Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 6. In this mountain] Zion, at Jerusalem. In his Church.
Shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast] Salvation by Jesus Christ. A feast is a proper and usual expression of joy in consequence of victory, or any other great success. The feast here spoken of is to be celebrated on Mount Sion; and all people, without distinction, are to be invited to it. This can be no other than the celebration of the establishment of Christ's kingdom, which is frequently represented in the Gospel under the image of a feast; "where many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; " Matt. viii. 11. See also Luke xiv. 16; xxiv. 29, 30. This sense is fully confirmed by the concomitants of this feast expressed in the next verse, the removing of the veil from the face of the nations, and the abolition of death: the first of which is obviously and clearly explained of the preaching of the Gospel; and the second must mean the blessing of immortality procured for us by Christ, "who hath abolished death, and through death hath destroyed him that had the power of death." Of wines on the lees "Of old wines"] Hebrews lees; that is, of wines kept long on the lees. The word used to express the lees in the original signifies the preservers; because they preserve the strength and flavor of the wine. "All recent wines, after the fermentation has ceased, ought to be kept on their lees for a certain time, which greatly contributes to increase their strength and flavor. Whenever this first fermentation has been deficient, they will retain a more rich and sweet taste than is natural to them in a recent true vinous state; and unless farther fermentation is promoted by their lying longer on their own lees, they will never attain their genuine strength and flavor, but run into repeated and ineffectual fermentations, and soon degenerate into a liquor of an acetous kind. All wines of a light and austere kind, by a fermentation too great, or too long continued, certainly degenerate into a weak sort of vinegar; while the stronger not only require, but will safely bear a stronger and often-repeated fermentation; and are more apt to degenerate from a defect than excess of fermentation into a vapid, ropy, and at length into a putrescent state. " Sir Edward Barry, Observations on the Wines of the Ancients, p. 9, 10.
Thevenot observes particularly of the Shiras wine, that, after it is refined from the lees, it is apt to grow sour. "Il a beaucoup de lie; c'est pourquoi il donne puissemment dans la teste; et pour le rendre plus traitable on le passe par un chausse d'hypocras; apres quoi il est fort clair, et moins fumeux. Ils mettent ce vin dans des grandes jarres de terres qui tiennent dix ou douze jusqu'a quatorze carabas: mais quand l'on a entame une jarre, il faut la vuider au plutost, et mettre le vin qu'on en tire dans des bouteilles ou carabas; car si l'on y manque en le laissant quelque tems apres que la jarre est entamee il se gate et s'aigrit. " Voyages, Tom. ii. p. 245. "It has much sediment, and therefore is intoxicating. In order to make it more mellow, they strain it through a hypocrates' sleeve, after which it is very clear and less heady. They lay up this wine in great earthen jars, which hold from ten to fourteen carabas: but when a jar is unstopped, it is necessary to empty it immediately, and put the wine into bottles, or carabas; for if it be left thus in the jar, it will spoil and become acid." The caraba, or girba, is a goat's skin drawn off from the animal, having no apertures but those occasioned by the tail, the feet, and the neck. One opening is left, to pour in and draw off the liquor. This skin goes through a sort of tanning process, and is often beautifully ornamented, as is the case with one of these girbas now lying before me.
This clearly explains the very elegant comparison, or rather allegory, of Jeremiah, chap. xlviii. 11; where the reader will find a remarkable example of the mixture of the proper with the allegorical, not uncommon with the Hebrew poets:- "Moab hath been at ease from his youth, And he hath settled upon his lees; Nor hath he been drawn off from vessel to vessel, Neither hath he gone into captivity: Wherefore his taste remaineth in him, And his flavor is not changed." Sir John Chardin's MS. note on this place of Jeremiah is as follows: "On change ainsi le vin de coupe en coupe en Orient; et quand on en entame une, il faut la vuider en petites coupes ou bouteilles, sans quoy il s'aigrit.
"They change the wine from vessel to vessel in the east; and when they unstop a large one, it is necessary to empty it into small vessels, as otherwise it will grow sour."
Matthew Henry Commentary
- The desolation of the land. (Is. 24:1-12) A few shall be preserved (Is. 24:13-15) God's kingdom advanced by his judgments. (Is. 24:16-23)
Is. 24:1-12 All whose treasures and happiness are laid up on earth will soon be brought to want and misery. It is good to apply to ourselves what the Scripture says of the vanity and vexation of spiri which attend all things here below. Sin has turned the earth upsid down; the earth is become quite different to man, from what it was when God first made it to be his habitation. It is, at the best, like flower, which withers in the hands of those that please themselves with it, and lay it in their bosoms. The world we live in is a world of disappointment, a vale of tears; the children of men in it are but of few days, and full of trouble, See the power of God's curse, how is makes all empty, and lays waste all ranks and conditions. Sin bring these calamities upon the earth; it is polluted by the sins of men therefore it is made desolate by God's judgments. Carnal joy will soo be at end, and the end of it is heaviness. God has many ways to imbitter wine and strong drink to those who love them; distemper of body, anguish of mind, and the ruin of the estate, will make stron drink bitter, and the delights of sense tasteless. Let men learn to mourn for sin, and rejoice in God; then no man, no event, can tak their joy from them.
Is. 24:13-15 There shall be a remnant preserved from the general ruin and it shall be a devout and pious remnant. These few are dispersed like the gleanings of the olive tree, hid under the leaves. The Lor knows those that are his; the world does not. When the mirth of carna worldlings ceases, the joy of the saints is as lively as ever, becaus the covenant of grace, the fountain of their comforts, and the foundation of their hopes, never fails. Those who rejoice in the Lor can rejoice in tribulation, and by faith may triumph when all abou them are in tears. They encourage their fellow-sufferers to d likewise, even those who are in the furnace of affliction. Or, in the valleys, low, dark, miry places. In every fire, even the hottest, in every place, even the remotest, let us keep up our good thoughts of God. If none of these trials move us, then we glorify the Lord in the fires.
Is. 24:16-23 Believers may be driven into the uttermost parts of the earth; but they are singing, not sighing. Here is terror to sinners the prophet laments the miseries he saw breaking in like a torrent; an the small number of believers. He foresees that sin would abound. The meaning is plain, that evil pursues sinners. Unsteady, uncertain ar all these things. Worldly men think to dwell in the earth as in palace, as in a castle; but it shall be removed like a cottage, like lodge put up for the night. It shall fall and not rise again; but ther shall be new heavens and a new earth, in which shall dwell nothing but righteousness. Sin is a burden to the whole creation; it is a heav burden, under which it groans now, and will sink at last. The hig ones, that are puffed up with their grandeur, that think themselves ou of the reach of danger, God will visit for their pride and cruelty. Le us judge nothing before the time, though some shall be visited. None in this world should be secure, though their condition be ever s prosperous; nor need any despair, though their condition be ever s deplorable. God will be glorified in all this. But the mystery of Providence is not yet finished. The ruin of the Redeemer's enemies mus make way for his kingdom, and then the Sun of Righteousness will appea in full glory. Happy are those who take warning by the sentence agains others; every impenitent sinner will sink under his transgression, an rise no more, while believers enjoy everlasting bliss _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew ועשׂה6213 יהוה3068 צבאות6635 לכל3605 העמים5971 בהר2022 הזה2088 משׁתה4960 שׁמנים8081 משׁתה4960 שׁמרים8105 שׁמנים8081 ממחים4229 שׁמרים8105 מזקקים׃2212
