Isaiah 24
ืืฉืขืืื ืคืจืง ืืดื
Section: ื ืืืืื ยท ื ืืืืื ืืืจืื ืื | Book: Isaiah | Chapter: 24 of 66 | Day: 171 of 742
Date: August 1, 2026
ืงืืืื ืขื ืื ืดื
With chapter 24 the book of Isaiah undergoes a dramatic change of scale. Chapters 13-23 delivered a series of discrete oracles (ืืฉืืืช) against individual nations โ Babylon, Philistia, Moab, Damascus, Egypt, Tyre โ each judged in its own place and time. Now the canvas suddenly widens to the whole earth: โBehold, Hashem empties the earth and lays it waste, contorts its face and scatters its inhabitantsโ (24:1). Chapters 24-27, which this chapter opens, form a single sustained unit of universal judgment and universal restoration, and the very question of what โthe earthโ (ืืืจืฅ) means here divides the classical commentators. Radak on verse 1 records that โthe commentators explained this passage as referring to the exile of the ten tribes, and so it appears from the words of Chazal, and so is the view of Yonatanโ โ but he himself insists โthe correct view in my eyes is that it is futureโ (ืขืชืืื), a prophecy of the end of days, and he argues that the closing verses of the chapter prove it. Rashi takes yet another path: the devastation is aimed at Israel, but precisely as the dark prelude to the consolation of verse 14, so that โthose of you who survive until the day of redemption, they shall raise their voice and sing.โ
The judgment is first of all a great leveling. Verse 2 piles up ten social categories in five pairs โ people and priest, slave and master, maidservant and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower โ and flattens them all. Rashi explains with a captiveโs realism: when a captor marches his prisoners, the master is no longer led by his slave; before the conqueror all are equal, the buyer no longer rejoices and the seller no longer mourns. The moral ground of the catastrophe follows in verse 5: โthe earth is defiled (ืื ืคื) under its inhabitants, for they transgressed teachings, violated law, broke the ancient covenantโ (ืืจืืช ืขืืื). Rashi reads the everlasting covenant as the Torah itself, received in covenant, and hears in ืื ืคื the landโs answering deceit โ it puts forth grass but yields no grain, shows stalks with no wheat in them. Radak again reads doubly: if the passage concerns Israel, the covenant is Torah; if it concerns the nations, they broke the covenant of brotherhood by enslaving Israel โbeyond measure,โ as the prophets elsewhere charge โ โI was angry a little, and they helped for evil.โ Verse 6 adds that a curse (ืืื) consumes the earth, which Rashi refers to the sin of vain oaths, and Radak cites the teaching of Chazal that false swearing is the transgression for which punishment falls not on the sinner alone but on the whole world.
What follows in verses 7-12 is one of Tanakhโs great dirges over the death of joy. The wine mourns, the vine languishes, the merry-hearted sigh; the gladness of drums, the din of revelers, the joy of the lyre all cease; what drinking remains is done without song, and the liquor turns bitter in the mouth. Rashi pointedly connects the silenced drums to the doomed revelry of chapter 22 โ โbehold, joy and gladnessโ โ the feasting of a city that would not repent. The desolation gathers into a single image: โthe city of chaos is brokenโ (ื ืฉืืจื ืงืจืืช ืชืื), every house shut against entry, a cry over wine in the streets, and โthe joy of the earth is exiledโ โ which Rashi identifies as Jerusalem itself. Then, at verse 13, the hinge: the survivors are like the last olives left when the tree is beaten, like gleanings when the vintage is done. And those gleanings sing. โThey shall lift up their voice, they shall exult in the majesty of Hashemโ โ more exultantly, Rashi says, than Israel sang at the Sea. From the west, from the coastlands, from the wing of the earth comes the song โglory to the righteousโ (ืฆืื ืืฆืืืง). Yet the prophet himself cannot simply join it: โAnd I said, my secret is mine, my secret is mine (ืจืื ืื), woe is me โ the treacherous have dealt treacherously.โ Rashi hears two secrets revealed to Isaiah at once, the secret of retribution and the secret of salvation, with the five-fold repetition of betrayal marking the succession of empires โ plunderers after plunderers โ that must pass over Israel before the redemption arrives.
Verses 17-20 then close every exit. The famous alliterative triad ืคืื ืืคืืช ืืคื โ terror, pit, and trap โ is glossed by verse 18 itself: whoever flees the terror falls into the pit, whoever climbs from the pit is caught in the trap. Rashi turns the cascade into an eschatological sequence: whoever escapes the sword of Mashiach ben Yosef falls to the sword of Mashiach ben David, and whoever escapes that is snared in the wars of Gog. The cosmic frame returns: โthe windows on high are opened and the foundations of the earth quakeโ โ language that Radak hears as a deliberate echo of the Flood, decrees pouring from heaven like the waters of the mabul. The earth breaks, crumbles, totters in a triple Hebrew doubling, staggers like a drunkard, and sways like a melunah โ the watchmanโs flimsy hut, which Radak describes with loving precision: built light so the wind rocks it without toppling it, unless a weight sits on its roof. The weight here is ืคืฉืขื, the earthโs own transgression, and under it โit shall fall and not rise again.โ
The chapter ends above the earth altogether. โOn that day Hashem will punish the host of heaven on high and the kings of the earth on the earthโ (24:21) โ Rashi explains that the heavenly princes of the nations are cast down first, and Radak cites Ibn Ezraโs reading that these are the angelic ministers who stand for one nation and accuse another, as in the book of Daniel, so that earthly kingship falls together with its celestial patron. Both are gathered โas prisoners into the pit,โ shut in the dungeon, โand after many days they shall be rememberedโ โ a verse Rashi reads of the chambers of Gehinnom and the long-deferred accounting of sins, while Radak preserves his fatherโs tender alternative: it is Israel, locked between the empires through a long exile, whom God will remember at last. Then the finale toward which the whole chapter has been driving: โthe moon shall be abashed and the sun ashamed, for Hashem of Hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders is glory.โ The Targum cited by Rashi turns the shamed luminaries into their shamed worshippers; Radak sees created light itself outshone when the Kingship becomes visible at Jerusalem. That closing image of manifest malchut opens directly into chapters 25-27 โ the banquet on the mountain, the swallowing up of death forever, and the great shofar that gathers the scattered โ for which this chapter of emptied earth is the necessary, terrible overture.
ืคืจืง ืืดื ยท Chapter 24
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 1
Hebrew:
ืึดื ึผึตึงื ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึผืึนืงึตึฅืง ืึธืึธึืจึถืฅ ืึผืึฝืึนืึฐืงึธึืึผ ืึฐืขึดืึผึธึฃื ืคึธื ึถึืืึธ ืึฐืึตืคึดึืืฅ ืึนืฉืึฐืึถึฝืืึธื
English:
Behold, GOD will strip the earth bare,And lay it waste,And twist its surface,And scatter its inhabitants.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 2
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึธืึธึคื ืึธืขึธืึ ืึผึทืึผึนืึตึื ืึผึทืขึถึืึถืึ ืึผึทึฝืืึนื ึธึืื ืึผึทืฉืึผึดืคึฐืึธึื ืึผึทืึผึฐืึดืจึฐืชึผึธึืึผ ืึผึทืงึผืึนื ึถืึ ืึผึทืึผืึนืึตึืจ ืึผึทืึผึทืึฐืึถืึ ืึผึทืึผึนืึถึื ืึผึทื ึผึนืฉืึถึื ืึผึทืึฒืฉืึถึืจ ื ึนืฉืึถึฅื ืึฝืึนื
English:
Laity and priest shall fare alike,Slave and master,Handmaid and mistress,Buyer and seller,Lender and borrower,Creditor and debtor.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 3
Hebrew:
ืึดืึผึงืึนืงโืโืชึผึดืึผึืึนืง ืึธืึธึืจึถืฅ ืึฐืึดืึผึฃืึนืโืโืชึผึดืึผึนึื ืึผึดึฃื ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึผึดืึผึถึืจ ืึถืชึพืึทืึผึธืึธึฅืจ ืึทืึผึถึฝืื
English:
The earth shall be bare, bare;It shall be plundered, plundered;For it is GOD who spoke this word.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 4
Hebrew:
ืึธืึฐืึธึคื ื ึธึฝืึฐืึธืึ ืึธืึธึืจึถืฅ ืึปืึฐืึฐืึธึฅื ื ึธืึฐืึธึื ืชึผึตืึตึื ืึปืึฐืึธึืืึผ ืึฐืจึฅืึนื ืขึทืึพืึธืึธึฝืจึถืฅื
English:
The earth is withered, sear;The world languishes, it is sear;The most exalted people of the earthaThe most exalted people of the earth Change of vocalization yields โboth sky and earth.โ languish.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 5
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึธืึธึฅืจึถืฅ ืึธื ึฐืคึธึื ืชึผึทึฃืึทืช ืึนืฉืึฐืึถึืืึธ ืึผึดึฝืึพืขึธืึฐืจึคืึผ ืชืึนืจึนืชึ ืึธึฃืึฐืคืึผ ืึนึืง ืึตืคึตึืจืึผ ืึผึฐืจึดึฅืืช ืขืึนืึธึฝืื
English:
For the earth was defiledUnder its inhabitants;Because they transgressed teachings,Violated laws,Broke the ancient covenant.bthe ancient covenant I.e., the moral law, which is binding on all people (cf. Gen. 9.4โ6).
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 6
Hebrew:
ืขึทืึพืึผึตึื ืึธืึธืึ ืึธึฃืึฐืึธื ืึถึืจึถืฅ ืึทึฝืึผึถืึฐืฉืึฐืึืึผ ืึนึฃืฉืึฐืึตื ืึธึืึผ ืขึทืึพืึผึตึื ืึธืจืึผึ ืึนึฃืฉืึฐืึตื ืึถึืจึถืฅ ืึฐื ึดืฉืึฐืึทึฅืจ ืึฑื ึืึนืฉื ืึดืึฐืขึธึฝืจื
English:
That is why a curse consumes the earth,And its inhabitants pay the penalty;That is why earthโs dwellers have dwindled,And but few people are left.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 7
Hebrew:
ืึธืึทึฅื ืชึผึดืืจึืึนืฉื ืึปืึฐืึฐืึธืึพืึธึืคึถื ื ึถืึถื ึฐืึืึผ ืึผืืึพืฉืึดืึฐืึตืึพืึตึฝืื
English:
The new wine fails,The vine languishes;And all the merry-hearted sigh.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 8
Hebrew:
ืฉืึธืึทืชึ ืึฐืฉืึฃืึนืฉื ืชึผึปืคึผึดึืื ืึธืึทึื ืฉืึฐืึฃืึนื ืขึทืึผึดืืึดึืื ืฉืึธืึทึืช ืึฐืฉืึฅืึนืฉื ืึผึดื ึผึฝืึนืจื
English:
Stilled is the merriment of hand-drums,Ended the clamor of revelers,Stilled the merriment of lyres.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 9
Hebrew:
ืึผึทืฉืึผึดึืืจ ืึนึฃื ืึดืฉืึฐืชึผืึผึพืึธึืึดื ืึตืึทึฅืจ ืฉืึตืึธึืจ ืึฐืฉืึนืชึธึฝืืื
English:
They drink their wine without song;Liquor tastes bitter to the drinker.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 10
Hebrew:
ื ึดืฉืึฐืึผึฐืจึธึื ืงึดืจึฐืึทืชึพืชึผึนึืืึผ ืกึปืึผึทึฅืจ ืึผืืึพืึผึทึืึดืช ืึดืึผึฝืึนืื
English:
Towns are broken,cbroken Emendation yields โleft.โ empty;Every house is shut, none enter;
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 11
Hebrew:
ืฆึฐืึธืึธึฅื ืขึทืึพืึทืึผึทึืึดื ืึผึทืืึผืฆึืึนืช ืขึธึฝืจึฐืึธืึ ืึผืืึพืฉืึดืึฐืึธึื ืึผึธืึธึื ืึฐืฉืึฅืึนืฉื ืึธืึธึฝืจึถืฅื
English:
Even over wine, a cry goes up in the streets:The sun has set on all joy,The gladness of the earth is banished.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 12
Hebrew:
ื ึดืฉืึฐืึทึฅืจ ืึผึธืขึดึืืจ ืฉืึทืึผึธึื ืึผืฉืึฐืึดืึผึธึื ืึปืึผึทืชึพืฉืึธึฝืขึทืจื
English:
Desolation is left in the townAnd the gate is battered to ruins.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 13
Hebrew:
ืึผึดึฃื ืึนึฅื ืึดึฝืึฐืึถึื ืึผึฐืงึถึฅืจึถื ืึธืึธึืจึถืฅ ืึผึฐืชึฃืึนืึฐ ืึธืขึทืึผึดึืื ืึผึฐื ึนึฃืงึถืฃ ืึทึืึดืช ืึผึฐืขืึนืึตืึนึืช ืึดืึพืึผึธืึธึฅื ืึธืฆึดึฝืืจื
English:
For thus shall it be among the peoplesIn the midst of the earth:As when the olive tree is beaten out,Like gleanings when the vintage is over.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 14
Hebrew:
ืึตึืึผึธื ืึดืฉืึฐืึฅืึผ ืงืึนืึธึื ืึธืจึนึื ึผืึผ ืึผึดืึฐืึฃืึนื ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืฆึธืึฒืึืึผ ืึดืึผึธึฝืื
English:
These shall lift up their voices,Exult in GODโs majesty.They shall shout from the sea:
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 15
Hebrew:
ืขึทืึพืึผึตึฅื ืึผึธืึปืจึดึืื ืึผึทืึผึฐืึฃืึผ ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึผึฐืึดืึผึตึฃื ืึทืึผึธึื ืฉืึตึฅื ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึฑืึนืึตึฅื ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตึฝืืย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
English:
Therefore, honor GOD with lightsIn the coastlands of the seaโThe name of the ETERNAL, the God of Israel.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 16
Hebrew:
ืึดืึผึฐื ึทึจืฃ ืึธืึธึืจึถืฅ ืึฐืึดืจึนึคืช ืฉืึธืึทึืขึฐื ืึผึ ืฆึฐืึดึฃื ืึทืฆึผึทืึผึดึืืง ืึธืึนืึทึืจ ืจึธืึดืึพืึดึฅื ืจึธึฝืึดืึพืึดึื ืึฃืึนื ืึดึื ืึผึนืึฐืึดึฃืื ืึผึธืึธึืืึผ ืึผืึถึฅืึถื ืึผืึนืึฐืึดึืื ืึผึธืึธึฝืืึผื
English:
From the end of the earthWe hear singing:Glory to the righteous!And I said:dAnd I said Change of vocalization yields โThey shall say.โ I waste away! I waste away! Woe is me!The faithless have acted faithlessly;The faithless have broken faith!eI waste โฆ faith Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields โVillain [Arabic razฤซl], foolish villain! / The faithless who acted faithlessly / Have been betrayed in turn.โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 17
Hebrew:
ืคึผึทึฅืึทื ืึธืคึทึืึทืช ืึธืคึธึื ืขึธืึถึืืึธ ืืึนืฉืึตึฅื ืึธืึธึฝืจึถืฅื
English:
Terror, and pit, and trapfTerror, and pit, and trap Heb. paแธฅad wa-paแธฅath, wa-paแธฅ. Upon you who dwell on earth!
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 18
Hebrew:
ืึฐึ ืึธืึธึ ื ืึทื ึผึธึืก ืึดืงึผึคืึนื ืึทืคึผึทึืึทืึ ืึดืคึผึนึฃื ืึถืึพืึทืคึผึทึืึทืช ืึฐืึธึฝืขืึนืึถืึ ืึดืชึผึฃืึนืึฐ ืึทืคึผึทึืึทืช ืึดืึผึธืึตึื ืึผึทืคึผึธึื ืึผึดึฝืึพืึฒืจึปืึผึคืึนืช ืึดืึผึธืจืึนืึ ื ึดืคึฐืชึผึธึืืึผ ืึทึฝืึผึดืจึฐืขึฒืฉืึืึผ ืึฅืึนืกึฐืึตื ืึธึฝืจึถืฅื
English:
Whoever flees at the report of the terrorShall fall into the pit;And whoever climbs out of the pitShall be caught in the trap.For sluices are opened on high,And earthโs foundations tremble.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 19
Hebrew:
ืจึนึฅืขึธื ืึดึฝืชึฐืจึนืขึฒืขึธึื ืึธืึธึืจึถืฅ ืคึผึคืึนืจ ืึดึฝืชึฐืคึผืึนืจึฐืจึธืึ ืึถึืจึถืฅ ืึฅืึนื ืึดึฝืชึฐืืึนืึฐืึธึื ืึธึฝืจึถืฅื
English:
The earth is breaking, breaking;The earth is crumbling, crumbling.The earth is tottering, tottering;
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 20
Hebrew:
ื ึฃืึนืขึท ืชึผึธื ึคืึผืขึท ืึถึืจึถืฅึ ืึผึทืฉืึผึดืึผึืึนืจ ืึฐืึดึฝืชึฐื ืึนืึฐืึธึื ืึผึทืึผึฐืืึผื ึธึื ืึฐืึธืึทึคื ืขึธืึถึืืึธึ ืคึผึดืฉืึฐืขึธึืึผ ืึฐื ึธืคึฐืึธึื ืึฐืึนืึพืชึนืกึดึฅืืฃ ืงึฝืึผืืย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
English:
The earth is swaying like a drunkard;It is rocking to and fro like a hut.Its iniquity shall weigh it down,And it shall fall, to rise no more.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 21
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึธืึธืึ ืึผึทืึผึฃืึนื ืึทืึืึผื ืึดืคึฐืงึนึงื ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืขึทืึพืฆึฐืึธึฅื ืึทืึผึธืจึืึนื ืึผึทืึผึธืจึืึนื ืึฐืขึทืึพืึทืึฐืึตึฅื ืึธืึฒืึธืึธึื ืขึทืึพืึธืึฒืึธืึธึฝืื
English:
In that day, GOD will punishThe host of heaven in heavenAnd the kings of the earth on earth.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 22
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึปืกึผึฐืคึจืึผ ืึฒืกึตืคึธึคื ืึทืกึผึดืืจึ ืขึทืึพืึผึืึนืจ ืึฐืกึปืึผึฐืจึืึผ ืขึทืึพืึทืกึฐืึผึตึืจ ืึผืึตืจึนึฅื ืึธืึดึืื ืึดืคึผึธืงึตึฝืืึผื
English:
They shall be gathered in a dungeonAs captives are gathered;And shall be locked up in a prison.But after many days they shall be remembered.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 23
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึธึฝืคึฐืจึธืึ ืึทืึผึฐืึธื ึธึื ืึผืืึนืฉืึธึื ืึทืึทืึผึธึื ืึผึดึฝืึพืึธืึทึืึฐ ืึฐืึนืึธึฃื ืฆึฐืึธืึืึนืช ืึผึฐืึทึคืจ ืฆึดืึผืึนืึ ืึผืึดืืจึฃืึผืฉืึธืึทึอึดื ืึฐื ึถึฅืึถื ืึฐืงึตื ึธึืื ืึผึธืึฝืึนืืย {ืค}
English:
Then the moon shall be ashamed,And the sun shall be abashed.For GOD of Hosts will reignOn Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,And the Presence will be revealed to Godโs elders.
โถCommentaries (1)