ISAIAH 24 - Learn how to decipher the Hebrew word Erets; its all about the context. 7.26.24 Study

Isa 24:1 Behold, the LORD lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface, and scatters its inhabitants.

This is an overall comment that Elohim will make the earth empty and make it waste. The Hebrew term translated "earth" is erets. It could be referring to the whole earth, or it could mean the "land," referring to the land of Israel and the surrounding countries. We are given greater detail of what He will do and how He will do it in other verses in this section.

Isa 24:2 And the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the maid like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the debtor.

Elohim is not a respecter of persons. No one will be treated any different in judgment. It will not matter if they were master, servant, slave, or free. The inclusiveness of this listing of those to be judged is interesting. In the first three listings (people-priest, servant-master, and maid-mistress), those that are under the control are listed first, and those controlling are listed last. In the last three listings (buyer-seller, lender-borrower and creditor-debtor), the controlling agent is listed first. No one will be among the privileged when they stand before Elohim in judgment.

Isa 24:3 The earth will be completely laid waste and completely despoiled, for the LORD has spoken this word.

All the earth (or land) is going to be laid waste and despoiled (or pillaged or plundered).

Isa 24:4 The earth mourns and withers, the world fades and withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away.

In the first three verses, Isaiah was speaking in the future tense. In this section, it appears that Isaiah is witnessing these things happening. It would appear that Isaiah is being transported to these events as they are happening. Isaiah was apparently transported to other sites and times in other visions in previous chapters also. The earth is personified as mourning, fading away, and languishing. The Hebrew term used for "world" is tebel, which means "inhabited world." People are languishing. The world and the people will be totally powerless.

Isa 24:5 The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant.

The earth (or land) itself must be judged because it was defiled by it's inhabitants. The land is defiled because they transgressed Torah.

(Lev 18:24-30, 20:22-26, Jer 3:1-3, Micah 2:10).

This also helps explain a passage Paul wrote in Romans 8:20-22.

Isa 24:6 Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.

The Hebrew word for "curse" is alah. It is said that an "alah" devours the earth (land). That is what we see today. The people are guilty and the inhabitants of the land will be burned. Few men (those that are Elohim's people) are left.

(Lev 26:22, Deut 28:62, Matt. 7:14).

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