Isaiah 17:12

Woe to the multitude of many people which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! WOE TO THE MULTITUDE OF MANY PEOPLE - rather, 'Ho! (Hark!) a noisy multitude of many peoples!' etc. The prophet in vision perceives the vast and mixed Assyrian hosts (Hebrew, 'many peoples;' see note, Isaiah 5:26), on the hills of Judah ( "mountains," Isaiah 17:13), but at the "rebuke" of God they shall 'flee as chaff.' AND TO THE RUSHING OF NATIONS, (THAT) MAKE A RUSHING (Hebrew, uwsh'own ...

12._Alas _(8) _for the multitude! _Some render Woe, making it to denote execration. Sometimes, as we have seen elsewhere, it is employed in calling to a person; but on the present occasion I rather think that it betokens sorrow, (9) for he groans on account of the calamity which he foresees will befall Israel, and he does so either out of brotherly affection, or in order that the prophecy may make a more powerful impression on the minds of a sluggish and indolent people. It is certain, that the prophets regarded with greater horror than other men the vengeance of God, of which they were the heralds; and although, in sustaining the character assigned to them, they threatened severely, still they never laid aside human feelings, so as not to have compassion on those who perished. But the chief reason was a consideration of the covenant which God had made with the seed of

12-14 The rage and force of the Assyrians resembled the mighty waters of the sea; but when the God of Israel should rebuke them, they would flee like chaff, or like a rolling thing, before the whirlwind. In the evening Jerusalem would be in trouble, because of the powerful invader, but before morning his army would be nearly cut off. Happy are those who remember God as their salvation, and rely on his power and grace. The trouble of the believers, and the prosperity of their enemies, will be equally short; while the joy of the former, and the destruction of those that hate and spoil them, shall last for ever....

Verse Isaiah 17:12. _WO TO THE MULTITUDE_] The three last verses of this chapter seem to have no relation to the foregoing prophecy, to which they are joined. It is a beautiful piece, standing singly and by itself; for neither has it any connexion with what follows: whether it stands in its right place, or not, I cannot say. It is a noble description of the formidable invasion and the sudden overthrow of Sennacherib; which is intimated in the strongest terms and the most expressive images, exactly suitable to the event. _LIKE THE RUSHING OF MIGHTY WATERS!_] Five words, three at the end of the _twelfth_ verse, and two at the beginning of the _thirteenth_, are omitted in eight MSS., with the _Syriac_; that is, in effect, the repetition contained in the first line of...

WO TO THE MULTITUDE ... - The word ‘woe’ (הוי _hôy_) may be either an interjection simply directing the attention to them, or it may be a word indicating approaching calamity and judgment (see the note at Isaiah 5:6). Gesenius supposes that it is rather the language of compassion, on account of the evil which they threatened to bring upon the people of God, like 1 Kings 13:30, ‘Ah! wo, my brother!’ THE MULTITUDE OF MANY PEOPLE - Or, the tumult of many nations - a description of the noise attending an invading army made up of many nations mingled together, such as was that of Sennacherib. WHICH MAKE A NOISE ... - This is a beautiful description of a vast army, a

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 17:1 THE BURDEN OF DAMASCUS. The eye of the prophet travels northwards from Moab, and, passing over Ammon as an enemy of small account, rests once more upon Damascus, already threatened in Isaiah 7:1, and probably already partially punished. Damascus is seen once more in alliance with Ephraim (Isaiah 7:3), and the two are joined with a new power, Aroer (Isaiah 7:2), which possesses several "cities." Woe is denounced on all the three powers: desolation on Damascus and Aroer; on Damascus and Ephraim, the complete loss of the last sh

WOE TO THE MULTITUDE OF MANY PEOPLE,..... Not as lamenting the people of the Jews with Hezekiah, as if they were the words of the prophet bemoaning their condition, saying, "O the multitude", c. nor intending the Syrians and Israelites joined together against Judah but the Assyrian army under Sennacherib, which consisted of people of many nations, and was very numerous, who are either threatened or called unto. A new subject is here begun, though a short one. [WHICH] MAKE A NOISE LIKE THE NOISE OF THE SEAS; in a storm, when they foam and rage, and overflow the banks; this may refer both to the noise made by the march of such a vast army, the rattling of their armour and chariot wheels, and prancing of their horses; and to the hectoring, blustering, and blasphemous speeches of Sennacherib and Rabshakeh: AND TO THE RUSHING OF NATIONS, or "rushing nations", [THAT] MAKE A RUSHING LIKE THE...

CHAPTER 17 The Burden of Damascus and Judgment upon Ephraim 1. _Damascus to be a ruinous heap (Isaiah 17:1)_ 2. _Judgment upon Ephraim (Isaiah 17:4)_ 3. _Woe to the enemies of Israel (Isaiah 17:12) _ Damascus was the ancient city of Syria, mentioned for the first time in Genesis 15:1. Syria and Ephraim had made common cause against the house of David. Tiglath-pileser, King of Assyria, executed the judgment upon Damascus and made of it a ruinous heap. But the judgment is also future. And the enemies of Israel, which trouble His people, will be troubled “in that day.” It is a solemn word with which this chapter

THE OVERTHROW OF ASSYRIA. A brief independent prophecy or oracle not connected with Isaiah 17:1, and probably not with Isaiah 18. Some assign it to the post-exilic period on account of the reference to the many nations, _i.e._ the hostile world gathering against Judah and dispersed by the intervention of God. It is also not impossible that so fine and vigorous a piece of Hebrew should be composed in the post-exilic period. But while this may be freely admitted, it amounts to nothing more than this, that if the passage stood quite alone it would not be unnatural to place it in the post-exilic period. There is, however, no reason for denying it to Isaiah, since the many nations may be adequately explained in the usual way, as the many nations subject to Assyria which had to send contingents to fight in her armies. The date is uncertain; it is most probably about 701. The nations rus

PEOPLE. peoples. NOISE. booming, or roaring. RUSHING. Note the Figure of speech _Repetitio_ (App-6), for emphasis....