16 For this cause the Lord, the Lord of armies, will make his fat become wasted; and in his inner parts a fire will be lighted like a burning flame.
And he gave them their request, but sent a wasting disease into their souls.
And the Lord sent an angel who put to death all the men of war and the chiefs and the captains in the army of the king of Assyria. So he went back to his country in shame. And when he came into the house of his god, his sons, the offspring of his body, put him to death there with the sword.
For this cause the Lord is sending on them the waters of the River, deep and strong, even the king of Assyria and all his glory: and it will come up through all its streams, overflowing all its edges:
For every boot of the man of war with his sounding step, and the clothing rolled in blood, will be for burning, food for the fire.
The Lord has taken an oath, saying, My design will certainly come about, and my purpose will be effected: To let the Assyrian be broken in my land, and crushed under foot on my mountains: there will his yoke be taken away from them, and his rule over them come to an end. This is the purpose for all the earth: and this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For it is the purpose of the Lord of armies, and who will make it of no effect? when his hand is stretched out, by whom may it be turned back?
And it will be in that day that the glory of Jacob will be made small, and the strength of his body will become feeble.
And the army of your attackers will be like small dust, and all the cruel ones like dry stems gone before the wind; suddenly it will come about. The Lord of armies will come in with thunder and earth-shaking and great noise, with rushing wind and storm, and the flame of burning fire. And all the nations making war on Ariel, and all those who are fighting against her and shutting her in with their towers, will be like a dream, like a vision of the night. And it will be like a man desiring food, and dreaming that he is feasting; but when he is awake there is nothing in his mouth: or like a man in need of water, dreaming that he is drinking; but when he is awake he is feeble and his soul is full of desire: so will all the nations be which make war on Mount Zion.
And the Lord will send out the sound of his great voice, and they will see his arm stretched out, with the heat of his wrath, and the flame of a burning fire; with a cloud-burst, and storm, and a rain of ice. For through the voice of the Lord the Assyrian will be broken, and the Lord's rod will be lifted up against him. And every blow of the rod of his punishment, which the Lord will send on him, will be with the sound of music: and with the waving of his sword the Lord will make war against him. For a place of fire has long been ready; yes, it has been made ready for the king; he has made it deep and wide: it is massed with fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of fire, puts a light to it.
Now will I come forward, says the Lord; now will I be lifted up; now will my power be seen. Your designs will be without profit, and their effect will be nothing: you will be burned up by the fire of my breath. And the peoples will be like the burning of chalk: as thorns cut down, which are burned in the fire. Give ear, you who are far off, to what I have done: see my power, you who are near. The sinners in Zion are full of fear; the haters of God are shaking with wonder. Who among us may keep his place before the burning fire? who among us may see the eternal burnings?
And Isaiah said to them, This is what you are to say to your master: The Lord says, Be not troubled by the words which the servants of the king of Assyria have said against me in your hearing. See, I will put a spirit into him, and bad news will come to his ears, and he will go back to his land; and there I will have him put to death.
Because your wrath against me and your pride have come to my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my cord in your lips, and I will make you go back by the way you came.
And the angel of the Lord went out and put to death in the army of the Assyrians a hundred and eighty-five thousand men: and when the people got up early in the morning, there was nothing to be seen but dead bodies.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Isaiah 10
Commentary on Isaiah 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
Isa 10:1-4. Fourth strophe.
1. them that decree—namely, unrighteous judges.
write grievousness, &c.—not the scribes, but the magistrates who caused unjust decisions (literally, "injustice" or "grievousness") to be recorded by them (Isa 65:6) [Maurer], (Isa 1:10, 23).
2. To turn aside, &c.—The effect of their conduct is to pervert the cause of the needy [Horsley]. In English Version "from judgment" means "from obtaining justice."
take away the right—"make plunder of the right" (rightful claim) [Horsley].
3. what will ye do—what way of escape will there be for you?
visitation—of God's wrath (Isa 26:14; Job 35:15; Ho 9:7).
from far—from Assyria.
leave … glory—rather, "deposit (for safekeeping) your wealth" [Lowth]. So Ps 49:17.
4. Without me—not having Me to "flee to" (Isa 10:3).
bow down—Bereft of strength they shall fall; or else, they shall lie down fettered.
under … under—rather, "among" (literally, "in the place of") [Horsley]. The "under" may be, however, explained, "trodden under the (feet of the) prisoners going into captivity," and "overwhelmed under the heaps of slain on the battlefield" [Maurer].
Isa 10:5-34 and Isa 11:12. Destruction of the Assyrians; Coming of Messiah; Hymn of Praise.
Isa 10:9, 11 show that Samaria was destroyed before this prophecy. It was written when Assyria proposed (a design which it soon after tried to carry out under Sennacherib) to destroy Judah and Jerusalem, as it had destroyed Samaria. This is the first part of Isaiah's prophecies under Hezekiah. Probably between 722 and 715 B.C. (see Isa 10:27).
5. O Assyrian, &c.—rather, "What, ho (but Maurer, Woe to the) Assyrian! He is the rod and staff of Mine anger (My instrument in punishing, Jer 51:20; Ps 17:13). In their hands is Mine indignation" [Horsley, after Jerome]. I have put into the Assyrians' hands the execution of Mine indignation against My people.
6. send him—"Kings' hearts are in the hand of the Lord" (Pr 21:1).
hypocritical—polluted [Horsley].
nation—Judah, against whom Sennacherib was forming designs.
of my wrath—objects of My wrath.
give … charge—(Jer 34:22).
and to tread, &c.—Horsley translates: "And then to make him (the Assyrian) a trampling under foot like the mire of the streets" (so Isa 10:12; Isa 33:1; Zec 10:5). But see Isa 37:26.
7. meaneth not so—He is only thinking of his own schemes, while God is overruling them to His purposes.
think—intend. Sinners' plans are no less culpable, though they by them unconsciously fulfil God's designs (Ps 76:10; Mic 4:12). So Joseph's brethren (Ge 50:20; Pr 16:4). The sinner's motive, not the result (which depends on God), will be the test in judgment.
heart to destroy … not a few—Sennacherib's ambition was not confined to Judea. His plan was also to conquer Egypt and Ethiopia (Isa 20:1-6; Zec 1:15).
8-11. Vauntings of the Assyrians. Illustrated by the self-laudatory inscriptions of Assyria deciphered by Hincks.
princes … kings—Eastern satraps and governors of provinces often had the title and diadem of kings. Hence the title, "King of kings," implying the greatness of Him who was over them (Eze 26:7; Ezr 7:12).
9. Is not … as—Was there any one of these cities able to withstand me? Not one. So Rab-shakeh vaunts (Isa 36:19).
Calno—Calneh, built by Nimrod (Ge 10:10), once his capital, on the Tigris.
Carchemish—Circesium, on the Euphrates. Taken afterwards by Necho, king of Egypt; and retaken by Nebuchadnezzar: by the Euphrates (Jer 46:2).
Hamath—in Syria, north of Canaan (Ge 10:18). Taken by Assyria about 753 B.C. From it colonists were planted by Assyria in Samaria.
Arpad—near Hamath.
Samaria—now overthrown.
Damascus—(Isa 17:1, 3).
10, 11. found—unable to resist me: hath overcome (so Ps 21:8).
and whose—rather, "and their." This clause, down to "Samaria," is parenthetical.
excel—were more powerful. He regards Jerusalem as idolatrous, an opinion which it often had given too much ground for: Jehovah was in his view the mere local god of Judea, as Baal of the countries where it was adored, nay, inferior in power to some national gods (Isa 36:19, 20; 37:12). See in opposition, Isa 37:20; 46:1.
As my hand … shall I not, as I have—a double protasis. Agitation makes one accumulate sentences.
12. whole work—His entire plan is regard to the punishment of the Jews (Isa 10:5-7).
Zion—the royal residence, the court, princes and nobles; as distinguished from "Jerusalem," the people in general.
fruit—the result of, that is, the plants emanating from.
stout—Hebrew, "greatness of," that is, pride of.
glory—haughtiness.
13. I am prudent—He ascribes his success to his own prudence, not to God's providence.
removed the bounds—set aside old, and substituted new boundaries of kingdoms at will. A criminal act, as Jehovah Himself had appointed the boundaries of the nations (De 32:8).
treasures—"hoarded treasures" [Horsley].
put down … inhabitants like, &c.—rather, "as a valiant man, I have brought down (from their seats) those seated" (namely, "on thrones"; as in Ps 2:4; 29:10; 55:19). The Hebrew for "He that abideth," is He that sitteth on a throne); otherwise, "I have brought down (as captives into Assyria, which lay lower than Judea; therefore 'brought down,' compare Isa 36:1, 10), the inhabitants" [Maurer].
14. nest—implying the ease with which he carried off all before him.
left—by the parent bird.
none … moved … wing—image from an angry bird resisting the robbery of its "nest."
peeped—chirped even low (Isa 8:19). No resistance was offered me, of deed, or even word.
15. Shall the instrument boast against Him who uses it? Through free in a sense, and carrying out his own plans, the Assyrian was unconsciously carrying out God's purposes.
shaketh it—moves it back and forward.
staff … lift … itself … no wood—rather, "as if the staff (man, the instrument of God's judgments on his fellow man) should set aside (Him who is) not wood" (not a mere instrument, as man). On "no wood" compare De 32:21, "that which is not God;" Isa 31:8 shows that God is meant here by "not wood" [Maurer].
16. fat ones—(Isa 5:17). The robust and choice soldiers of Assyria (Ps 78:31, where "fattest" answers in the parallelism to "chosen," or "young men," Margin).
leanness—carrying out the image on "fat ones." Destruction (Ps 106:15). Fulfilled (Isa 37:36).
his glory—Assyria's nobles. So in Isa 5:13, Margin; Isa 8:7.
kindle—a new image from fire consuming quickly dry materials (Zec 12:6).
17, 18. light of Israel—carrying out the image in the end of Isa 10:16. Jehovah, who is a light to Israel, shall be the "fire" (De 4:24; Heb 12:29) that shall ignite the "thorns," (the Assyrians, like dry fuel, a ready prey to flame).
18. glory of his forest—The common soldiers, the princes, officers, &c., all alike together, shall be consumed (see on Isa 9:18).
in one day—(Isa 37:36).
fruitful field—literally, "Carmel," a rich mountain in the tribe of Asher. Figurative for Sennacherib's mighty army. Perhaps alluding to his own boasting words about to be uttered (Isa 37:24), "I will enter the forest of his Carmel."
soul and body—proverbial for utterly; the entire man is made up of soul and body.
as when a standard bearer fainteth—rather, "they shall be as when a sick man" (from a Syriac root) wastes away." Compare "leanness," that is, wasting destruction (Isa 10:16) [Maurer]. Or, "there shall be an entire dissipation, like a perfect melting" (namely, of the Assyrian army) [Horsley].
19. rest—those who shall survive the destruction of the host.
his forest—same image as in Isa 10:18, for the once dense army.
child … write—so few that a child might count them.
20-22. The effect on the "remnant" (contrasted with the Assyrian remnant, Isa 10:19); namely, those who shall be left after the invasion of Sennacherib, will be a return from dependence on external idolatrous nations, as Assyria and Egypt (2Ki 18:21; 16:7-9), to the God of the theocracy; fulfilled in part in the pious Hezekiah's days; but from the future aspect under which Paul, in Ro 9:27, 28 (compare "short work" with "whole work," Isa 10:12, here), regards the whole prophecy, the "remnant," "who stay upon the Lord," probably will receive their fullest realization in the portion of Jews left after that Antichrist shall have been overthrown, who shall "return" unto the Lord (Isa 6:13; 7:3; Zec 12:9, 10; 14:2, 3; Zep 3:12).
21. mighty God—(Isa 9:6) the God who shall have evinced such might in destroying Israel's enemies. As the Assyrians in Sennacherib's reign did not carry off Judah captive, the returning "remnant" cannot mainly refer to this time.
22. yet—rather in the sense in which Paul quotes it (Ro 9:27), "Though Israel be now numerous as the sand, a remnant only of them shall return"—the great majority shall perish. The reason is added, Because "the consumption (fully completed destruction) is decreed (literally, decided on, brought to an issue), it overfloweth (Isa 30:28; 8:8) with justice"; that is, the infliction of just punishment (Isa 5:16) [Maurer].
23. even determined—"A consumption, and whatever is determined," or decreed [Maurer].
midst—Zion, the central point of the earth as to Jehovah's presence.
land—Israel. But the Septuagint, "in the whole habitable world." So English Version (Ro 9:28), "upon the earth."
24. Therefore—Return to the main proposition, Assyria's ultimate punishment, though employed as God's "rod" to chastise Judea for a time.
O my people—God's tenderness towards His elect nation.
after the manner of Egypt—as Egypt and Pharaoh oppressed thee. Implying, too, as Israel was nevertheless delivered from them, so now it would be from the Assyrian Sennacherib. The antithesis in Isa 10:26 requires this interpretation [Maurer].
25. For—Be not afraid (Isa 10:24), for, &c.
indignation … cease—The punishments of God against Israel shall be consummated and ended (Isa 26:20; Da 11:36). "Till the indignation be accomplished," &c.
mine anger—shall turn to their (the Assyrians') destruction.
26. slaughter of—"stroke upon."
Midian—(Isa 9:4; Jud 7:25).
as his rod was upon the sea—rather, understanding "stroke" from the previous clause, "according to the stroke of His rod upon the Red Sea" (Ex 14:16, 26). His "rod" on the Assyrian (Isa 10:24, 26) stands in bold contrast to the Assyrian used as a "rod" to strike others (Isa 10:5).
after the manner of Egypt—as He lifted it up against Egypt at the Red Sea.
27. his burden—the Assyrians' oppression (Isa 9:3). Judah was still tributary to Assyria; Hezekiah had not yet revolted, as he did in the beginning of Sennacherib's reign.
because of—(Ho 10:15).
the anointing—namely, "Messiah" (Da 9:24). Just as in Isa 9:4-6, the "breaking of the yoke of" the enemies' "burden and staff" is attributed to Messiah, "For unto us a child is born," &c., so it is here. Maurer not so well translates, "Because of the fatness"; an image of the Assyrians fierce and wanton pride drawn from a well-fed bull tossing off the yoke (De 32:15). So Isa 10:16 above, and Isa 5:17, "fat ones."
28-32. Onward gradual march of Sennacherib's army towards Jerusalem, and the panic of the inhabitants vividly pictured before the eyes.
come to—come upon as a sudden invader (Ge 34:27).
Aiath—same as Ai (Jos 7:2; Ne 7:32). In the north of Benjamin; so the other towns also; all on the line of march to Jerusalem.
Michmash—nine miles northeast of Jerusalem.
laid up … carriages—He has left his heavier baggage (so "carriages" for the things carried, Ac 21:15) at Michmash, so as to be more lightly equipped for the siege of Jerusalem. So 1Sa 17:22; 25:13; 30:24 [Jerome and Maurer].
29. passage—the jaws of the wady or defile at Michmash (1Sa 13:23; 14:4, 5).
lodging—their quarters for the night, after having passed the defile which might have been easily guarded against them.
Ramah—near Geba; seven miles from Jerusalem.
Gibeah of Saul—his birthplace and residence, in Benjamin (1Sa 11:4), distinct from Gibeah of Judah (Jos 15:57).
30. daughter of Gallim—Gallim and her sons (see on Isa 1:8; 2Ki 19:21). "Cry aloud in consternation."
Laish—not the town in Dan (Jud 18:7), but one of the same name near Jerusalem (1 Maccabees 9:9).
Anathoth—three miles from Jerusalem in Benjamin; the birthplace of Jeremiah. "Poor" is applied to it in pity, on account of the impending calamity. Others translate, Answer her, O Anathoth.
31. Madmenah—not the city in Simeon (Jos 15:31), but a village near Jerusalem.
removed—fled from fear.
gather themselves to flee—"put their goods in a place of safety" [Maurer].
32. that day—literally, "As yet this (one only) day (is allowed to the soldiers) for remaining (halting for rest) at Nob"; northeast of Jerusalem on Olivet; a town of the priests (Ne 11:32).
daughter—rightly substituted for the Chetib reading, house. His "shaking his hand" in menace implies that he is now at Nob, within sight of Jerusalem.
33. bough—literally, the "beauty" of the tree; "the beautiful branch."
high ones of stature—"the upright stem," as distinguished from the previous "boughs" [Horsley].
34. This verse and Isa 10:33 describe the sudden arrest and overthrow of Sennacherib in the height of his success; Isa 10:18, 19; Eze 31:3, 14, &c., contain the same image; "Lebanon" and its forest are the Assyrian army; the "iron" axe that fells the forest refers to the stroke which destroyed the one hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians (2Ki 19:35). The "Mighty One" is Jehovah (Isa 10:21; Isa 9:6).