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ISAIAH CHAPTER 10
OBSERVATION STAGE
The purpose of
the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the
normative rules of language, context and logic 
.
.This
limits the observer to the content offered by the book of Isaiah. This
will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more
importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective
comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.
Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.
Chapter 10 verses 1-4 continue the context of chapter 9 of the LORD's judgment upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The last verse in 10:1-4 ends with the phrase, "In all this, His anger is not removed [lit., turned back], and His hand is still raised [stretched out (to strike again)]" - the same declaration that ends the previous four sections in chapter 9. Hence an examination of the previous content of Isa 9:8-21 is included here:
******* EXCERPT FROM ISAIAH CHAPTER 9 *******
Or
skip to the beginning of chapter 10: 
(Isa 9:8 NKJV) "The LORD sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel. (Isa 9:9 NASB) And all the people [have known] it, That is, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, Asserting in pride and in arrogance of heart: (Isa 9:10 NKJV) 'The bricks have fallen down, But we [will] build with hewn stones; The sycamore [have been] cut down, But we [will] replace them with cedars.' (Isa 9:11 NKJV) Therefore the LORD shall make [inaccessible] the adversaries of Rezin... and [protect] his enemies. (Isa 9:12 HOLMAN) Aram from the east [lit. 'before'] and Philistia [the Philistines] from the west [lit., 'behind'] have consumed Israel with open mouth, And they shall devour Israel with [the whole of the] mouth. In all this, His anger is not removed [lit., turned back], and His hand is still raised [stretched out (to strike again)]. (Isa 9:13 NKJV) For the people [have not turned] to Him Who strikes them, Nor [have they sought] the LORD of hosts. (Isa 9:14 NKJV) Therefore the LORD will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day. (Isa 9:15 NKJV) The elder and honorable, he is the head: The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. (Isa 9:16 NKJV) For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed. (Isa 9:17 HOLMAN) Therefore the LORD does not rejoice over Israel's young men and has no compassion on its fatherless and widows, for everyone is a godless [lit., impious - soiled with sin] evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. In all this, His anger is not removed [lit., turned back], and His hand is still raised [stretched out (to strike again)]. (Isa 9:18 NKJV) For wickedness [has burned] as the fire; It [devours] the briers and thorns, And [kindles] in the thickets of the forest; They... mount up like rising smoke. (Isa 9:19 NKJV) Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts The land [has been] burned up, And the people... fuel [for the fire], No man [spares] his brother. (Isa 9:20 NASB) They slice off what is on the right ..., but still are hungry, And they eat what is on the left ... but they [have not been] satisfied; Each of them eats the flesh of his own arm. (Isa 9:21 HOLMAN) Manasseh [devours] Ephraim, and Ephraim... Manasseh, Together, both are against Judah. In all this, His anger is not removed [lit., turned back], and His hand is still raised [stretched out (to strike again)]. (Isa 10:1 YLT) Woe to those decreeing decrees of iniquity, And writers who have prescribed perverseness. (Isa 10:2 YLT) To turn aside from judgment the poor, And to take violently away the judgment Of the afflicted of My people, That widows may be their prey, That the fatherless they may [plunder]. (Isa 10:3 NKJV) What will you do in the day of punishment [lit., reckoning], And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? (Isa 10:4 HOLMAN) [There will be nothing to do] except [bow down among] the prisoners or fall [among] the slain. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still [stretched out (to strike again)]." =
The context moves from the age of the eternal kingdom of God, (Isa 9:1-7); back in time to the period of the generations of ancient Israel focusing on the Northern Kingdom, but with Judah in sight, which includes the days of Isaiah the prophet.
[Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Frank E Gaebelein, Editor, p. 76]:
"Why has an oracle against the northern kingdom been incorporated into the collected prophecies of Isaiah at this point? The threat of Syria [Aram] and Ephraim/Israel against Judah and the associated Assyrian move against the petty states of the Mediterranean seaboard form the background to everything from the beginning of chapter 7; so such an oracle is not out of place in this setting. Moreover, as some commentators have suggested, the prophecy of the child's universal reign on the throne of David [over all 12 tribes of Israel] (Isa 9:7) would remind the reader of the defection of the northern tribes (cf. 7:17; 11:13)."
Isaiah's statement begins with, "The LORD sent a word against Jacob [which name is used as the father of all the tribes of Israel. Hence all twelve tribes are in view], And it has fallen on Israel [referring to the northern kingdom]." So the message of the LORD to His people - the House of Jacob is directed particulary to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The message was one of coming judgment upon the North; which at the time, the Northern Kingdom was already on the decline as a result of conflict with other kingdoms as indicated in verse 10. This warning of judgment was to have also been taken to heart by the Kingdom of Judah, who persisted in the same manner toward the LORD as did the Northern Kingdom, especially after the fall of the latter in 722 B.C. But neither the Northern Kingdom nor the Kingdom of Judah would heed the warning, (Isa 9:8).
And all the people of Israel have known this message - this warning that disaster will come upon the people of the Northern Kingdom if they don't turn back to the LORD - that is Ephraim - a reference to the largest tribe of the Northern Kingdom used as a reference to that kingdom, (cf. 7:2); as well as the inhabitants of Samaria, the Kingdom's capital. Note that arrogance and pride are usually greatest in a capital city. For they were asserting in their pride and arrogance of heart: 'The bricks have fallen down, But we [will] build with hewn stones; The sycamore [have been] cut down, But we [will] replace them with cedars.' They were arrogantly confident that despite the desolation caused largely by the Assyrian armies in their northern provinces, (cf. 9:1), which they had experienced for not turning back to the LORD; they nevertheless thought that they would rebuild with their own hands - without His help - even better than before - replacing brick with hewn stones and sycamore trees with cedars, (Isa 9:9-10).
Although some manuscripts do not have the reference to "adversaries of Rezin;" for example, the LXX has "adversaries of Zion;" despite the contention of some, the word "Rezin" is evidently part of the original text: The rule of interpretation is that the more difficult reading, if it fits the context, is usually the correct one. For if Rezin's, the king of Aram's, foes are free to go on the attack, then this makes the Northern Kingdom vulnerable without the aide of it's ally.
So as a result of the Northern Kingdom's unrepentant arrogance toward the LORD; and since Rezin, the king of Aram was an ally of Israel, (cf. Isa 7:2), the LORD would block Aram from waging effective war upon Aram's enemies, leaving the Northern Kingdom vulnerable to attack from those enemies, causing more desolation. Since the LORD would protect those enemies, which included other Arameans from the east who were not under Rezin's rule as well as the Philistines from Philistia in the west, (Isa 9:12); then these enemies would "devour Israel with the whole of the mouth." But in all of this, the LORD's anger was not removed, and His hand was still outstretched to strike again because this was not enough to convince the Israelites to repent and turn back to Him. The timeframe of these events is somewhere between 734 and 722 B.C. Verse 12 is the first of four times that a section ends with the phrase rendered, "In all this, His anger is not removed [lit., turned back], and His hand is still raised [stretched out (to strike again)]," (Isa 9:12, 17, 21 & 10:4) in the Holman Version. Each succeeding section conveyed yet another and more severe judgment via the wrath of the LORD upon His people which still did not result in the people turning back to the LORD, (Isa 9:11-12).
In the next section, the first verse, (v. 13), summarizes the condition of the people of the LORD up to this point: They have not turned to the LORD Who strikes them with His wrath, nor have they sought the LORD of Hosts. Isaiah then wrote a merism, a figure of speech which gives opposite extremes with the indication that it included everything in the middle: Therefore the LORD would destroy the whole kingdom. He would cut off the head and the tail of Israel, a figure of speech for all the leaders - from palm branch to bulrush - the branch being elevated on the top of the tree, the rush being coarse and low, implying from high to low and everything in between - "in one day." On a single day the Northern Kingdom will experience the finale of their final, total and complete destruction. Everyone from high to low rank will be cut off and swept away by the sea of the massive Assyrian army. They will all be destroyed, from the elder and honorable in the sense of high ranking - the head; to the false prophet who teaches lies - the tail. Despite their relative standing amongst the people of the Northern Kingdom, they were all ungodly and would all be judged accordingly by the LORD. Although the leaders caused the people to sin, all were guilty and all would be destroyed. The LORD would take no joy in the young men, nor have mercy on the fatherless and the widows, because everyone was a hypocrite and an evil doer. Every mouth spoke folly, i.e., evil. Verse 17 is the second of four times that a section ends with the phrase rendered, "In all this, His anger is not removed [lit., turned back], and His hand is still raised [stretched out (to strike again)]," in the Holman Version, (Isa 9:12, 17, 21 & 10:4). Each succeeding section conveying yet another and more severe judgment via the wrath of the LORD upon His people which still did not result in the people turning back to the LORD, (Isa 9:13-17).
Isaiah goes on to explain the extent of the wickedness of the people in the Northern Kingdom. Unchecked wickedness spreads like wildfire: the wickedness of the people of the Northern Kingdom burned like the fire which devours briers and thorns, and which kindles in the thickets of the forests. Such wickedness mounts up like rising smoke whose pervasiveness contaminates everything it reaches. Verse 19 declared that it would be through the wrath - the fire - of the LORD of hosts, that the land of Israel would be burned up. Its people would be the fuel for that fire. Their wickedness was so great that no Israelite would even spare his own brother. In addition to destruction from the outside, there would be the destruction of civil war and brother against brother as a judgment of their wickedness by the LORD. Isaiah used the language of consuming - of eating things up - to convey the destruction by the LORD that the tribes and the individual people of the Northern Kingdom would cause one another: The people would slice off what was on the right [in the sense of devouring their own people], but still would be hungry; And they would eat what was on the left [devouring their own people], but they would not have been satisfied; and each of them eats the flesh of his own arm. So their evil was so great that they become self-destructive. They would turn on one another - tribe against tribe: The tribe of Manasseh would devour the tribe of Ephraim and Ephraim, Manasseh. And together they were against Judah. Verse 21 is the third of four times that a section ends with the phrase rendered, "In all this, His anger is not removed [lit., turned back], and His hand is still raised [stretched out (to strike again)]," (Isa 9:12, 17, 21 & 10:4) in the Holman Version. Each succeeding section conveying yet another and more severe judgment via the wrath of the LORD upon His people which still did not result in the people turning back to the LORD, (Isa 9:18-21).
******* END OF EXCERPT FROM ISAIAH CHAPTER 9 *******
(Isa 10:1 YLT) Woe to those decreeing decrees of iniquity, And writers who have prescribed perverseness.
(Isa 10:2 YLT) To turn aside from judgment the poor, And to take violently away the judgment Of the afflicted of My people, That widows may be their prey, That the fatherless they may [plunder].
(Isa 10:3 NKJV) What will you do in the day of punishment [lit., reckoning], And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory?
(Isa 10:4 HOLMAN) [There will be nothing to do] except [bow down among] the prisoners or fall [among] the slain. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still [stretched out (to strike again)]."
(Isa 10:1 YLT) "Woe to those decreeing decrees of iniquity, And writers who have prescribed perverseness. (Isa 10:2 YLT) To turn aside from judgment the poor, And to take violently away the judgment Of the afflicted of My people, That widows may be their prey, That the fatherless they may [plunder]. (Isa 10:3 NKJV) What will you do in the day of punishment [lit., reckoning], And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? (Isa 10:4 HOLMAN) [There will be nothing to do] except [bow down among] the prisoners or fall [among] the slain. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still [stretched out (to strike again)]." =
Although Isa 10:1 begins with the word rendered "Woe," verses 1 through 4 in chapter 10 - which context is the LORD's judgment upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel - are not connected with the six woes in chapter 5, (5:8-23) - which context is a number of declarations of the LORD's judgment upon the Southern Kingdom of Judah; nor with the woe in Isa 6:5 - Isaiah's personal woe when he, a mortal sinful man, was before the LORD on His throne in the temple.
On the other hand, the first four verses of Isaiah chapter 10 continue the context of the LORD's judgment upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel - the subject from verse 9:8 to the end of chapter 9. Isaiah chapter 10 verses 1-4 are the last of four declarations of the LORD's judgment upon the Northern Kingdom which end with the phrase, "In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still [stretched out (to strike again)]." The first three occur in the last section of chapter 9.
So when Isaiah wrote in 10:1, "Woe to those decreeing decrees of iniquity," he wrote it in the sense that the rulers of the Northern Kingdom were writing crooked statutes which caused considerable and illicit harm to the people of the LORD. The word rendered "Woe" implies severe judgment from the LORD upon those rulers - a warning not to be taken lightly or ignored. Yet they did ignore it, despite Isaiah's detailed description of the horrible consequences, (cf. Isa 1:7-9; 5:8-30; 9:8-21).
Isaiah
continued, "Woe to those decreeing decrees of iniquity, And
writers who have prescribed perverseness," [in the sense of
having recorded unjust decisions]. To turn aside from judgment the
poor, [in the sense of keeping the poor from getting justice - a
fair trial] And to take violently away the judgment Of the
afflicted of My people [in the sense of violently depriving, i.e.,
tearing away justice from those of His people who are afflicted. Note the
reference, "My people" indicating the LORD's faithfulness to His
promise that the people of the twelve tribes of Israel would be His
people, no matter how a particular generation acted], That widows
may be their prey, That the fatherless they may [plunder]."
Whereupon the LORD asked the leaders in verse 10:3, "What
will you do in the day of punishment [lit., reckoning], And in the
desolation which will come from afar? [Evidently referring to the
coming devastation from Assyria, (cf. Isa 8:6-7.);
10:5-34]. To whom will you flee for help? [in the sense of
implying that since they would not come to the LORD for help, then that
left no one who could help them] And where will you leave your
glory [in the sense that they would lose their honor and riches]?
[There will be nothing to do] except [bow down under] ...prisoners
[in the sense of being prisoners and trodden under the feet of other
prisoners going into captivity - lowly and bowed down in shackles - led
away into exile] or fall [among] the slain. In all this, His anger
is not removed [lit., turned back], and His hand is still
raised [stretched out (to strike again)]," [conveying that
despite all the discipline laid upon them by the LORD, they would not
repent, (Isa 10:1-4).
(Isa 10:5 HOLMAN) '''[The LORD spoke] "Woe to Assyria [lit., ashur] the rod of My anger - the staff in their hands is My wrath.
(Isa 10:6 NKJV) I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people [destined for] My wrath. I ... give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
(Isa 10:7 YLT) And he [the Assyrian king] - he thinks not so, [in the sense of this is not what he intends] And his heart reckons not so, [in the sense that this is not what he plans] For - to destroy [is] in his heart, And to cut off nations not a few [i.e., It is his intent to destroy and to cut off many nations].
(Isa 10:8 NKJV) For he [Assyrian king] says, 'Are not my princes kings?
(Isa 10:9 NKJV) Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
(Isa 10:10 NKJV) As my [Assyria ruler] hand has [seized] the kingdoms of the idols [in the sense of graven images], Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
(Isa 10:11 ASV) Shall I [Assyrian ruler] not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?' "
(Isa 10:12 NKJV) Therefore it shall come to pass when the LORD has performed all His work on Mount Zion and Jerusalem [through Assyrian conquest], that He will say, "I ... punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.
(Isa 10:13 NKJV) For he [has said] 'By the strength of my hand I have done [it,] And by my wisdom, for I am prudent: Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasures; So I have put down the inhabitants like [the mighty ones - in the sense of mighty gods].
(Isa 10:14 NKJV) My hand [finds] like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.' "
(Isa 10:15 NKJV) Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!
(Isa 10:16 NKJV) Therefore the LORD, the LORD of hosts, Will send leanness among his [Assyria's] fat ones; And under his [Assyria's] glory He [the LORD] will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire.
(Isa 10:17 YLT) And the [Light] of Israel [has] been for a fire, And his [Israel's] Holy One for a flame, And it [has] burned, and devoured his [Assyria's] thorns, And his [Assyria's] briers in one day.
(Isa 10:18 NKJV) And [He, the LORD] will consume the glory of his [Assyria's] forest and of his [Assyria's] fruitful field, Both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away.
(Isa 10:19 NKJV) Then the rest of the trees of his [Assyria's] forest [in the sense of soldiers] Will be so few in number That a child may write them [down, in the sense of number them]" '''
(Isa 10:5 HOLMAN) '''[The LORD spoke] "Woe to Assyria [lit., ashur] the rod of My anger - the staff in their hands is My wrath. (Isa 10:6 NKJV) I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people [destined for] My wrath. I ... give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets. (Isa 10:7 YLT) And he [the Assyrian king] - he thinks not so, [in the sense of this is not what he intends] And his heart reckons not so, [in the sense that this is not what he plans] For - to destroy [is] in his heart, And to cut off nations not a few [i.e., it is his intent to destroy and to cut off many nations]. (Isa 10:8 NKJV) For he [Assyrian king] says, 'Are not my princes kings? (Isa 10:9 NKJV) Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? (Isa 10:10 NKJV) As my [Assyria ruler] hand has [seized] the kingdoms of the idols [in the sense of graven images], Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria, (Isa 10:11 ASV) Shall I [Assyrian ruler] not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?' " (Isa 10:12 NKJV) Therefore it shall come to pass when the LORD has performed all His work on Mount Zion and Jerusalem [through Assyrian conquest], that He will say, "I ... punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks. (Isa 10:13 NKJV) For he [has said] 'By the strength of my hand I have done [it,] And by my wisdom, for I am prudent: Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasures; So I have put down the inhabitants like [the mighty ones - in the sense of mighty gods]. (Isa 10:14 NKJV) My hand [finds] like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.' " (Isa 10:15 NKJV) Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! (Isa 10:16 NKJV) Therefore the LORD, the LORD of hosts, Will send leanness among his [Assyria's] fat ones; And under his [Assyria's] glory He [the LORD] will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire. (Isa 10:17 YLT) And the [Light] of Israel [has] been for a fire, And his [Israel's] Holy One for a flame, And it [has] burned, and devoured his [Assyria's] thorns, And his [Assyria's] briers in one day. (Isa 10:18 NKJV) And [He, the LORD] will consume the glory of his [Assyria's] forest and of his [Assyria's] fruitful field, Both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away. (Isa 10:19 NKJV) Then the rest of the trees of his [Assyria's] forest [in the sense of soldiers] Will be so few in number That a child may write them [down, in the sense of number them]" ''' =
The Hebrew word rendered, "Woe," in 10:5, indicates that the LORD would severely punish Assyria. Hence verse 5 in Isaiah chapter ten moved from the exercise of the LORD's wrath upon His people of the Southern Kingdom of Judah to the rod of His anger and wrath which He used in that exercise: Assyria. He would severely punish Assyria once He had performed all His work on Mount Zion and Jerusalem. Although He would send Assyria as His unwitting agent "against an ungodly nation," referring to Judah - the people who were destined for the wrath of the LORD; and although He gave Assyria "charge to seize the spoil, take the prey, and tread His people down like the mire of the streets;" the Assyrians would nevertheless experience the wrath of the LORD after that. It is implied that in His sovereignty, the LORD has the capacity to and did use, as His agent, nations such as Assyria, a stranger to Him, and an ungodly people, to be His tool to exercise His wrath due upon His people, Judah, (Isa 10:5-6).
The Assyrian king of that time in history did not consider that he was the tool of the LORD. He thought his power was superior to the idols/gods of the nations his nation had conquered including Samaria [the Northern Kingdom, its capitol - indicating that Samaria was worshipping idols instead of the LORD]; and superior to the idols which he considered that Judah was worshipping because that nation was successfully attacked a number of times by some of the nations which his army had conquered, (Aram and Samaria and others). The king's heart (mind) was set upon destroying many nations without any help from the LORD, or from any of the gods whom the conquered nations worshipped. The king had no thoughts of serving anyone but himself. He arrogantly justified his motives in his own mind, 'Are not my princes kings?' [referring to his subordinate leaders and implying that he would conquer nations and give his princes rule over them] - as if it was his right and destiny to rule over the nations of the world through those who were subordinate to him. The Assyrian ruler noted to himself that the following Aramean cities had been conquered by Assyria: Calno and Arpad, (in northern Syria. Calno was conquered by Tiglath-Pileser III in 738 B.C.), Damascus, (in 732), Samaria, (the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by Shalmaneser V in 722), Hamath, (on the Orontes in 720), and Carchemish, (a former capital of the Hittite Empire, on the upper Euphrates was conquered by Sargon II in 717). Note that these conquests were accomplished by a series of Assyrian monarchs - not just one king. Evidently all the kings of Assyria were of the same arrogant, ungodly attitude and practice. Each one prided himself on being above the gods of those nations they conquered, declaring himself to be King of the Universe - hence exalting themselves even above their own gods.
Hence the king of Assyria at this time would reason, 'Is not Jerusalem attainable.' For in his mind, the gods of Aram, which nation was conquered by Assyria, were greater than "the idols," which he considered Jerusalem, (Judah), worshipped. For Aram had succeeded in battle against Judah a number of times, short of taking the city. By this the king of Assyria was measuring the strength of a kingdom's god(s) with the capacity and accomplishments of its military power egoistically limited to the short period of time in history when the Assyrians were dominant in their part of the world. So the Assyrian ruler arrogantly and boastfully concluded that he could easily conquer Jerusalem, impugning the sovereignty of the LORD - the God of Israel, Whom he did not know, for he indicated that those of Jerusalem worshipped idols, (cf. Is 36:19-20; 37:12). This arrogance corroborated that the current king, typical of the kings of Assyria, was chiefly motivated by aggressive and cruel expansionism - which would bring about his undoing by the LORD. The sad fact is that Samaria and Jerusalem at this time were worshipping idols instead of the LORD, which made them the target of the wrath of the LORD and easy prey for Assyria, (Isa 10:7-11).
Therefore, when the LORD has performed all of His work on Mount Zion and Jerusalem, "Zion" referring to the rulership as opposed to "Jerusalem," the people in general, through the actions of Assyria; then He will say, "I ... punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks. For he [has said] 'By the strength of my hand I have done [it,] And by my wisdom, for I am prudent... [The first person singular "I" and "my" are repeatedly used by the king to convince himself that he had achieved all of this by his own strength and wisdom - not recognizing God's sovereignty]: "Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, [in the sense of scattering the people or taking them into captivity as slaves and including their territory into the Assyrian Empire] And have robbed their treasures; So I have put down the inhabitants like [the mighty ones - in the sense of mighty gods]. [i.e., he considers himself invincible and godlike]. My hand [finds] like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep,' " ''' In his insufferable arrogance he thought to himself how he had conquered other nations and took their wealth as easily as one takes eggs left in a nest. No one was able to oppose him, (Isa 10:12-14).
But the LORD declared, "Shall the ax [referring to Assyria] boast itself against Him who chops with it? [referring to the LORD and His sovereignty in the working of Assyria to do His bidding - not the other way around]. "Or Shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it?" [i.e., the instrument is not above the One who uses it, nor has a choice in what it does outside of the sovereignty of that One - referring to the LORD]. In the same vein, the verse goes on to say, "As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift itself up, as if it were not wood [but a sentient being]!" (Isa 10:15).
The consequence of the arrogance of Assyria is declared in the next four verses with graphic imagery portraying the destruction of the Assyrian army through the wasting away of consumptive disease and suddenly as a forest fire quickly burns up everything in its path: "Therefore the LORD, the LORD of hosts, Will send leanness among his [Assyria's] fat ones; [in the sense of causing a wasting away of human flesh, i.e., consumptive disease] And under his [Assyria's] glory He [the LORD] will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire. And the [Light] of Israel [the phrase the Light of Israel is a title for the God of Israel Who enlightens with absolute truth] [has] been for a fire, And his [Israel's] Holy One for a flame, And it [has] burned, and devoured his thorns [Assyria's] And his [Assyria's] briers in one day. And [He, the LORD] will consume the glory of his [Assyria's] forest and of his [Assyria's] fruitful field. Both soul and body [i.e., utterly]."
[Note that the word rendered "fruitful field," literally, "Carmel," was a rich mountain in Assyria. It was used figuratively for Sennacherib's mighty army.]
"And they will be as when a sick man wastes away. Then the rest of the trees of his [Assyria's] forest [in the sense of soldiers] Will be so few in number That a child may write them [down, in the sense of number them]" '''
Verse 19 corroborates the subject of verses 16-19 as the Assyrian army. So the LORD would destroy Assyria's soldiers through consumptive disease or destroy them as trees are massively and suddenly burned in a forest fire. Note that in 701 B.C., 185,000 Assyrian soldiers surrounding Jerusalem were killed in a single day, (37:36-37). Then in 609 B.C. the Assyrian Empire fell to Babylon. The number of soldiers that survived would be so few that even a child could count them. Notice that not all of the Assyrians would be destroyed. There would be a remnant of them who would survive, (Isa 10:16-19).
(Isa 10:20 NKJV) "And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel And [the delivered ones (from captivity] of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
(Isa 10:21 NKJV) The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God.
(Isa 10:22 NKJV) For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, A remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall [be overflowing with] righteousness.
(Isa 10:23 NASB) For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the LORD GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land."
(Isa 10:19 NKJV) "Then the rest of the trees of his [Assyria's] forest [in the sense of soldiers] Will be so few in number That a child may write them [down, in the sense of number them] (Isa 10:20 NKJV) And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel And [the delivered ones (from captivity] of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (Isa 10:21 NKJV) The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God. (Isa 10:22 NKJV) For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, A remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall [be overflowing with] righteousness. (Isa 10:23 NASB) For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the LORD GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land." =
Just as verse 19 indicated that a remnant of Assyrians will survive the LORD's onslaught of wrath for their arrogance, so in the future Day of the LORD - of the setting up of His Eternal Kingdom - and inspite of judgment upon Israel in that Day; a remnant of Israel, including a remnant of the house of Jacob, (referring to all twelve tribes of Israel) will be delivered from destruction. And they will never again be forced to depend upon a kingdom which defeats them. This does not refer to the remnant which returned after Ahaz made a treaty with Assyria, as some contend. For no generation of Israelites thereafter has ever depended solely upon the LORD.
Note that the
first phrase in Isa 10:21 rendered "The remnant will return," in
the NKJV is identical in letters and meaning to the name of Isaiah's son,
rendered "Shear-Jashub" in Isaiah 7:3 in the NKJV
.
Although most of the people of the Northern Kingdom were slaughtered or
carried off into captivity, some of them returned to Judah and became part
of the southern kingdom. The descendents of these people - of all twelve
tribes of Israel - would be part of the future remnant, preserving the
existence of all twelve tribes for the time when the LORD GOD begins His
eternal kingdom rule on the earth. They will depend solely upon the LORD,
the Holy One of Israel, in truth. So the remnant of Jacob will return in
faith to the Mighty God in the Day of the LORD.
Note that the phrase rendered "Mighty God," in the NKJV is identical to the phrase "Mighty God," which describes the GodMan Messiah to come in Isa 9:6-7:
(Isa 9:6 NKJV) "For unto us [Israel, Isa 1:1, 8:18] a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
(Isa 9:7 NKJV) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
Although the
people of Israel in that future time will be as numerous as the sand of
the sea, only a remnant of them will return to the land of Israel. Despite
the complete destruction which the LORD decreed and executed upon Israel
in the midst of the whole land, His actions would nevertheless be
overflowing with righteousness, i.e., be wholly fair and righteous, (cf.
Isa 4:2 ),
(Isa 10:20-23).
(Isa 10:24 NKJV) Therefore [returning to ancient times of Judah and Assyria] thus [has said] the LORD GOD of hosts, 'O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt.
(Isa 10:25 NKJV) For yet a very little while and the [destruction] will [have ceased], as will My anger in their [Judah's] destruction.'
(Isa 10:26 NKJV) And the LORD of hosts [will have stirred up] a scourge [a whip] for him [Assyria] like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His [the LORD's] rod [Egypt] was on the sea, so will He [the LORD] [will have lifted] it [the new rod] up [against Assyria] in the manner of Egypt.
(Isa 10:27 NKJV) And it shall come to pass, in that day, That His [the LORD's] burden [Assyrian oppression of Judah] will [have been turned away] from your [the people of the LORD's] shoulder, And his yoke [Assyria] from your neck, And the yoke will [have been] destroyed because of the [fat] [in the sense of the fatness of the oxens' neck being so thick it breaks the yoke].
(Isa 10:28 NKJV) He [Assyria] has come to Aiath, He has passed Migron; At Michmash he [deposits in the sense of storing] his [warfare equipment].
(Isa 10:29 NKJV) They [have passed over at the ford], They have taken up lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid, Gibeah of Saul has fled.
(Isa 10:30 NKJV) Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Cause it to be heard as far as Laish - O poor Anathoth!
(Isa 10:31 NKJV) Madmenah has fled, The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge.
(Isa 10:32 NKJV) As yet he [Assyria] will remain at Nob that day; He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
(Isa 10:33 NKJV) Behold, the LORD of hosts, Will lop off the bough with [with violence]; Those of high stature will be hewn down, And the haughty will be humbled.
(Isa 10:34 NKJV) He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One."
(Isa 10:20 NKJV) "And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel And [the delivered ones (from captivity] of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (Isa 10:21 NKJV) The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God. (Isa 10:22 NKJV) For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, A remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall [be overflowing with] righteousness. (Isa 10:23 NASB) For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the LORD GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land. (Isa 10:24 NKJV) Therefore [returning to ancient times of Judah and Assyria] thus [has said] the LORD GOD of hosts, 'O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. (Isa 10:25 NKJV) For yet a very little while and the [destruction] will [have ceased], as will My anger in their [Judah's] destruction.' (Isa 10:26 NKJV) And the LORD of hosts [will have stirred up] a scourge [a whip] for him [Assyria] like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His [the LORD's] rod [Egypt] was on the sea, so will He [the LORD] [will have lifted] it [the new rod] up [against Assyria] in the manner of Egypt. (Isa 10:27 NKJV) And it shall come to pass, in that day, That His [the LORD's] burden [Assyrian oppression of Judah] will [have been turned away] from your [the people of the LORD's] shoulder, And his yoke [Assyria] from your neck, And the yoke will [have been] destroyed because of the [fat] [in the sense of the fatness of the oxens' neck being so thick it breaks the yoke]. (Isa 10:28 NKJV) He [Assyria] has come to Aiath, He has passed Migron; At Michmash he [deposits in the sense of storing] his [warfare equipment]. (Isa 10:29 NKJV) They [have passed over at the ford], They have taken up lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid, Gibeah of Saul has fled. (Isa 10:30 NKJV) Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Cause it to be heard as far as Laish - O poor Anathoth! (Isa 10:31 NKJV) Madmenah has fled, The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge. (Isa 10:32 NKJV) As yet he [Assyria] will remain at Nob that day; He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. (Isa 10:33 NKJV) Behold, the LORD of hosts, Will lop off the bough with [with violence]; Those of high stature will be hewn down, And the haughty will be humbled. (Isa 10:34 NKJV) He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One." =
Therefore, [returning to ancient times of Judah and the details of the fall of the Assyrian Empire, and in light of the LORD's promise to His people conveyed in verses 20-23 above], Isaiah conveyed to the reader which included his people, "The LORD GOD of hosts has said, 'O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He [the Assyrian] shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt," [i.e., it will not last and won't lead to total destruction]. For yet a very little while and the [destruction] will [have ceased], as will My anger in their [the people of Judah's] destruction.' Note that only those who trusted in their deliverance by the LORD - the remnant of believers who choose to be faithful - would be comforted by this message. The many unbelievers and believers who chose to be unfaithful, will not be comforted. Many of these latter individuals had already succombed to Assyria's onslaught of the villages and cities surrounding Jerusalem. Although all of those inside the walls of Jerusalem would not be harmed by the Assyrian attack to come upon the city. "The LORD of hosts [will have stirred up] a scourge [a whip] for him [in the sense of against Assyria] like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb, (Jud 7:1-25) [referring to when the LORD gave Israel victory against Midian]; as His [the LORD's] rod [Egypt] was on the sea [referring to the LORD's destruction of the Egyptian army using the Sea of Reeds, (Exodus 14:19-28)], so will He [the LORD] [will have lifted] it [the new rod] up [against Assyria] in the manner of Egypt. And it shall come to pass, in that day, That His [the LORD's] burden [Assyrian oppression of Judah] will [have been turned away] from your [the people Judah's] shoulder, And his [Assyria's] yoke from your neck, And the yoke will [have been] destroyed because of the [fat] [the image is conveyed of a strong, fattened ox breaking its yoke, i.e., the Power of the LORD behind Israel is such that she would not be fully conquered; and Assyria would be destroyed.
Note that the RSV has the phrase, "because of the fat" as "he [Assyria] as gone up from Rimmon,"which assumes that the advance of the Assryian Army begins with the last phrase of verse 27; but the Masoretic Text is best rendered "because of the fat," which rendering is supported by 1QIsa and the LXX (B), (Isa 10:24-27).
In the next 5 verses, in dramatic fashion with vivid imagery in his vision of the future, Isaiah conveyed the future path of the Assyrian onslaught toward an attempt to defeat Judah and Jerusalem. The actual attempt occurred in 701 B.C: "He [Assyria] has come to Aiath [another name for Ai, in the north of the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, about eight miles north of Jerusalem]. He has passed Migron. At Michmash [nine miles northeast of Jerusalem] he has deposited [in the sense of storing] his warfare equipment. They have passed over at the ford at Michmash, [at the Wadi Suwenit], They have taken up lodging [in the sense of making an encampment] at Geba [about 6 miles north-northeast of Jerusalem]. Ramah is afraid, [nearby Geba, seven miles from Jerusalem]. Gibeah of Saul has fled, [Saul's birthplace and residence, in Benjamin, six miles from Jerusalem - distinct from Gibeah of Judah]. Isaiah wrote on, "Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Cause it to be heard as far as Laish, [Not the town in Dan (Jdg 18:7), but one of the same name near Jerusalem (1 Maccabees 9:9)]. O poor Anathoth! [Anathoth - three miles from Jerusalem in Benjamin; the birthplace of Jeremiah] Madmenah has fled [not the city in Simeon (Jos 15:31), but a village near Jerusalem], The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge. [Note that the site of all but four of the 12 towns are known today] As yet he [Assyria] will remain at Nob that day [in the sense of a 24 hour day of rest before moving on to the gates of Jerusalem. Nob is northeast of Jerusalem on Mount Scopus just north of the Mount of Olives - within sight of Jerusalem; a town of the priests, (Neh 11:32)]; He [Assyria] will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem." Note Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 10 stopped short of Assyria's final maneuvers to the point from which it positioned an army from Lachish to the north to an encampment around Jerusalem and made a demand for its surrender in 701 B.C. Note that Sennacherib’s records indicate his army did surround Jerusalem in 701 B.C., so this prophecy would have been fulfilled some time during that year, (Isa 10:28-32).
The account in chapter ten verses 33-34 jumps to the point in future time to when the LORD of hosts has taken Assyria down, (cf. Isa 36:3): The LORD of hosts had other plans for Assyria - she would not succeed in her plans to take Jerusalem: "Behold, [in the sense of an exhortation to visualize and to take special note of what the LORD will do]: the LORD of hosts, Will lop off the bough [the king of Assyria] [with violence]; Those of high stature will be hewn down [referring to Assyrian leaders, (cf. 10:19)], And the haughty [everyone who is arrogant, especially the leaders] will be humbled. He will cut down the thickets of the forest [the Assyrian army] with iron, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One," i.e. those in Lebanon, known for its thick forests of cedar trees - refers to the Assyrian army] would be cut down. The word rendered "iron" refers to an iron axe that is used to fell trees - a reference to the 185,000 Assyrians who were cut down by the Angel of the LORD at the gates of Jerusalem. The phrase rendered, "Mighty One," refers to the LORD, (Isa 10:33-34).