“As It Were with a Cart Rope”

(Isa. 5:18)

Isaiah condemned those who think they can give up one sin and yet cling tenaciously to others. “Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope” (Isa. 5:18). Occasionally we cut the “cords of vanity” and let go of a favorite sin, but all too often we only periodically cast off from our cart a sin here and there rather than just letting go of the cart rope.

(Brent L. Top, A Peculiar Treasure [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997], 160.)

This verse creates an image of a beast of burden, such as a donkey or ox, pulling a cart of goods. The beast represents a wicked person and the cart represents sin. The wicked are burdened with sins, which they drag behind them, just as a beast of burden hauls its load from place to place.

The verse also suggests that vanity is the key component from which the cords are made. Many commit sins and then drag them after themselves because of vanity and pride. Sin is sometimes as difficult to break as a thick rope that is strong enough to pull a cart, but it is possible to break sin with the help of Christ. The Lord says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

(Donald W. Parry, Visualizing Isaiah [Provo, Utah: The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2001], 48.)