CHAPTER 24 Jun. 1 
Punishment on the Whole Land
Behold, Yahweh creates the earth empty, creates it waste, turns it upside down, and scatters its inhabitants. 2It will be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the creditor, so with the debtor; as with the taker of interest, so with the giver of interest. 3The earth will be utterly emptied and utterly laid waste; for Yahweh has spoken this word. 4The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away; the proud people of the earth languish. 5The earth also is polluted under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant. 6Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell therein are found guilty. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. 7The new wine mourns, the vine languishes. All the merry-hearted sigh, 8the mirth of tambourines ceases, the sound of those who rejoice ends, the joy of the harp ceases. 9They will not drink wine with a song, strong drink will be bitter to those who drink it. 10The confused city is broken down, every house is shut up so that no man may come in. 11There is a crying in the streets because of the wine- all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. 12The city is left in desolation, and the gate is struck with destruction. 13For it will be so in the midst of the earth among the peoples, as the shaking of an olive tree, as the gleanings when the vintage is done. 14These shall lift up their voice, they will shout for the majesty of Yahweh, they cry aloud from the sea. 15Therefore glorify Yahweh in the east, even the name of Yahweh the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea! 16From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs of glory to the righteous! But I said, I pine away! I pine away! Woe is me! The treacherous have dealt treacherously, yes, the treacherous have dealt very treacherously. 17Fear, the pit and the snare are on you who inhabitant the earth. 18It will happen that he who flees from the noise of the fear will fall into the pit; and he who comes up out of the midst of the pit will be taken in the snare; for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. 19The earth is utterly broken. The earth is torn apart, the earth is shaken violently, 20the earth will stagger like a drunken man, and will sway back and forth like a hammock. Its disobedience will be heavy on it, and it will fall and not rise again. 21It shall happen in that day that Yahweh will punish the army of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth on the earth. 22They shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison; and after many days shall they be visited. 23Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Yahweh of Armies will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before His elders will be glory.

Commentary

24:1 The earth, moon and sun (:23) are clearly spoken of figuratively, to describe the system of things in Judah- see on 1:2. However, often in this chapter we must remember that the Hebrew eretz translated “earth” can mean both the earth as in the whole planet, and also “the land”, as specifically the land of Israel or the land promised to Abraham.
Empty… waste is an allusion to how the earth was originally empty and waste in Gen. 1:2 (the same Hebrew words are used). The implication is that God was going to make a new creation with Judah out of the emptiness which His judgments would create. Again we see that God even has a creative purpose in the destruction of the wicked and judgment of our sins- hence to make something empty and waste is in fact to create something. Yet even this intended new creation of Judah after the 70 years captivity didn’t work out; the concept has been reapplied to how by baptism in Christ, we become a new creation once we have allowed God to make empty and waste our old personality (2 Cor. 5:17).
24:4 The world languishes... the proud people of the earth languish- We could probably understand “the world” here and often in the prophets as referring to people, i.e. society, rather than any reference to the physical planet.
24:16 Isaiah’s sorrow to the extent of wanting to pine away is purposefully juxtaposed alongside the reference to the fact that there would be a righteous remnant out of all the destruction. This is to show how pained he was at the fact that so many would be lost. We noted his extreme compassion for those who left or never knew God’s ways in the note on 16:9.