is reasonably certain that judgment will come, and when it does, it will be devastating. This anticipated devastation is described in frightening detail after the sixth and final woe (see vv. 22-30).
4 tn The language used here is quite sarcastic and paves the way for the shocking description of the enemy army in vv. 25-30. The rich leaders of Judah are nothing but “party animals” who are totally incapable of withstanding real warriors.
5 tn Heb “Woe [to]….” See the note at v. 8.
6 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who decree evil decrees.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
7 tn Heb “[to] the writers who write out harm.” The participle and verb are in the Piel, suggesting repetitive action.
8 tn Heb “Woe [to] the land of buzzing wings.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
sn The significance of the qualifying phrase “buzzing wings” is uncertain. Some suggest that the designation points to Cush as a land with many insects. Another possibility is that it refers to the swiftness with which this land’s messengers travel (v. 2a); they move over the sea as swiftly as an insect flies through the air. For a discussion of the options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:359-60.
