Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write
grievousness which they have prescribed;
WOE UNTO THEM THAT DECREE UNRIGHTEOUS DECREES - namely, unrighteous
judges.
AND THAT WRITE GRIEVOUSNESS WHICH THEY HAVE PRESCRIBED - not the
scribes, but the magistrates who caused unjust dec... [ Continue Reading ]
To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right
from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that
they may rob the fatherless!
TO TURN ASIDE THE NEEDY FROM JUDGMENT. The effect of their conduct
is, to pervert the cause of the needy, as the Hebrew may be
transl... [ Continue Reading ]
And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation
which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where
will ye leave your glory?
WHAT WILL YE DO? - what way of escape will there be for you?
IN THE DAY OF VISITATION - of God's wrath (; ; ).
AND IN THE DESOLATI... [ Continue Reading ]
Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall
fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but
his hand is stretched out still.
WITHOUT ME - Not having me to 'flee to' (Isaiah 10:3).
THEY SHALL BOW DOWN - bereft of strength, they shall fall; or else,
th... [ Continue Reading ]
O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is
mine indignation.
O ASSYRIAN, THE ROD OF MINE ANGER, AND THE STAFF IN THEIR HAND IS
MINE INDIGNATION - rather, 'What, ho [ howy (H1945), God by this
particle summoning the Assyrian to fulfill His will; but Maurer, Woe
to the] Assyr... [ Continue Reading ]
I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the
people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to
take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
I WILL SEND HIM. "Kings' hearts are in the hand of the Lord" ().
AGAINST AN HYPOCRITICAL -... [ Continue Reading ]
Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is
in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
HOWBEIT HE MEANETH NOT SO - He is only thinking of his own schemes,
while God is overruling them to His purposes.
NEITHER DOTH HIS HEART THINK SO - intend so. Sinners' p... [ Continue Reading ]
For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
-Vauntings of the Assyrians. Illustrated by the self-laudatory
inscriptions of Assyria deciphered by Hincks.
Verse 8. (ARE) NOT MY PRINCES ALTOGETHER KINGS? Eastern satraps and
governors of provinces often had the title and diadem of kings. Henc... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed
his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the
fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his
high looks.
WHEREFORE IT SHALL COME TO PASS, (THAT) WHEN THE LORD HATH PERFORMED
HIS WHOLE W... [ Continue Reading ]
For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my
wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have For he saith, By the strength of
my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have
removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and
I have put down the... [ Continue Reading ]
And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one
gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there
was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.
MY HAND HATH FOUND AS A NEST THE RICHES OF THE PEOPLE - implying the
ease with which he carri... [ Continue Reading ]
Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or
shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the
rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the
staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
SHALL THE AX BOAST? ... - Shall the instrume... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones
leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the
burning of a fire.
THEREFORE SHALL THE LORD ... SEND AMONG HIS FAT ONES - (.) The robust
and choice soldiers of Assyria (, where "fattest" answers in the
parallel... [ Continue Reading ]
And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a
flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one
day;
THE LIGHT OF ISRAEL ... SHALL BURN ... HIS THORNS - the Assyrian's
wicked host; carrying out the image in the end of Isaiah 10:16 Yahweh,
who is a light t... [ Continue Reading ]
And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child
may write them.
THE REST - those who shall survive the destruction of the host.
OF THE TREES OF HIS FOREST - same image as in , for the once dense
army.
SHALL BE FEW, THAT A CHILD MAY WRITE THEM - so few that a child might
co... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel,
and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again
stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy
One of Israel, in truth.
THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL ... SHALL NO MORE AGAIN STAY UPON HIM THAT
SMO... [ Continue Reading ]
The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty
God.
THE REMNANT SHALL RETURN ... UNTO THE MIGHTY GOD () - the God who
shall have evinced such might in destroying Israel's enemies. Since
the Assyrians in Sennacherib's reign did not carry off Judah captive,
the returning "rem... [ Continue Reading ]
For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant
of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with
righteousness.
THOUGH THY PEOPLE ISRAEL BE AS THE SAND OF THE SEA, (YET) A REMNANT
OF THEM (HEBREW, AMONG THEM) SHALL RETURN. Paul explains the sense, ,
'Though... [ Continue Reading ]
For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined,
in the midst of all the land.
FOR THE LORD GOD OF HOSTS WILL MAKE A CONSUMPTION, EVEN DETERMINED -
`a consumption, and whatever is determined' (Maurer). But Gesenius
supports the English version. The Hebrew for "decreed," Isaiah... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest
in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a
rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of
Egypt.
THEREFORE - Return to the main proposition, Assyria's ultimate
punishment, though emp... [ Continue Reading ]
For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and
mine anger in their destruction.
FOR - be not afraid (), For, etc.
YET A VERY LITTLE WHILE, AND THE INDIGNATION SHALL CEASE - the
punishments of God against Israel shall be consummated and ended (; ,
"until the indignation be ac... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to
the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon
the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.
THE LORD OF HOSTS SHALL STIR UP A SCOURGE FOR HIM ACCORDING TO THE
SLAUGHTER OF - the stroke upon.... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken
away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the
yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
HIS BURDEN SHALL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM OFF THY SHOULDER - the Assyrians'
oppression shall be taken away (). Jud... [ Continue Reading ]
He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid
up his carriages:
Onward gradual march of Sennacherib's army toward Jerusalem, and the
panic of the inhabitants, vividly pictured before the eyes.
Verse 28 COME TO come upon as a sudden invader (Genesis 34:27) Verse
28. COME T... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror:
and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall
be humbled.
THE LORD OF HOSTS SHALL LOP THE BOUGH - literally, the beautiful
branch [ pu'raah (H6288), from paa'ar (H6286), to beautify].
THE HIGH ONES O... [ Continue Reading ]
And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and
Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.
HE SHALL CUT DOWN THE THICKETS OF THE FORESTS WITH IRON, AND LEBANON
SHALL FALL BY A MIGHTY ONE. This verse and describe the sudden arrest
and overthrow of Sennacherib in the height of his success... [ Continue Reading ]