Woe Unto Them

Woe unto them occurs in 21 verses in Scripture. Check six of them located in Isaiah 5and see what the Father is trying to tell us.
Verse 8 Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
The world and the flesh are the two great enemies that we are in danger of being overpowered by; yet we are in no danger if we do not ourselves yield to them.
Woe - the first was against covetousness.
Join house to house - takes it to be expressive of crying and groaning, on account of future punishments; and he observes, that as there are twenty two blessings pronounced in the book of Psalms, on those that keep the Law, so there are twenty two woes pronounced by Isaiah upon the wicked.
Lay field to field - the sin of covetousness is exposed and condemned in these words; not that it is unlawful in itself for a man that has a house or field of his own to purchase another that is next unto it; but when he is insatiable, and not content with his houses and lands, but is always coveting more, this is his sin, and especially if he seeks to get them by fraud or force.
Till there be no place - for others to dwell in and possess, city, or field; till they have got all the houses in the town or city, and all the pieces of ground in the field, in their own possession.
Alone - If they could succeed, they would be placed alone in the midst of the earth, would monopolize possessions and preferment's, and engross all profits and employments to themselves. Not that it is a sin for those who have a house and a field, of they have wherewithal, to purchase another. That they alone may be the lords and owners, and all others only their tenants and servants.
Verse 11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
Woe - the second woe against intemperance.
Rise up early in the morning - To rise up early in the morning is healthful, and to rise to do business is commendable; but to spend the day in drunkenness and intemperance is very criminal, which is here meant.
They may follow - strong drink; not only drink it, but follow on to drink; diligently seek after it, where the best is to be had; go from house to house till they have found it; closely follow the drinking of it, till inebriated with it.
Strong drink - in the Greek of both Testaments, rendered by us by the general term strong drink meant properly palm wine, or date wine, which was and is still much in use in the Eastern countries. Judea was famous for the abundance and excellence of its palm trees; and consequently had plenty of this wine. In Hebrew likewise the wine has its name from its remarkably inebriating quality.
That continue until night - drinking all day till evening at their pots, with their drinking companions, even all the day till night comes, the twilight either of the evening or of the morning.
Till wine inflame them - their bodies with heat, and their souls with lust.
Verse 18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
Woe - Third woe against obstinate perseverance in sin, as if they wished to provoke divine judgments.
That draw - That is not only drawn to sin by the allurements of the world; but are active and illustrious in drawing sin to themselves.
Iniquity - An evil inclination is at first like a fine hair-string, but the finishing like a cart-rope. Wickedness increasing from small beginnings, till it arrives to a great magnitude. An evil inclination is at the beginning like a fine hair-string, but at the finishing like a thick cart-rope. By a long progression in iniquity, and a continued accumulation of sin, men arrive at length to the highest degree of wickedness; bidding open defiance to
G-d, and scoffing at his threatened judgments.
Cords of vanity - the prophet seems to refer to idol sacrifices. The victims they offered were splendidly decked out for the sacrifice. Their horns and hoofs were often gilded, and their heads dressed out with fillets and garlands. The cords of vanity may refer to the silken strings by which they were led to the altar, some of which were unusually thick. The offering for iniquity was adorned with fillets and garlands; the sin-offering with silken cords, like unto cart-ropes. Pride, in their acts of humiliation, had the upper hand.
Sin - added to sin, and one sin drawing on another, till the whole comes to an enormous length and magnitude; compared to the work of a rope-maker still increasing and lengthening his rope, with the continued addition of new materials.
Cart rope - As a long cable lengthened beyond its natural measure.
Verse 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Woe - Fourth woe against those who confound the distinctions of right and wrong.
Call evil good, and good evil - that call evil men good, and good men evil.
Put darkness for light, and light for darkness - as if the perversion of these things was not merely through ignorance and mistake, but purposely and willfully against light and knowledge; so people acted when they preferred the darkness of their rites and ceremonies, and human traditions, before the light of the glorious Gospel of Y'Shua.
Bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter - sweet shall be the words of the Law to them that do them; but bitterness ("rebellion") shall come to the wicked; and they shall know, that in the end sin is bitter to them that commit it.
Verse 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Woe - Fifth Woe against those who were so "wise in their own eyes" as to think they knew better than the prophet, and therefore rejected his warnings.
Wise in their own eyes - And yet betray such stupidity, as to call things by their wrong names; and make such a perverse judgment of them, as before described.
Prudent in their own sight - being wise above what was written; leaving the word of G-d, and following the traditions of the elders.
Verse 22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
Woe - Sixth Woe against corrupt judges, who, "mighty" in drinking "wine" (a boast still not uncommon), if not in defending their country, obtain the means of self-indulgence by taking bribes ("reward"). The two verses 22-23 are closely joined.
Mighty to drink wine - That can bear a great deal, and not be overcome and intoxicated with it but woe their strength was weakened.
Men of strength - That can bear a great deal, and not be overcome and intoxicated with it but to drink wine; by which their strength was weakened.
To mingle - To drink: the antecedent being put for the consequent: for they mingled it in order to drinking.
Mingle strong drink - not with water, but spices to make it intoxicating (Prov. 9:2, 5; SOS 8:2). Some men show not their strength in combating their enemies, but in drunkenness and debauchery.
Sins described which will bring judgments upon a people: and this perhaps is not only a charge drawn up against the particular articles of that charge, but is rather intended for warning to all people, in all ages, to take heed of these sins, as destructive both to particular persons and to communities, and exposing men to
G-d's wrath and His righteous judgments. Those are here said to be in a woeful condition, has time improved or do we fit into that era?
We are by long custom and confirmed habits so hardened in sin that we cannot get clear of it. Those that sin through infirmity are drawn away by sin; those that sin presumptuously draw iniquity to them, in spite of the oppositions of Providence and the checks of conscience. Some by sin understand the punishment of sin: they pull G-d's judgments upon their own heads as it were, with cart-ropes.
Whose who glory in it as a great accomplishment that they are able to bear a great deal of strong liquor without being overcome by it, who are mighty to drink wine, and use their strength and vigor, not in the service of their country, but in the service of their lusts. Let drunkards know from this scripture that,
1. They ungratefully abuse their bodily strength, which G-d has given them for good purposes, and by degrees cannot but weaken it.
2. It will not excuse them from the guilt of drunkenness that they can drink hard and yet keep their feet.
3. Those who boast of their drinking down others glory in their shame.
4. How light so ever men make of their drunkenness, it is a sin that will certainly lay them open to the wrath and curse of G-d.
The judgments described, which these sins would bring upon them. Let not those expect to live easily who live thus wickedly; for the righteous G-d will take vengeance! One errs in vision, and stumbles in judgment when drinking and go counter to all rules of fairness. Is it worth it all to satisfy the flesh?