10 For days beyond a year you will be troubled, you careless women; for the vintage shall fail. The harvest won't come.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Days above a year. [1] By these words he declares that the calamity will be of long duration; for it is no slight consolation in adversity, when the distresses which must otherwise have been endured by us with grief and sorrow pass quickly away. But when no end and no mitigation of sorrows, no comfort or hope of deliverance is held out to us, what can be left but despair? He therefore threatens not only that they shall endure them for one year, but that afterwards they must look for new afflictions. You shall tremble. By this word he indirectly stings their slothfulness, by declaring that they who grudged to listen to calm instruction shall be dragged forth with trembling and alarm. As the Jews were excessively anxious about earthly blessings and perishing food, he addresses their senses by threatening a scarcity of wine and wheat. If they had been more thoroughly purified from grovelling desires, he would rather have threatened what Jeremiah deplores in his Lamentations, that "the sacrifices and festivals had ceased, and that the holy assemblies were discontinued." (Lamentations 1:7.) But, because they were sunk in their pleasures, and had not made such proficiency as to know the value of spiritual blessings, the Prophet accommodates himself to their ignorance, and addresses their bellies rather than their understandings. He speaks of the desolation of the fields, which would be the necessary consequence of that calamity; for abundance and plenty commonly give rise to ease and indifference. "The Lord will therefore," says he, "deprive you of all food, and shake off your slothfulness, and take away all ground of confidence." Accordingly, we are here reminded that we ought not to sleep in the midst of prosperity, nor imagine that we are safe, as if we could expect uninterrupted prosperity in the world. But we ought to use with moderation the gifts of God, if we do not wish to be suddenly aroused, and to be overwhelmed when we are off our guard, and to feel the heavier distress because we did not look for a change of our affairs.
1 - "Many days and years; (Heb. days above a year.)" -- Eng. Ver. "In a year and more." -- Alexander. "Shortly after a year; Heb. days upon a year: that is, the time will soon come after the expiration of one year, when ye shall be troubled with a dearth." -- Stock
Many days and years - Margin, 'Days above a year.' This is a literal translation of the Hebrew. Septuagint, 'Make mention of a day of a year in sorrow, with hope.' Targum, 'Days with years.' Kimchi supposes it means 'two years.' Grotius supposes it means 'within three years.' Various other interpretations may be seen in Poole's Synopsis. Gesenius renders it, 'For a year's time,' according to the common expression 'a year and a day,' denoting a complete year, and supposes that it means a considerable time, a long period. The phrase literally means 'the days. upon (or beyond) a year,' and may denote a long time; as the entire days in a year would denote a long period of suffering. Lowth renders it, not in accordance with the Hebrew, 'Years upon years.' Noyes, 'One year more, and ye shall tremble.' Perhaps this expresses the sense; and then it would denote not the length of time which they would suffer, but would indicate that the calamities would soon come upon them.
For the vintage shall fail - A large part of the wealth and the luxury of the nation consisted in the vintage. When the vine failed, there would be, of course, great distress. The sense is, that in consequence of the invasion of the Assyrians, either the people would neglect to cultivate the lands, or they would fail to collect the harvest. This might occur either from the dread of the invasion, or because the Assyrian would destroy everything in his march.
Many days and years shall ye be troubled, (g) ye careless women: (h) for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.
(g) Meaning that the affliction would continue long and when one year was past, yet they should look for new plagues.
(h) God will take from you the means and opportunities, which made you contemn him: that is, abundance of worldly goods.
Many days and years shall ye be troubled,.... Or, "days above a year" (k); a year, and somewhat more, yet not two years; which some understand of the time from this prophecy, until their troubles began, by the invasion of Sennacherib; and others of the continuance of it, it lasting more than a year; or, "days with a year"; so Kimchi, days upon a year, year upon year, one year after another; and so denotes a long duration of their troubles; and so the troubles of the Jews, before their utter destruction by the Romans, lasted a great while, and since to this day; for the prophecy respects those times. Kimchi says it may be interpreted of the destruction of the whole land of Israel, and of the destruction of the temple in the days of Zedekiah; or of the destruction of the second temple, that is, by the Romans:
for the vintage shall fail; being spoiled by the enemy, or taken for their own use; and so there would be no wine to cheer their hearts, and make them merry:
the gathering shall not come; of the other fruits of the earth; when the time of ingathering should come, at which there was a feast that bore that name, there should be none to be gathered in; the consequence of which must be a famine, and such there was before and at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.
(k) "dies super annum", Vatablus; "dies ultra annum", Cocceius.
Many days and years--rather, "In little more than a year" [MAURER]; literally, "days upon a year" (so Isaiah 29:1).
vintage shall fail--through the arrival of the Assyrian invader. As the wheat harvest is omitted, Isaiah must look for the invasion in the summer or autumn of 714 B.C., when the wheat would have been secured already, and the later fruit "gathering," and vintage would be still in danger.
The vintage shall fail - During the time of the Assyrian invasion. The gathering - Of the other fruits of the earth.
*More commentary available at chapter level.