INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 10 This chapter contains denunciations of punishment, first on the governors of the Jewish nation, and then upon the Assyrians; a woe is denounced on the makers and imposers of bad laws, whereby the poor and the needy, the widows and the fatherless, were deprived of their rig... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE UNTO THEM THAT DECREE UNRIGHTEOUS DECREES,.... Or, "O ye that decree", c. הוי being a sign of the vocative case, and an interjection of calling, as Aben Ezra observes though the Targum and other versions understand it of a threatening denounced; and is to be understood as lying against lawgivers... [ Continue Reading ]
TO TURN ASIDE THE NEEDY FROM JUDGMENT,.... Such laws being made as discouraged them from any application for justice; and, when they did, were harassed with such long, vexatious, and expensive suits, as obliged them to desist, and the cause being generally given against them, and for the rich: AND... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHAT WILL YE DO IN THE DAY OF VISITATION,.... Not in a way of grace and mercy, but of wrath and anger, as the following clause explains it, when God should come and punish them for their sins; and so the Targum, "what will ye do in the day that your sins shall be visited upon you?'' it designs... [ Continue Reading ]
WITHOUT ME THEY SHALL BOW DOWN UNDER THE PRISONERS, AND THEY SHALL FALL UNDER THE SLAIN,.... That is, either, being forsaken by me, and destitute of my help, they shall bow down; or, "because they are without me", are not my people, and do not hearken to me, therefore they shall bow down, so David K... [ Continue Reading ]
O ASSYRIAN, THE ROD OF MINE ANGER,..... Either as calling him to come against the land of Israel to spoil it, so Kimchi; or as grieving that he was obliged to make use of him in such a manner against his people; or as threatening him with ruin. So the Targum, Septuagint, and all the Oriental version... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL SEND HIM AGAINST A HYPOCRITICAL NATION,.... The people of Israel, who might well be called so, since everyone of them was a hypocrite, Isaiah 9:17 pretending to love, fear, and serve the Lord, when it was only outwardly, and by profession, and not in deed, and in truth; their character contai... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT HE MEANETH NOT SO, NEITHER DOTH HIS HEART THINK SO,.... His purposes, intentions, and thoughts, were not as the Lord's; he did not imagine that he was only the rod of his anger, and the staff of his indignation, a minister of his wrath, and the executioner of his vengeance; he thought he was... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE SAITH, [ARE] NOT MY PRINCES ALTOGETHER KINGS?] Meaning either the kings which he had conquered, which were become his princes and subjects; or rather, such were the greatness and glory of his nobles, that they were equal in their riches and dominions to kings, and so were able to furnish him... [ Continue Reading ]
[IS] NOT CALNO AS CARCHEMISH?.... Jarchi's note is, "as the children of Carchemish are princes and rulers, so are the children of Calno;'' as if this was giving an instance of the grandeur of his subjects; but much better is the Targum, "as Carchemish is subdued before me, shall not Calno be so?'... [ Continue Reading ]
AS MY HAND HATH FOUND THE KINGDOMS OF THE IDOLS,.... Which worship idols, as the Targum paraphrases it. He speaks of them as being very easily taken by him; he had no trouble in subduing them; no sooner did he come up to them, and looked on them, and saw where they were, but they fell into his hands... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL I NOT, AS I HAVE DONE TO SAMARIA, AND HER IDOLS,.... Kimchi observes, that what is said in the preceding verses was said before Samaria was taken, but this after it was taken: SO DO TO JERUSALEM, AND HER IDOLS; he had taken Samaria, and carried the ten tribes captive, and now his eye was upon... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE IT SHALL COME TO PASS,.... It shall surely be; what God has purposed in his heart, and published in his word, shall certainly be fulfilled: [THAT] WHEN THE LORD HATH PERFORMED HIS WHOLE WORK UPON MOUNT ZION, AND ON JERUSALEM; in correcting, chastising, and humbling the inhabitants thereof... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE SAITH, BY THE STRENGTH OF MY HAND I HAVE DONE [IT],.... Meaning either that by the power of his army, which was under his command, or by his own personal valour, he had subdued kings, taken their kingdoms and chief cities, and ascribes nothing to the power aud providence of God; and if such a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MY HAND HATH FOUND AS A NEST THE RICHES OF THE PEOPLE,.... With that ease as a man finds a nest of birds, and takes them: AND AS ONE GATHERETH EGGS [THAT ARE] LEFT; by the bird, who not sitting upon them, there is none to protect them; whereas, when they are sat upon by the bird, she will flutt... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL THE AXE BOAST ITSELF AGAINST HIM THAT HEWETH THEREWITH?.... Hitherto are the words of the Assyrian monarch; and here begin the words of the prophet, rebuking him for his pride, and deriding his vain boasting, in attributing that to himself, to his wisdom and power, who was but an instrument, w... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE SHALL THE LORD, THE LORD OF HOSTS,.... Because of the pride, and arrogance, and vain boasting of the Assyrian monarch, which was resented by the Lord, he is threatened with what follows; and in order to humble him, and to show that God is above him, these titles are used; "the Lord", the L... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LIGHT OF ISRAEL SHALL BE FOR A FIRE,.... That is, the Lord, who is the light of his people; who enlightens them by his word and Spirit, and by his grace effectually calls them out of darkness into marvellous light, to the light of grace here, and to the light of glory hereafter; and who comf... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL CONSUME THE GLORY OF HIS FOREST,.... The Assyrian army is compared to a "forest", for the number of men in it; and for the mighty men in it, comparable to large and tall trees, such as oaks and cedars; and like a wood or forest a numerous army looks, when in rank and file, in proper order,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE REST OF THE TREES OF HIS FOREST SHALL BE FEW,.... Which were left unconsumed, that escaped this destruction, those of the Assyrian army that fled with Sennacherib their king; which, the Rabbins say r, were no more than ten, as Jarchi and Kimchi observe; yea, some say there were but five left... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY,.... Here begins a prophecy relating to the people of Israel, and concerns things that should befall them after the destruction of the Babylonish monarchy, which after Nebuchadnezzar did not last long; there were but two kings after him mentioned in Scripture, E... [ Continue Reading ]
THE REMNANT SHALL RETURN,.... This is said in allusion to Shearjashub, the name of Isaiah's son, Isaiah 7:3 which signifies "the remnant shall return", and was imposed on him, to give assurance of it; meaning, either that they should return from the Babylonish captivity, as they did, or to God by re... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOUGH THY PEOPLE ISRAEL BE AS THE SAND OF THE SEA,.... These words are spoken either by the Lord to the prophet, calling Israel his people; or by the prophet to Hezekiah, as Jarchi and Kimchi think; or they may be rendered thus, "for though thy people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea" s; th... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE LORD GOD OF HOSTS SHALL MAKE A CONSUMPTION,.... Not of the land of Judea, as at the destruction of Jerusalem; but the meaning is, that he that is Lord of all, who does what he pleases in the armies above and below, will execute and accomplish a precise and absolute decree of his, concerning... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD OF HOSTS,.... Since there is such a decree, and this will certainly be executed: O MY PEOPLE, THAT DWELLEST IN ZION; the inhabitants of Jerusalem; such of them especially as feared the Lord, and worshipped him, and served him in the temple: BE NOT AFRAID OF THE AS... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR YET A VERY LITTLE WHILE,.... Within a few days; for in a very short time after Sennacherib was come up against Jerusalem his army was destroyed by an angel: AND THE INDIGNATION SHALL CEASE; the indignation of the Lord against his people Israel, shown by bringing the Assyrian monarch against the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD OF HOSTS SHALL STIR UP A SCOURGE FOR HIM,.... The Assyrian monarch; this scourge stirred up or awakened by the Lord, with which that monarch was severely scourged, is no other than the angel that was sent of God to destroy his army, 2 Kings 19:35: ACCORDING TO THE SLAUGHTER OF MIDIAN A... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY, [THAT] HIS BURDEN SHALL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM OFF THY SHOULDER,.... The tax or tribute imposed upon Hezekiah by the king of Assyria, 2 Kings 18:14: AND HIS YOKE FROM OFF THY NECK; the same with the burden; unless it means also the subjection of the cities of Juda... [ Continue Reading ]
HE IS COME TO AIATH,.... In this and the following verses is prophetically described the expedition of Sennacherib to Jerusalem, when he either went from Assyria, or returned from Egypt thither; and the several places are mentioned, through or by which he passed, or near to which he came, the tiding... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE GONE OVER THE PASSAGE,.... Or "from the passage" b; not of Jordan, as the Targum; but rather of Michmash, 1 Samuel 13:23 this to be understood of the king of Assyria with his army: THEY HAVE TAKEN UP THEIR LODGING AT GEBA; or "Geba was their lodging"; that is, for a night only; not that t... [ Continue Reading ]
LIFT UP THAT VOICE, O DAUGHTER OF GALLIM,.... In a mournful and lamentable manner, and yet with such a clear loud voice, as to be heard afar off: the word is sometimes used for making a joyful sound, and of the neighing of horses. The inhabitants of Gallim are meant by its daughter; of this place wa... [ Continue Reading ]
MADMENAH IS REMOVED,.... That is, the inhabitants of it, who removed from thence upon hearing that the Assyrian army had invaded the land, and was coming up to Jerusalem. There was a place called Madmannah, which lay in the southern part of the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:31 which, Jerom i says, was... [ Continue Reading ]
AS YET SHALL HE REMAIN AT NOB THAT DAY,.... The same day he came from Gebim; and proceed no further as yet, but make a short stay, and prepare himself and army to march to Jerusalem the next day: the Jews say l, that he performed all his journeys in one day; the same day he came to Ajath he came to... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THE LORD, THE LORD OF HOSTS, SHALL LOP THE BOUGH WITH TERROR,.... Cut off the king of Assyria and his army, in a most terrible manner; "the glory" of it, as in Isaiah 10:18 the word signifies that which is the ornament, the beauty and glory, of the tree. The Septuagint render it, "the glorio... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL CUT DOWN THE THICKETS OF THE FOREST WITH IRON,.... The multitude of the common soldiers, the whole body of the army, by means of one of his angels, that excel in strength, for which he is compared to "iron"; and which is explained in the next clause: AND LEBANON SHALL FALL BY A MIGHTY... [ Continue Reading ]