Isaiah 5:20-21

5:20 Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead, ¹ 

who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,

who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. ² 

5:21 Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, ³ 

those who think they possess understanding. ⁴ 

[5:20]  ¹ tn Heb “Woe [to] those who call.” See the note at v. 8.

[5:20]  ² sn In this verse the prophet denounces the perversion of moral standards. Darkness and bitterness are metaphors for evil; light and sweetness symbolize uprightness.

[5:21]  ³ tn Heb “Woe [to] the wise in their own eyes.” See the note at v. 8.

[5:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “[who] before their faces are understanding.”