Isaiah 5 18

Isaiah 5:18 kjv

Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

Isaiah 5:18 nkjv

Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as if with a cart rope;

Isaiah 5:18 niv

Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes,

Isaiah 5:18 esv

Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes,

Isaiah 5:18 nlt

What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them
with ropes made of lies,
who drag wickedness behind them like a cart!

Isaiah 5 verses

Isaiah 5 18 Meaning

Isaiah 5:18 pronounces a "Woe!" upon those who are so entrenched in sin that they actively and strenuously "pull iniquity" towards themselves "with cords of vanity" and "sin" as if with "cart ropes." This vivid imagery describes individuals who are not merely falling into sin but are energetically pursuing and binding themselves to it, making it their very occupation. They become entangled by their own deceptions (vanity) and laborious efforts in wickedness, dragging the weight of their transgression towards them, ultimately leading to divine judgment.

Isaiah 5 18 Context

Isaiah chapter 5 begins with the "Song of the Vineyard," portraying Israel (Judah) as God's vineyard, lovingly cultivated but producing only wild, bitter grapes (sin). Following this parable, the prophet pronounces a series of six "woes" (or seven in some interpretations) upon various social injustices and moral failures rampant in Judah. Each woe condemns a specific vice that demonstrates the people's rebellion against God and their departure from righteousness. Verse 18 is the third woe, immediately preceding the fourth in verse 19, which explicitly links the pursuit of sin with a scoffing challenge to God's intervention. Historically, this prophecy arises during a time of moral decline in Judah, preceding the Assyrian and later Babylonian exiles. It directly critiques the spiritual complacency, active idolatry, social injustice, and rejection of prophetic warnings prevalent among the nation's elite and general populace. It polemicizes against the prevalent belief that material prosperity indicated divine favor regardless of moral conduct, and that God was either indifferent or too slow to act on their sins.

Isaiah 5 18 Word analysis

• Woe! (הוֹי, hôy): Not merely an exclamation of sorrow, but a prophetic pronouncement of judgment and lament, often marking the start of a dirge or an indictment carrying a curse. It signifies impending doom.
• to those who draw (הַמֹּשְׁכִ֨ים, hammosh'kîm): The Hebrew verb māshaḵ (מָשַׁךְ) means "to draw," "to drag," "to pull." The participle form emphasizes an ongoing, active, and habitual pulling motion. It suggests deliberate and continuous effort.
• iniquity (עָוֺ֗ן, ʿāwōn): Refers to moral evil, perversity, guilt, and the punishment due to it. It implies a conscious deviation from God's moral standard, an inner crookedness.
• with cords of vanity (בְּחַבְלֵי־שָׁוְא֙, b'ḥablê-shāw'):
  • cords (חַבְלֵי, ḥablê): Ropes, measuring lines, snares. They signify connection, binding, or a means of pulling. Here, they symbolize the means by which they actively engage with sin.
  • vanity (שָׁוְא, shāw'): Emptiness, futility, falsehood, worthlessness, deception. It refers to that which is insubstantial, brings no true gain, and ultimately deceives. This suggests that the motivations and tools they use for sin are inherently empty and deceptive promises, leading to nothing substantial but ruin. This term is often used in relation to idols or false gods (e.g., Exodus 20:7 for "take His name in vain," Deut 32:21).
• and sin as with a cart rope (וּבַעֲגָלָ֖ה חַטָּאָֽה, ûva'agālāh ḥaṭṭāʾāh):
  • cart rope (עֲגָלָה, ʿagālāh): A heavy rope or harness for pulling a cart or wagon, suggesting great strength and substantial effort. The image is of pulling a massive burden.
  • sin (חַטָּאָֽה, ḥaṭṭāʾāh): Missing the mark, guilt, transgression. It encompasses both the act and its consequences. The phrase describes a laborious, persistent, and determined effort to accumulate sin, as if making it their chief enterprise. They do not merely stumble into sin; they are like a beast of burden straining to pull it, implying a large, ever-increasing quantity of transgression.

Isaiah 5 18 Bonus section

The phrase "pulling iniquity with cart ropes" emphasizes the profound, sustained effort some individuals exert to commit and increase their sin, much like an ox or donkey straining against a heavy load. It illustrates a chosen and intentional path of wickedness, where sin is not merely a failing but a desired product or destination. This speaks to a deeply corrupted will and a rebellious spirit that not only dismisses God's law but actively engages in its subversion. The 'cords of vanity' suggest that their motivation for doing this work of sin is based on things that are ultimately worthless or deceptive – perhaps material gain, social power, fleeting pleasure, or a distorted sense of freedom, all of which ultimately prove to be empty and destructive. This passage anticipates the New Testament teachings on spiritual bondage (John 8:34; Rom 6:16-19) and the inevitable consequences of persistently rejecting God (Rom 2:5-9). The imagery itself serves as a warning against hardening one's heart to the point of actively welcoming one's own destruction.

Isaiah 5 18 Commentary

Isaiah 5:18 vividly condemns a people whose sin is not passive or accidental but fiercely active and deliberate. The imagery progresses from ordinary "cords" of "vanity" – implying an initial deceptive allure or connection to emptiness – to "cart ropes" that are used to pull "sin." This progression suggests an escalating commitment to wickedness. Those under this woe have actively bound themselves to empty pursuits and deception, harnessing themselves with powerful determination to drag the weighty burden of their transgressions. They find their occupation in accumulating evil, thereby effectively dragging divine judgment directly towards themselves. The verse underscores that continuous, deliberate sin brings with it a self-imposed bondage and a certain, heavy recompense. It is a striking picture of humanity working diligently not for righteousness, but for its own destruction by embracing all that is futile and against God's holy character.

• Example: A person who systematically develops intricate schemes to defraud others, investing significant time and intellect, rather than simply stumbling into a lie, exemplifies pulling "iniquity with cart ropes."
• Example: Someone who consistently rejects all moral appeals and delights in mocking divine standards, always finding new ways to indulge in what is forbidden, is actively drawing sin toward themselves.