Teks -- Isaiah 28:4 (NET)

28:4 The withering flower, its beautiful splendor, situated at the head of a rich valley, will be like an early fig before harvest– as soon as someone notices it, he grabs it and swallows it.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: Isa 28:4 - He eateth

Which, as soon as a man sees he plucks it off, and devours it, as soon as he can get it into his hand. And so shall it be with Ephraim's glory, which his enemies shall devour greedily.

JFB: Isa 28:4

Rather, "the fading flower, their glorious beauty (Isa 28:1), which is on the head of the fat (fertile) valley, shall be as the early fig" [G. V. SMITH]. Figs usually ripened in August; but earlier ones (Hebrew bikkurah, Spanish bokkore) in June, and were regarded as a delicacy (Jer 24:2; Hos 9:10; Mic 7:1).

JFB: Isa 28:4 - while it is yet

That is, immediately, without delay; describing the eagerness of the Assyrian Shalmaneser, not merely to conquer, but to destroy utterly Samaria; whereas other conquered cities were often spared.

Clarke: Isa 28:4

The hasty fruit before the summer "The early fruit before the summer"- "No sooner doth the boccore , (the early fig), draw near to perfection in the middle or latter end of June, than the kermez or summer fig begins to be formed, though it rarely ripens before August; about which time the same tree frequently throws out a third crop, or the winter fig, as we may call it. This is usually of a much longer shape and darker complexion than the kermez , hanging and ripening upon the tree even after the leaves are shed; and, provided the winter proves mild and temperate, is gathered as a delicious morsel in the spring; "Shaw, Travels, p. 370, fol. The image was very obvious to the inhabitants of Judea and the neighboring countries, and is frequently applied by the prophets to express a desirable object; by none more elegantly than by Hos 9:10 : -

"Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel

Like the first ripe fig in her prime, I saw your fathers.

Which when he that looketh upon it seeth "Which whoso seeth, he plucketh it immediately"- For יראה yireh , which with הראה haroeh makes a miserable tautology, read, by a transposition of a letter, יארה yoreh ; a happy conjecture of Houbigant. The image expresses in the strongest manner the great ease with which the Assyrians shall take the city and the whole kingdom, and the avidity with which they shall seize the rich prey without resistance.

Calvin: Isa 28:4 - And the excellence of its glory // As the hasty fruit before the summer

4.And the excellence of its glory He repeats nearly the same words; for we know how difficult it is to terrify and humble those who have been blinded by prosperity, and whose eyes success covers in the same manner that fatness would. As Dionysius the Second, ²¹³ in consequence of gorging himself at unseasonable banquets, was seized with such blindness that he constantly stumbled, so pleasures and luxuries blind the minds of men in such a manner that they no longer know either God or themselves. The Prophet therefore inculcates the same truth frequently on the minds of men who were stupid and amazed, that they might understand what would otherwise have appeared to them to be incredible. ²¹⁴

As the hasty fruit before the summer He now illustrates the subject by another metaphor exceedingly beautiful and appropriate; for the first-ripe fruits are indeed highly commended, because they go before others, and hold out the expectation of the rest of the produce; but they last but a short time, and cannot be preserved, for they are quickly eaten up either by pregnant women, or by children, or by men who do not make a proper selection of their food. He says that the happiness of the Israelites will be of that sort, because their flourishing prosperity will not be of long duration, but will be swallowed up in a moment. What Isaiah declared about the kingdom of Israel, applies also to the whole world. By their ingratitude men prevent all the goodness which the Lord has bestowed on them from reaching maturity; for we abuse his blessings and corrupt them by our wickedness. The consequence is, that hasty and short-lived fruits are produced, which could not yield to us continual nourishment.

TSK: Isa 28:4 - shall be // the hasty // eateth

shall be : Isa 28:1; Psa 73:19, Psa 73:20; Hos 6:4, Hos 9:10,Hos 9:11, Hos 9:16, Hos 13:1, Hos 13:15; Jam 1:10,Jam 1:11

the hasty : ""No sooner,""says Dr. Shaw, ""doth the boccore (or early fig) draw near to perfection in the middle or latter end of June, than the kermez or summer fig, begins to be formed, though it rarely ripens before August; about which time the same tree frequently throws out a third crop, or winter fig, as we may call it. This is usually of a much longer shape and darker complexion than the kermez hanging and ripening upon the tree, even after the leaves are shed; and, provided the winter proves mild and temperate, is gathered as a delicious morsel in the spring.""Mic 7:1; Nah 3:12; Rev 6:13

eateth : Heb. swalloweth

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Isa 28:4 - As the hasty fruit

As the hasty fruit which coming before the season, and before other fruits, is most acceptable; which as soon as a man sees he covets it, and plucks it off, yet doth not long enjoy it, but through greediness devours it almost as soon as he can get it into his hand. And so shall it be with Ephraim’ s glory, which his enemies, as soon as they observe, shall covet and spoil, and devour it greedily, and with delight.

Haydock: Isa 28:4 - Up

Up. Theglathphalassar was captivated with the beauty of the country, and made it tributary. But Salmanasar, fearing a revolt, destroyed it, 4 Kings xvii. 4.

Gill: Isa 28:4 - And the glorious beauty which is on the head of the fat valley // shall be a fading flower // and as the hasty fruit before the summer // which when he that looketh upon it seeth it // while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up

And the glorious beauty which is on the head of the fat valley,.... Meaning the riches and fruitfulness of the ten tribes, and especially of Samaria the head of them:

shall be a fading flower; as before declared, Isa 28:1 and here repeated to show the certainty of it, and to awaken their attention to it:

and as the hasty fruit before the summer; the first ripe fruit, that which is ripe before the summer fruits in common are. The Septuagint render it the first ripe fig; and so the Targum and Aben Ezra:

which when he that looketh upon it seeth it; that it is goodly and desirable, and so gathers it, Mic 7:1,

while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up; and as soon as he has got it into his hand, he cannot keep it there to look at, or forbear eating it, but greedily devours it, and swallows it down at once; denoting what a desirable prey the ten tribes would be to the Assyrian monarch, and how swift, sudden, and inevitable, would be their destruction.