Isaiah 1:4

A seed - The children of wicked parents, whose guilt they inherit, and whose evil example they follow. Corrupters - Hebrew. that corrupt themselves, or others by their counsel and example. Backward - Instead of proceeding forward and growing in grace.

Ah sinful nation,..... Or "sinning nation" (y); that was continually sinning, doing nothing else but sin, the reverse of what they were chosen to be, Deu 7:

The prophet bemoans those that would not bemoan themselves: Alas for them! He speaks with holy indignation at their degeneracy, and a dread of the consequences of it. How he aggravates their sin, and shows the malignity that there was in it,

It was a heavy charge that was exhibited against them, and one which they could never clear themselves from; their wickedness was upon them as a talent of lead, Zec. v. 7, 8 . Their sin, as it did easily beset them and they were prone to it, was a weight upon them, Heb. xii.

Ah sinful nation “Degenerate” - Five MSS., one of them ancient, read משחתים moschathim, without the first י yod, in hophal corrupted, not corrupters. See the same word in the same form, and in the same sense, Pro 25:26. Are corrupters “Are estranged” - Thirty-two MSS., five ancient, and two editions, read נזורו nazoru; which reading determines the word to be from the root זור zur, to alienate, not from נזר nazar, to separate; so Kimchi understands it. See also Annotat. in Noldium,

So "nation--people--seed children." provoked--literally, "despised," namely, so as to provoke (Pr 1:30, 31). Holy One of Israel--the peculiar heinousness of their sin, that it was against their God (Am 3:2). gone . . . backward--literally, "estranged" (Ps 58:3).

Ah! sinful nation - The word rendered ‘ah!’ - הוי hôy - is not a mere exclamation, expressing astonishment. It is rather an interjection denouncing threatening, or punishment. ‘Wo to the sinful nation.’ Vulgate, ‘Vae genti peccatrici.’ The corruption pertained to the nation, and not merely to a part. It had become general. Laden with iniquity - The word translated “laden” - כבד kebed - denotes properly anything “heavy,” or burdensome; from כבד kâbad, “to be heavy.” It means that they were oppressed, and borne down with the “weight” of their sins. Thus we say, Sin sits “heavy” on the conscience. Thus Cain said, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear;’ Gen 4:13. The word is applied to an “employment” as being burdensome; Exo 18:18: ‘This thing is too “heavy” for thee.’ Num 11:14: ‘I am not able to bear eli this people alone; it is too “heavy” for me.’ It is applied also to a “famine,” as being heavy, severe, distressing. Gen 12:10: ‘For the famine was “grievous” (כבד kâbed, heavy) in the land;’ Gen 41:31. It is also applied to “speech,” as being heavy, dull, unintelligible. Exo 4:10: ‘I am slow (heavy כבד kebad) of speech, and of a slow (heavy כבד kebad) tongue.’ It is not applied to sin in the Scriptures, except in this place, or except in the sense of making atonement for it. The idea however, is very striking - that of a nation - an entire people, bowed and crushed under the enormous weight of accumulated crimes. To pardon iniquity, or to atone for it, is represented by bearing it, as if it were a heavy burden. […]