King James Version
Isaiah 10
34 verses with commentary
Woe to Assyria
Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; that write: or, to the writers that write grievousness
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KJV Study Commentary
A woe oracle targets unjust lawmakers who create oppressive legislation. 'Decree unrighteous decrees' refers to enacting unjust laws. 'Write grievousness' means recording oppressive regulations—making injustice official policy. This demonstrates that individual sin isn't the only concern; systemic, institutionalized injustice incurs divine wrath. When legal systems become instruments of oppression...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**X.**
(1) **Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees . . .**—The division of the chapters is again misleading. Isaiah 10:1-4 continue the discourse of Isaiah 9, and end with the final knell, “For all this **. . .**” With Isaiah 10:5 a new section begins, and is carried on to Isaiah 12:6, which deals, for the first time in the collection of Isaiah’s writings, exclusively with Assyria, and is ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-6. secret love--**not manifested in acts is useless; and even, if its exhibition by rebukes wounds us, such love is preferable to the frequent (compare Margin), and hence deceitful, kisses of an enemy.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 10
To preserve a character for wisdom. (Eccl. 10:1-3) Respecting subjects and rulers. (Eccl. 10:4-10) Of foolish talk. (Eccl. 10:11-15) Duties of rulers and subjects. (Eccl. 10:16-20)
**Verses 1-3** Those especially who make a profession of religion, should keep from all appearances of evil. A wise man has great advantage over a fool, who is always at a loss when he has anything to d...
Read full commentary →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!
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KJV Study Commentary
The purpose of unjust decrees is exposed: turning aside the needy from justice and robbing the poor of rights. 'Turn aside' suggests legal maneuvering to deny the poor access to justice. 'Take away the right' means stripping legal protections from the poor. Widows and orphans—the most vulnerable—become prey to be plundered. This reveals the depravity of using legal authority not to protect but to ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-6. secret love--**not manifested in acts is useless; and even, if its exhibition by rebukes wounds us, such love is preferable to the frequent (compare Margin), and hence deceitful, kisses of an enemy.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 10
To preserve a character for wisdom. (Eccl. 10:1-3) Respecting subjects and rulers. (Eccl. 10:4-10) Of foolish talk. (Eccl. 10:11-15) Duties of rulers and subjects. (Eccl. 10:16-20)
**Verses 1-3** Those especially who make a profession of religion, should keep from all appearances of evil. A wise man has great advantage over a fool, who is always at a loss when he has anything to d...
Read full commentary →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?
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KJV Study Commentary
Rhetorical questions expose the foolishness of the unjust. 'What will ye do in the day of visitation?' asks how they'll respond when judgment comes. 'In the desolation which shall come from far' references the Assyrian invasion. 'To whom will ye flee for help?' and 'where will ye leave your glory?' highlight the futility of trusting in wealth and power when God judges. The questions imply obvious ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **And what will ye do in the** **day of visitation . . .**?—The question was not without a certain touch of irony. Had those corrupt judges asked themselves what they would do when the Supreme Judge should call them to account? Had they an ally who could protect them against Jehovah? Or had they found a hiding-place for the treasures which they had made their “glory”? Had they made a covenant ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
7. The luxury of wealth confers less happiness than the healthy appetite of labor.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 10
To preserve a character for wisdom. (Eccl. 10:1-3) Respecting subjects and rulers. (Eccl. 10:4-10) Of foolish talk. (Eccl. 10:11-15) Duties of rulers and subjects. (Eccl. 10:16-20)
**Verses 1-3** Those especially who make a profession of religion, should keep from all appearances of evil. A wise man has great advantage over a fool, who is always at a loss when he has anything to d...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The judgment is inescapable: they will either bow among prisoners or fall among the slain. 'Bow down under the prisoners' suggests capture and enslavement. 'Fall under the slain' indicates death in battle. These are the only two options—survival means humiliation and slavery; resistance means death. The fifth repetition of the refrain emphasizes God's persistent anger and extended hand. Despite co...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Without me they shall bow down . . .**—The Hebrew text is obscure, but these words were probably intended as the answer to the taunting question that had preceded them. Dropping the direct address, and passing to the third person, the prophet seems to say as with a kind of ominous “aside,” “No, there is no ally, no hiding-place but this, *except they bow down among the captives or fall among...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
8. Such are not only out of place, but out of duty and in danger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-10** Solomon appears to caution men not to seek redress in a hasty manner, nor to yield to pride and revenge. Do not, in a passion, quit thy post of duty; wait awhile, and thou wilt find that yielding pacifies great offences. Men are not preferred according to their merit. And those are often most forward to offer help, who are least aware of the difficulties, or the consequences. The s...
Read full commentary →O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. O: or, Woe to the Assyrian: Heb. Asshur and: or, though
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KJV Study Commentary
A dramatic shift: God addresses Assyria directly as His instrument. 'O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger' reveals that Assyria, though pagan and wicked, serves as God's tool for disciplining Israel. 'The staff in their hand is mine indignation' emphasizes God's complete sovereignty over even hostile nations. This illustrates the Reformed doctrine of providence—God orchestrates all events, even using...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **O Assyrian.**—The words open, as has been said above, a perfectly distinct section. Assyria had been named in connection with the Syro-Ephraim alliance against Judah (Isaiah 7:17-20; Isaiah 8:7-8); but this is the first prophetic utterance of which it is the direct subject. Anticipating the phraseology of Isaiah 13:1, we might call it the “burden of Assyria.” In the judgment of the best Assy...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. rejoice the heart--**the organ of perceiving what pleases the senses.
**sweetness ... counsel--**or, "wise counsel is also pleasing."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →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. tread: Heb. lay them a treading
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KJV Study Commentary
God commissions Assyria against 'an hypocritical nation' (Israel/Judah)—people who maintain religious forms but lack genuine faith. The three imperatives—'take the spoil,' 'take the prey,' 'tread them down'—demonstrate God's sovereign command over Assyria's actions. The phrase 'tread them down like the mire of the streets' emphasizes complete humiliation. God uses Assyria to punish covenant unfait...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **I will send him against an hypocritical nation.**—Better, *impious. *The verb admits of the various renderings, “I will send,” “I did send,” and “I am wont to send.” The last seems to give the best meaning—not a mere fact in history, nor an isolated prediction, but a law of the Divine government.
**To take the spoil.**—The series of words, though general in meaning, contains probably a speci...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
10. Adhere to tried friends. The ties of blood may be less reliable than those of genuine friendship.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Despite being God's instrument, Assyria doesn't recognize this role. 'Howbeit he meaneth not so' indicates Assyria's ignorance of God's purposes. 'Neither doth his heart think so' shows their intentions differ from God's. 'His heart is to destroy and cut off nations not a few' reveals Assyria's imperial ambition—they seek conquest for glory and wealth, not to serve God's justice. This demonstrates...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Howbeit he meaneth not so.**—The thoughts which Isaiah puts into the mouth of the Assyrian are exactly in accord with the supreme egotism of the Sargon inscription, “I conquered,” “I besieged,” “I burnt,” “I killed,” “I destroyed”; this is the ever-recurring burden, mingled here and there with the boast that he is the champion of the great deities of Assyria, of Ishtar and of Nebo.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
11. The wisdom of children both reflects credit on parents and contributes to their aid in difficulties.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
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KJV Study Commentary
The Assyrian king's boast reveals the pride that precedes destruction. His rhetorical question 'Are not my princes altogether kings?' displays the arrogance of attributing conquest to human power rather than divine sovereignty. Each Assyrian prince wielded kingly authority, making their combined force seem unstoppable. Yet this very pride—taking credit for what God had permitted—would become the i...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **Are not my princes altogether kings?**—So Tiglath-pileser names the twenty-three kings (Ahaz and Pekah among them) who came to do homage and pay tribute at Damascus (*Records of the Past, v.* 5-26).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
12-13. (Compare Pr 20:16; 22:3).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
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KJV Study Commentary
The Assyrian recounts his conquests with mocking questions, listing cities that fell before his advance. Calno (Calneh), Carchemish, Hamath, Arpad, Samaria, and Damascus—each represents a defeated kingdom. The rhetorical structure implies inevitability: 'If these great cities fell, why should Jerusalem stand?' Yet the king fails to recognize that Yahweh allowed these conquests as judgment on idola...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Is not Calno as Carchemish?**—The six names obviously pointed to more recent conquests in which Sargon and his predecessors had exulted. One after another they had fallen. Could Judah hope to escape? (1) Calno, the Calneh of Genesis 10:10, Amos 6:2. That prophet had held up its fate in vain as a warning to Samaria. It has been identified by Kay with Ctesiphon on the east bank of the Tigris, ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
12-13. (Compare Pr 20:16; 22:3).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
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KJV Study Commentary
The Assyrian's logic reaches blasphemous heights: since he conquered kingdoms with many idols, including those that supposedly surpassed Jerusalem's and Samaria's images, Judah's God should be equally powerless. This reveals complete misunderstanding of Yahweh's nature. The 'kingdoms of the idols' worshiped false gods—mere human creations without power. Yahweh is the living God, Creator of heaven ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols.**—The word “idols” seems hardly appropriate as a word of scorn in the mouth of an idolatrous king; but Isaiah probably puts into his lips the words which he himself would have used. It is, however, quite in character with the Assyrian inscriptions that Sargon should ascribe his victories to Asshur as the Supreme God, before whose sovereignty ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
14. Excessive zeal in praising raises suspicions of selfishness.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
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KJV Study Commentary
The Assyrian's concluding threat: 'Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?' The question expects affirmative answer, yet proves tragically wrong. The fatal flaw: Jerusalem and her idols were NOT equal to Samaria and her idols. While both kingdoms had lapsed into idolatry, Jerusalem housed the temple of the living God. Yahweh would indeed judge Juda...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Shall I not, as I have done . . .**—The verse gives the occasion of Isaiah’s utterance. Sargon was threatening Jerusalem, probably in the early years of Hezekiah’s reign. The inscriptions show, as Isaiah 20:1 also does, that he made war against Philistia and besieged Ashdod (*Records of the Past, vii.* 40).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
15. (Compare Pr 19:13).
**very ... day--**literally, "a day of showers."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →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. punish: Heb. visit upon stout: Heb. greatness of the heart
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse promises future judgment on Assyria itself. 'When the Lord hath performed his whole work' indicates God will complete His purpose of disciplining Israel/Judah first. Then He will 'punish the fruit of the stout heart'—Assyria's pride. 'The glory of his high looks' refers to arrogant boasting. Being God's instrument doesn't excuse Assyria's wickedness. This demonstrates God's justice—He j...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Wherefore it shall come to pass . . .**—Better, *And it shall come to pass ***. . .** The boast of the proud king is interrupted by the reassertion of the fact that he is but an instrument in the hand of Jehovah, and that when his work was done he too will be punished for his pride. The “fruit” of the “stout heart” includes all the words and acts in which his arrogance had shown itself.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16. hideth--**or, "restrains" (that is, tries to do it); is as fruitless an effort, as that of holding the wind.
**the ointment of his right hand--**the organ of power (Psa 17:7; 18:35). His right hand endeavors to repress perfume, but vainly. Some prefer: "His right hand comes on oil," that is, "cannot take hold." Such a woman cannot be tamed.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →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 inhabitants like a valiant man: a valiant: or, many people
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KJV Study Commentary
Assyria's pride is quoted directly: 'By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom.' This exemplifies autonomous humanism—attributing success solely to human capability. The claim to remove borders and rob treasures boasts of imperial conquest. 'I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man' glorifies military prowess. This hubris—claiming credit for what God orchestrated—guaran...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **For he saith, By the strength of my hand . . .**—Another reproduction of the style of the royal inscriptions of Assyria. (Comp. Isaiah 37:10-13.)
**I have removed the bounds of the people.**—The practice has, of course, more or less characterised the conquerors of all ages in their attempts to merge independent nationalities into one great empire; but it was pursued more systematically by A...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17. a man sharpeneth ... friend--**that is, conversation promotes intelligence, which the face exhibits.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The Assyrian boasts of effortless plunder: 'My hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people.' Like gathering unguarded eggs, he collected wealth without resistance. 'None moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped'—no bird defended its nest; no nation resisted his advance. This metaphor of complete helplessness before predatory power reveals both the extent of Assyrian dominance and the ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **My hand hath found as a nest.**—The inscription of Sargon presents an almost verbal parallelism (*Records of the Past, vii.* 28). In other documents the king looks on himself as a colossal fowler, and the kingdoms are but as birds’-nests for him to spoil, and the nests are left empty.
**There was none that . . . peeped**—*i.e., chirped. *See Note on Isaiah 8:19. Not a fledgling was left in ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
18. Diligence secures a reward, even for the humble servant.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →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. the rod: or, a rod should shake them that lift it up itself, as if: or, that which is not wood
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KJV Study Commentary
God uses devastating analogies to expose Assyria's folly. Can an axe boast against the one wielding it? Can a saw magnify itself against the sawyer? Can a staff and rod wield the one lifting them? The absurdity is obvious—tools don't control those who use them. Assyria is God's tool, yet boasts as if autonomous. This illustrates the creator-creature distinction—humanity, and especially nations, ar...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Shall the ax boast itself . . .?**—The words spoken by the prophet as the mouthpiece of Jehovah remind us of the way in which Christian writers of the fifth century spoke of Attila as “the scourge of God.” There was comfort in that thought for the nations that were scourged. The man’s lust for power might be limitless, but there was the limit of the compassion and longsuffering of God.
**As...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
19. We may see our characters in the developed tempers of others.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
God's judgment on Assyria is described as 'leanness' (wasting disease) among their fat ones (warriors/nobles) and 'burning like fire' under their glory. The imagery suggests consuming judgment—what appeared strong and glorious will be devoured. This demonstrates poetic justice—Assyria consumed nations, so God will consume Assyria. The physical descriptions (leanness, burning) may indicate literal ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Therefore shall the Lord . . . send among his fat ones leanness.**—The overthrow of the Assyrian is painted in the two-fold imagery of famine and of fire. (Isaiah 17:4; comp. Pharaoh’s vision in Genesis 41:18-24.) The “fat ones” are the warriors of the Assyrian army. The fire that burns the glory of the king is explained in the next verse as the wrath of Jehovah.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
20. Men's cupidity is as insatiable as the grave.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →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;
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KJV Study Commentary
The 'light of Israel' and 'his Holy One' both refer to God, who becomes 'a fire' and 'a flame' to consume Assyria. The reference to burning 'his thorns and his briers' echoes earlier judgment imagery (9:18). 'In one day' emphasizes suddenness—comprehensive judgment executed swiftly. This demonstrates God's dual nature toward humanity: light and life to His people, consuming fire to His enemies. Th...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **And the light of Israel shall be for a fire.**—The Divine glory, which is as a consuming fire (Isaiah 27:4) to the enemies of Israel, is to Israel itself as the very light of life. The “briars and thorns” (we note the recurrence of the combination of Isaiah 9:18) are the host of the Assyrian army (comp. 2Samuel 23:6; Ezekiel 2:6), as “the glory of his forest” in the next verse are the capta...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
21. Praise tests character.
**a man to his praise--**according to his praise, as he bears it. Thus vain men seek it, weak men are inflated by it, wise men disregard it, &c.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth. both: Heb. from the soul, and even to the flesh
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KJV Study Commentary
Assyria's glory—forest and fruitful field—will be consumed so thoroughly that what remains can be counted by a child. The double metaphor (forest and fruitful field) suggests both wild strength and cultivated prosperity will be destroyed. The phrase 'both soul and body' indicates comprehensive judgment affecting everything. The hyperbole of remnants being countable by a child emphasizes near-total...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **Both soul and body.**—Literally, *from the soul even to the flesh. *The metaphor is for a moment dropped, and the reality is unveiled.
**As when a standardbearer fainteth.**—The Authorised version represents the extremity of misery and exhaustion. The “standard-bearer” was chosen for his heroic strength and stature. When he “fainted” and gave way, what hope was there that others would survi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22. The obstinate wickedness of such is incurable by the heaviest inflictions.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them. few: Heb. number
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KJV Study Commentary
After divine judgment, Assyria's once-mighty forest (metaphor for its army and empire) will be so reduced that 'a child may write them'—meaning count them, since children were learning numerals. From invincible superpower to pitiful remnant: this is God's reversal of human pride. The 'rest of the trees' emphasizes how few will survive. This prophecy was fulfilled when 185,000 Assyrian soldiers die...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few.**—To number the host of an army, to count killed and wounded after a battle, was commonly the work of the royal scribe, who appears so often as in that employment in Assyrian sculptures. Here the survivors (the “remnant” as before) were to be so few (literally, *a number*) that even the boy who could hardly count but on his fingers would...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**23-24. flocks--**constituted the staple of wealth. It is only by care and diligence that the most solid possessions can be perpetuated (Pr 23:5).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-19** See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other ...
Read full commentary →The Remnant of Israel
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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The phrase 'in that day' points to post-judgment restoration. The 'remnant of Israel' demonstrates God's covenant faithfulness—despite judgment, He preserves a people. 'Shall no more again stay upon him that smote them' means they'll stop trusting oppressors (like seeking Assyrian alliances). Instead, they'll 'stay upon the Lord' (lean on, trust in) the Holy One of Israel 'in truth.' This conversi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **The remnant of Israel . . .**—For the remnant of Assyria there is as yet no word of hope. (See, however, Isaiah 19:23.) For that of Israel, the prophet, falling back on the thought embodied in the name Shear-jashub (see Note on Isaiah 7:3), predicts a brighter future.
**Shall no more again stay upon him that smote them.**—The smiter is the king of Assyria, whose protection Ahaz and his coun...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**23-24. flocks--**constituted the staple of wealth. It is only by care and diligence that the most solid possessions can be perpetuated (Pr 23:5).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
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KJV Study Commentary
The faithful response of the remnant is described: 'The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.' The name 'remnant shall return' echoes Isaiah's son Shear-jashub (7:3), making him a living prophecy. 'Return' (Hebrew shuv) means both physical return from exile and spiritual repentance. 'The mighty God' (El Gibbor) is one of Messiah's titles (9:6), suggesting the remnan...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **The remnant shall return . . .**—The very form of the words (*Shear-jashub*) shows that the prophet had the “Immanuel promise in his thoughts, just as “the mighty God” (the same word as in Isaiah 9:6) must have reminded men of the Child who was to bear that name in the age to come. (Comp. Hezekiah’s proclamation in 2Chronicles 30:6.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
25-27. The fact that providential arrangements furnish the means of competence to those who properly use them is another motive to diligence (compare Psa 65:9-13).
**The hay appeareth--**literally, "Grass appeareth" (Job 40:15; Psa 104:14).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →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. of them: Heb. in, or, among, etc with: or, in
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KJV Study Commentary
Despite Israel's great numbers ('as the sand of the sea'), only a remnant survives judgment. The phrase 'a remnant of them shall return' balances judgment with mercy. 'The consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness' indicates that though judgment is severe ('consumption'), it's also just ('righteousness'). God's judgment isn't arbitrary but righteous response to sin. The 'decreed' natur...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **Though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea.**—The word “remnant” has, however, its aspect of severity as well as of promise. Men are not to expect that they, the hypocrites and evil-doers, shall escape their punishment. The promise of restoration is for the remnant only. (Comp. St. Paul’s application of the text in Romans 9:27-28).
**The consumption decreed shall overflow with right...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
25-27. The fact that providential arrangements furnish the means of competence to those who properly use them is another motive to diligence (compare Psa 65:9-13).
**The hay appeareth--**literally, "Grass appeareth" (Job 40:15; Psa 104:14).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
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KJV Study Commentary
The Lord God of hosts will execute decreed destruction throughout the land. 'Consumption' and 'determined' emphasize the certainty and completeness of judgment. Yet it's executed by 'the Lord God of hosts'—the covenant God who controls heavenly armies. This balances severity with sovereignty—judgment isn't chaos but controlled divine act. The phrase 'in the midst of all the land' indicates compreh...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
25-27. The fact that providential arrangements furnish the means of competence to those who properly use them is another motive to diligence (compare Psa 65:9-13).
**The hay appeareth--**literally, "Grass appeareth" (Job 40:15; Psa 104:14).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →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. and shall: or, but he shall lift up his staff for
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Despite Assyrian threat, God commands His people: 'be not afraid.' The prohibition against fear appears throughout Scripture when God promises deliverance. The address 'O my people that dwellest in Zion' emphasizes covenant relationship—they're God's people with His presence among them (Zion). Though Assyria will 'smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **O my people . . . be not afraid of the Assyrian.**—The practical conclusion of all that has been said is, that the people should not give way to panic as they had done in the days of Ahaz (Isaiah 7:2), but should abide the march of Sargon, or his successor, with the tranquillity of faith. They were not to faint beneath the blows of the “rod” and “staff,” even though it were to reproduce the...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
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KJV Study Commentary
Two promises encourage fearlessness: the indignation will end, and God's anger against Assyria will accomplish their destruction. 'Very little while' offers temporal perspective—suffering is temporary. 'The indignation shall cease' promises that God's disciplinary anger against Israel will end once its purpose is fulfilled. Then 'mine anger' redirects toward Assyria for 'their destruction.' This d...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **The indignation shall cease . . .**—The “indignation” is the wrath of Jehovah poured out upon His people. That wrath is to cease, and His anger *shall be for *the destruction of their enemies.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 28
Pr 28:1-28.
1. A bad conscience makes men timid; the righteous are alone truly bold (Pr 14:26; Psa 27:1).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
God promises to stir up a scourge against Assyria like He did against Midian (Gideon's victory, Judges 7) and Egypt (Red Sea crossing). The 'rod upon the sea' recalls Moses's staff dividing the Red Sea. These historical parallels remind Israel that the same God who delivered them from previous oppressors will deliver from Assyria. The method emphasizes divine intervention—not human military might ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **According to the slaughter of Midian.**—The historical associations of Isaiah 9:4 are still in the prophet’s mind. In the history of Judges (Judges 7:25), Oreb and Zeeb are the names at once of the Midianite chiefs and of the places where they were slain.
**As his rod was upon the sea.**—The italics spoil the sense. Better, *His rod upon the sea **. . .*** *He shall lift it up after the man...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
2. Anarchy producing contending rulers shortens the reign of each.
**but by a man ... prolonged--**or, "by a man of understanding--that is, a good ruler--he who knows or regards the right, that is, a good citizen, shall prolong (his days)." Good rulers are a blessing to the people. Bad government as a punishment for evil is contrasted with good as blessing to the good.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →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. be taken: Heb. remove
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KJV Study Commentary
The burden (Assyrian oppression) will be removed and the yoke destroyed. The phrase 'because of the anointing' is challenging—it may refer to God's anointed king (Hezekiah/Messiah) or the anointing oil making yokes slip off. Either way, divine intervention breaks oppression. The yoke's destruction 'because of the anointing' ultimately points to Messiah, who breaks sin's yoke through His anointing ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **The yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing . . .**—The English, as it stands, is scarcely intelligible, but suggests the idea that the “anointing” was that which marked out the kings and priests of Judah as a consecrated people, and the remembrance of which would lead Jehovah to liberate them from bondage. Most commentators, however, render “by reason of the fat,” the implied figu...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. A poor man, &c.--**Such, in power, exact more severely, and so leave subjects bare.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
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KJV Study Commentary
Verses 28-32 describe Assyria's approach to Jerusalem, listing towns they conquer sequentially. This detailed itinerary demonstrates prophetic precision—Isaiah describes the invasion route before it happens. Each location represents progressive threat, building tension as Assyria advances. The specificity serves both to warn and to demonstrate that God knows exact details of coming events. Divine ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **He is come to Aiath . . .**—There is an obvious break between this and the preceding verse, and a new section begins, connected with the former by unity of subject, both referring to Sargon’s invasion of Judah. That such an invasion took place at or about the time of that king’s attack on Ashdod (Isaiah 20:1) the inscriptions leave no doubt. The Koujunyik cylinder names the king of Judah as...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. They that forsake ... wicked--**Wrongdoers encourage one another.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
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KJV Study Commentary
Isaiah depicts the Assyrian invasion's advance toward Jerusalem with geographical precision. Each location named marks the enemy's northward approach from Samaria toward Judah's capital. 'They are gone over the passage'—crossing the border into Judean territory. 'Lodging at Geba'—establishing positions. The towns mentioned—Ramah, Gibeah—respond with fear and flight. This vivid description creates ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5. (Compare Joh 7:17). Ignorance of moral truth is due to unwillingness to know it.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. Lift: Heb. Cry shrill with
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KJV Study Commentary
The command 'Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim' continues the northward progression of panic. Towns are personified, called to cry out warnings. Gallim, Laish, and Anathoth—each closer to Jerusalem than the last—are told to raise the alarm. 'Poor Anathoth' (Jeremiah's hometown) emphasizes vulnerability. This cascading warning creates dramatic urgency: the enemy approaches; flee or fortify! Y...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
6. (Compare Pr 10:6). Riches cannot compensate for sin, nor the want of them affect integrity.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
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KJV Study Commentary
The flight intensifies: 'Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.' Towns are evacuated; populations flee before the advancing army. The Hebrew verb translated 'removed' suggests complete abandonment, not just evacuation. 'Gather themselves' implies desperate assembly of refugees. This picture of displacement and panic represents the human cost of imperial aggression...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
7. (Compare Pr 17:25).
**riotous men--**or, "gluttons" (Pr 23:20, 21).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
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KJV Study Commentary
The climax: 'As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.' Nob, barely a mile from Jerusalem, offers clear view of the city. The enemy stands at the gates, shaking his fist in defiant threat against God's dwelling place. This is the moment of maximum danger—and maximum revelation of God's power. To shake one's han...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. usury ... unjust gain--**(Compare Margin). The two terms, meaning nearly the same, may denote excessive interest. God's providence directs the proper use of wealth.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The climax: Assyria reaches 'Nob,' a hill overlooking Jerusalem, shaking their fist against 'the mount of the daughter of Zion' and 'the hill of Jerusalem.' This dramatic image captures the moment of greatest threat—the enemy literally at the gates, arrogantly defying God's city. Yet this is also the moment of deliverance. The shaking fist represents proud defiance against God Himself, since Zion ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(33) **Behold, . . . the Lord of hosts . . .**—The sudden change of tone indicates another pressure of the “strong hand” of Jehovah (Isaiah 8:11), another burst of intensest inspiration. So far shalt thou go, the prophet says to Sargon, as he said afterwards to Sennacherib (Isaiah 37:28-32), and no farther. In the “boughs” that are to be lopped, and the “thickets of the forest” that are to be cut ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
9. (Compare Pr 15:8; 21:27).
**hearing--**that is, obeying. God requires sincere worshippers (Psa 66:18; Joh 4:24).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. by: or, mightily
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KJV Study Commentary
The imagery shifts to God as divine forester, cutting down the proud. 'The thickets of the forest' represents Assyria's dense army. God will 'cut them down with iron'—decisive judgment. 'Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one' continues the metaphor—Lebanon's famous tall cedars represent Assyria's pride and strength. The 'mighty one' is God Himself. This poetic imagery captures comprehensive judgment:...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
10. (Compare Pr 26:27).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-34** By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God'...
Read full commentary →