Isaiah 14:24-27

Judgment on Assyria (Isaiah 14:24).

But the reader is asking, what of Assyria? Thus Assyria is dealt with briefly and for the last time judgmentwise in this section. To Isaiah it is of no more consequence. But the picture of the destruction of Babylon reminds him that Assyria must also be destroyed. Its days are numbered (even though its empire would last for another hundred years) until it is ready to worship Yahweh (Isaiah 19:23).

Analysis of Isaiah 14:24.

a Yahweh of hosts has sworn saying, “Surely as I have thought, so will it come about, and as I have purposed, so will it stand” (Isaiah 14:24).

b “That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountain tread him under foot” (Isaiah 14:25 a).

b Then his yoke will depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulder (Isaiah 14:25 b).

a This is the purpose which is purposed on the whole earth (or ‘land'), and this is the hand that is stretched out on all the nations. For Yahweh of hosts has purposed, and who will disannul it, and His hand is stretched out and who will turn it back?

In ‘a' Yahweh's purpose is stated, and in the parallel the fact that He has purposed it and it is His purpose is repeated threefold stressing that it is so. In ‘b' the Assyrian is to be broken and trodden underfoot, and the result will be that that his yoke is removed from them, and the burden of him removed from His people's shoulders.

Isaiah 14:24

‘Yahweh of hosts has sworn saying,

“Surely as I have thought, so will it come about,

And as I have purposed, so will it stand,

That I will break the Assyrian in my land,

And on my mountain tread him under foot.

Then his yoke will depart from off them,

And his burden depart from off their shoulder.”

Isaiah now declares God's thoughts and purpose for Assyria, certain because sworn by an oath. What God thinks concerning Assyria will become fact, what God purposes will become a reality. The thought (or plan) refers to the initial idea, the purpose to its worked out fulfilment. And His thought and purpose are that He is about to break the Assyrian in His own land, in Judah. Assyria had presumptuously invaded God's land and trodden on His mountain (the central highlands are regularly called ‘the mountain' in Scripture - e.g. Exodus 15:17; Psalms 78:54). Now God would break him and tread him underfoot, and it would be in His land because of his effrontery in so behaving towards God's land. Thus would Judah's burden be removed, the yoke would be removed from his shoulder (compare Isaiah 10:27). They would no longer be subservient to Assyria.

In about 701 BC this was fulfilled when Assyria's might was indeed broken in God's land by the mysterious death of a large proportion of its army as they were investing Jerusalem and Libnah (Isaiah 37:36) which resulted in the Assyrian retreat. So much for their previous derision about what Yahweh could do (Isaiah 36:18).

Isaiah 14:26

‘This is the purpose which is purposed on the whole earth (or ‘land'),

And this is the hand that is stretched out on all the nations.

For Yahweh of hosts has purposed, and who will disannul it,

And his hand is stretched out and who will turn it back?'

As he does regularly Isaiah now speaks universally (that is, universally in the terms of his day). God is not just concerned for His own land. The whole earth is His. Thus all the known earth will be affected, and His hand will be stretched out on all nations. Thus Assyria is doomed and will finally be totally broken. No one can prevent it for it is Yahweh's purpose and will be accomplished by His hand which no one can turn back once it has begun to act. And that will be the end of Assyria.

Note ‘the purpose which is purposed -- for Yahweh has purposed', a threefold emphasis on the fact that this is the purpose of Yahweh. His people need not fear. Assyria may appear invulnerable, but not in the face of Yahweh's purposing.

The brevity of this whole declaration emphasises its certainty. Assyria is already doomed, and can be dismissed in a couple of sentences.