1._Woe to them that decree. _He now attacks the people more closely, as he did in the first and second chapters, to make them feel that they are justly afflicted; for men never acknowledge that they are justly punished till they have been manifestly convicted and constrained. Though they were suffic... [ Continue Reading ]
2._To keep back. _(156) Others render it, _to cause them to turn aside_; but the true meaning is, _to keep back the poor from judgment_, or make them lose their cause. This is the iniquity and oppression which he had mentioned in the former verse, that _the poor are deprived of their rights_, and ar... [ Continue Reading ]
3._And what will you do? _Here the Prophet severely threatens princes, who were careless and indolent amidst their distresses, as men intoxicated by prosperity are wont to despise haughtily every danger. He therefore warns them that, though God delay, still he has fixed a time for judgment, and alre... [ Continue Reading ]
4._If they shall not fall down. _As the meaning of the particle בלתי (_bilti_) is ambiguous, various interpretations of it have been given by commentators. Some take it in an exclusive sense, as in many other passages of Scripture; as if he had said, _Only he shall fall down among the bound and slai... [ Continue Reading ]
5._O Assyrian. _What now follows relates to the threatening of punishment, but at the same time mingles some consolation for alleviating the distresses of the godly. Indeed, the greater part of the discourse is occupied with this doctrine, that all the afflictions which shall be brought upon them by... [ Continue Reading ]
6._To a hypocritical nation. _He proceeds with the former statement, by which he called _the Assyrian the rod of God’s indignation_; for as the father does not in vain take up the _rod_, but has this object in view, to chastise his son, so he declares that the Lord’s _rod _has no uncertain destinati... [ Continue Reading ]
7._Yet he will not think so. _(161) When wicked men vomit out their rage, they disturb weak minds, as if it were not in the power of God to restrain their pride and fury. The Prophet therefore steps forth beforehand to meet them, and exhorts believers, whatever may be the excess to which wicked men... [ Continue Reading ]
8._For he will say. _He explains the reason why the Assyrian will not think that he is the _rod _of God. It is because, being blinded by pride, he acknowledges no authority superior to his own; for it is impossible for those who rely on their own superiority, and claim ability to do this or that, to... [ Continue Reading ]
9._Is not Calno as Carchemish? _Here he mentions by name certain cities, though others think that they were countries; but it is more probable that they were cities, or some fortified places. “Shall it not happen,” says he, “to those places which I have not yet subdued as it has happened to others t... [ Continue Reading ]
10._As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols. _The Assyrian now breaks out into far more outrageous language; for not only does he insult men, but he insults God himself, and even the very gods whom he worshipped. He boasts that the gods, whose protection the other nations enjoyed, could not... [ Continue Reading ]
12._But it shall come to pass. _Hitherto the Prophet had explained what would be the pride of the Assyrian, after having obtained a victory over Israel; but now he foretells what will happen to the Assyrian himself, and what will be the purpose of God against him. Wicked men do everything in the sam... [ Continue Reading ]
13._For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it. _The Prophet again repeats the highly blasphemous words which the Assyrian uttered; for he ascribes to his _power _and _wisdom _all the victories which he obtained. By _strength of hand _he means vast armies collected out of various na... [ Continue Reading ]
14._And my hand hath found as a nest. _He adds, that it cost him no trouble to vanquish kings and amass their wealth; and he illustrates this by a comparison. As if one were to seek _a nest and find one _deserted by the birds, and consequently to take the eggs without difficulty; for if the parent b... [ Continue Reading ]
15._Shall the axe boast? _He now ridicules more strongly the mad effrontery of the Assyrians in imagining that he could create mountains of gold; for he tells us that the case is the same as if _an axe _or _a hammer _should despise the hand which sets them in motion, and should be proud of their act... [ Continue Reading ]
16._Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness. _He proceeds with the former doctrine, declaring that the Lord will show to the Assyrian how undeservedly he exalts himself, and will throw down his arrogance, in which he foolishly takes delight. As he trusted in his... [ Continue Reading ]
17._And the light of Israel shall be for a fire. _There is an elegant allusion to that burning by which he threatened that he would consume the Assyrians. In _fire _there are two things, light and heat. As the Lord consumes the enemies by his heat, so he enlightens the godly by his light. It is very... [ Continue Reading ]
18._And shall consume the glory of his forest. _He goes on with the same comparison of a _burning_, and declares that the fire will consume both the highest and the lowest, and will leave nothing uninjured. It is possible that a fire might destroy the higher parts of a building, and might leave the... [ Continue Reading ]
19._And the remnant of the trees of his forest shall be a number. _(167) When he adds that _the remnant of them will be a number_, he employs a Hebrew idiom to express that _they will be few_; and thus he only confirms the former statement, that the devastation produced, after the calamity which God... [ Continue Reading ]
20_It shall be in that day. _Returning now to the elect people, he describes the result of the chastisement which was at hand. As it is painful and disagreeable to us to endure calamities and afflictions, and as we refuse them so far as lies in our power, the Lord points out to us the result of them... [ Continue Reading ]
21._A remnant shall return. _This is a confirmation of the former statement. Yet in the words שאר ישוב, (_Shear Yashub_,) _a remnant shall return_, there appears to be an allusion to that passage in which Isaiah’s son was called _Shear-jashub_. (Isaiah 7:3.) In our observations on it, we stated that... [ Continue Reading ]
22._For though thy people be. _He casts down hypocrites from foolish confidence; for they reckoned it enough to be the descendants of holy Abraham according to the flesh, and, therefore, on the sole ground of their birth, they wished to be accounted holy. Yet he exhorts the godly to patience, that t... [ Continue Reading ]
23._For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption. _This repetition again wounds the self-complacency of those who proudly despised God. It was almost incredible that the Jews, to whom so many promises had been given, and with whom God had made _an everlasting covenant_, should perish, as it we... [ Continue Reading ]
24._Therefore, thus saith the Lord Jehovah of hosts. _He goes on with the same consolation, which belongs to the godly alone, who at that time, undoubtedly, were few in number. A great number of persons gloried in the name of God, and wished to be accounted his people; but there were few who actuall... [ Continue Reading ]
25._But yet a little while. _He means not only the siege of Jerusalem, when Sennacherib surrounded it with a numerous army, (2 Kings 18:17,) but likewise the rest of the calamities, when Jerusalem was overthrown, (2 Kings 25:4,) the Temple razed, and the inhabitants taken prisoners; for against thos... [ Continue Reading ]
26._And the LORD of hosts will stir up a scourge for him. _Here Isaiah makes use of the word _scourge_, and not _rod_, meaning that the Lord will treat the enemies much more harshly and severely than they had treated the Jews. He threatens them with extermination, and makes it more evident by two ex... [ Continue Reading ]
27._And it shall come to pass in that day. _It is uncertain whether he now speaks of the deliverance which took place under Zerubbabel, (2 Chronicles 36:22; Ezra 1:2,) or of that wonderful overthrow of Sennacherib, (2 Kings 19:35,) when he besieged Jerusalem with a huge army. This latter opinion is... [ Continue Reading ]
28._He is come to Aiath. _The siege of the holy city being now at hand, Isaiah sets before their eyes the whole of Sennacherib’s march, that the hearts of the godly, by long and careful study of it, may remain steadfast. This delineation was powerfully calculated to allay their fears, when godly men... [ Continue Reading ]
29._They have crossed the ford. _(175) Some understand by this the passage of the Jordan, but I do not know if it could be _crossed _by a _ford _in that quarter. (176) He describes how great will be the terror when they hear of the approach of the Assyrian, that the whole country will be struck with... [ Continue Reading ]
30._Neigh, _(177) _O daughter of Gallim. _By the word _neigh _he denotes the howling and cries which will be heard at a distance. It is very common, in the Hebrew language, to call cities _daughters_. He says that the howling will be so great that it will be heard even by the neighboring cities; for... [ Continue Reading ]
31._Madmenah is removed. _In exaggerated language he describes that city to have been shaken to such a degree, as if it had been _removed _to another place. This relates to the disorderly movements of a people in flight; as if he had said that the inhabitants of that city were thrown into as great a... [ Continue Reading ]
32._Yet a day. _(178) Some interpret this, that the Assyrian will yet remain _one day in Nob_, which was a village contiguous to Jerusalem, as Jerome and others declare. But I rather agree with those who think that it means, that he will have a great part of the day before him when he halts there, i... [ Continue Reading ]
34._And he will cut down the thick places of the forest with iron. _There is no difficulty in explaining this metaphor, for it is plain enough that by tall and high trees is denoted all that is powerful, excellent, or lofty. Thus he foretells the destruction and ruin of Judea, which he compares to t... [ Continue Reading ]