Isaiah 10
10
1Woe to those who #[Ps. 94:20] decree iniquitous decrees,
and the writers who #Jer. 8:8keep writing oppression,
2to turn aside the needy from justice
and #ch. 5:23to rob the poor of my people of their right,
that widows may be their spoil,
and that they may make the fatherless their prey!
3What will you do on #Jer. 5:29; Hos. 9:7; [Luke 19:44] the day of punishment,
in the ruin that will come #ch. 5:26from afar?
To whom will you flee for help,
and where will you leave your wealth?
4Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners
or fall among the slain.
# See ch. 9:12 For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.
Judgment on Arrogant Assyria
5Woe to Assyria, #ver. 24; ch. 9:4; [Mic. 5:1; 6:9]the rod of my anger;
the staff in their hands is my fury!
6Against a #ch. 9:17 godless nation I send him,
and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take #See 2 Kgs. 18:14-16 spoil and seize plunder,
and to #ch. 5:5tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7But he #[Mic. 4:12]does not so intend,
and his heart does not so think;
but it is in his heart to destroy,
and to cut off nations not a few;
8for he says:
# [2 Kgs. 18:24] “Are not my commanders all kings?
9 #
2 Kgs. 19:12, 13 Is not #[Gen. 10:10; Amos 6:2] Calno like #2 Chr. 35:20; Jer. 46:2 Carchemish?
Is not #ch. 11:11; Amos 6:2; Zech. 9:2 Hamath like #2 Kgs. 18:34 Arpad?
# [2 Kgs. 16:9; 17:6] Is not #ch. 7:9Samaria like Damascus?
10As my hand has reached to #[2 Kgs. 19:17, 18]the kingdoms of the idols,
whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11shall I not do to Jerusalem and #ch. 2:8 her idols
#
2 Kgs. 18:34
as I have done to Samaria and her images?”
12 # [ch. 29:4, 5; 30:18; 2 Kgs. 19:31] When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, #See 2 Kgs. 19:35-37he#10:12 Hebrew I will punish the speech#10:12 Hebrew fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. 13#ch. 37:23-25; 2 Kgs. 19:22-24For he says:
“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;
I remove the boundaries of peoples,
and plunder their treasures;
like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.
14My hand has found like a nest
the wealth of the peoples;
and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,
so I have gathered all the earth;
and there was none that moved a wing
or opened the mouth or chirped.”
15Shall #[ver. 5; ch. 29:16; 45:9; Rom. 9:17]the axe boast over him who hews with it,
or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?
As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,
or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!
16Therefore the Lord God of hosts
will send wasting sickness among his #Ps. 78:31 stout warriors,
and under his glory #[ch. 30:33]a burning will be kindled,
like the burning of fire.
17 # [Obad. 18] The light of Israel will become a fire,
and #ch. 37:23 his Holy One a flame,
and #ch. 27:4; [ch. 9:18; Nah. 1:10] it will burn and devour
his thorns and briers #[ch. 9:14; 2 Kgs. 19:35]in one day.
18The glory of #ver. 33; [ch. 2:13] his forest and of his #[Ps. 107:33-34]fruitful land
the Lord will destroy, both soul and body,
and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
19The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few
that a child can write them down.
The Remnant of Israel Will Return
20 # ver. 27; ch. 2:11 In that day #ch. 4:2 the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more #[2 Kgs. 16:7; 2 Chr. 28:20, 21] lean on him who struck them, but #2 Kgs. 19:14will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, #ch. 9:6to the mighty God. 22#Cited Rom. 9:27, 28 For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, #[ch. 6:13] only a remnant of them will return. #ch. 28:22Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. 23For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.
24Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people, #[ch. 31:5] who dwell in Zion, #2 Kgs. 19:6 be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as #Ex. 2:23the Egyptians did. 25For #[ch. 17:14]in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. 26And #2 Kgs. 19:35 the Lord of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck #ch. 9:4 Midian #Judg. 7:25; [ch. 9:4] at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it #[Ex. 14:30]as he did in Egypt. 27And in that day #2 Kgs. 18:14 his burden will depart from your shoulder, and #[ch. 9:4; Nah. 1:13]his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat.”#10:27 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
28He has come to Aiath;
he has passed through #1 Sam. 14:2 Migron;
at Michmash he stores #Judg. 18:21; 1 Sam. 17:22; Acts 21:15; [ch. 46:1]his baggage;
29they have crossed over #1 Sam. 13:23 the pass;
at #1 Sam. 13:16 Geba they lodge for the night;
#
1 Sam. 7:17 Ramah trembles;
#
1 Sam. 11:4
Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30Cry aloud, O daughter of #1 Sam. 25:44 Gallim!
Give attention, O Laishah!
O poor #Jer. 1:1Anathoth!
31Madmenah is in flight;
the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
32This very day he will halt at #1 Sam. 21:1; 22:19 Nob;
he will shake his fist
at the mount of #ch. 1:8; 37:22the daughter of Zion,
the hill of Jerusalem.
33Behold, the Lord God of hosts
# [Nah. 1:12] will lop #ver. 18the boughs with terrifying power;
the great in height will be hewn down,
and the lofty will be brought low.
34He will cut down #[See ver. 33 above] the thickets of the forest with an axe,
and #[Ezek. 31:3; Amos 2:9]Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One.
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Isaiah 10: ESV
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Isaiah 10
10
1 Those who enact unjust policies are as good as dead,#tn Heb “Woe [to] those who decree evil decrees.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
those who are always instituting unfair regulations,#tn Heb “[to] the writers who write out harm.” The participle and verb are in the Piel, suggesting repetitive action.
2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment,
and to deprive#tn Or “rob” (ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV); KJV “take away the right from the poor.” the oppressed among my people of justice,
so they can steal what widows own,
and loot what belongs to orphans.#tn Heb “so that widows are their plunder, and they can loot orphans.”sn On the socio-economic background of vv. 1-2, see the note at 1:23.
3 What will you do on judgment day,#tn Heb “the day of visitation” (so KJV, ASV), that is, the day when God arrives to execute justice on the oppressors.
when destruction arrives from a distant place?
To whom will you run for help?
Where will you leave your wealth?
4 You will have no place to go, except to kneel with the prisoners,
or to fall among those who have been killed.#tn Heb “except one kneels in the place of the prisoner, and in the place of the slain [who] fall.” On the force of בִּלְתִּי (bilti, “except”) and its logical connection to what precedes, see BDB 116 s.v. בֵלֶת. On the force of תַּחַת (takhat, “in the place of”) here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:258, n. 6.
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again.#tn Heb “in all this his anger was not turned, and still his hand was outstretched”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “his had is stretched out still.”sn See the note at 9:12.
The Lord Turns on Arrogant Assyria
5 Assyria, the club I use to vent my anger, is as good as dead,#tn Heb “Woe [to] Assyria, the club of my anger.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
a cudgel with which I angrily punish.#tn Heb “a cudgel is he, in their hand is my anger.” It seems likely that the final mem (ם) on בְיָדָם (bÿyadam) is not a pronominal suffix (“in their hand”), but an enclitic mem. If so, one can translate literally, “a cudgel is he in the hand of my anger.”
6 I sent him#sn Throughout this section singular forms are used to refer to Assyria; perhaps the king of Assyria is in view (see v. 12). against a godless#tn Or “defiled”; cf. ASV “profane”; NAB “impious”; NCV “separated from God.” nation,
I ordered him to attack the people with whom I was angry,#tn Heb “and against the people of my anger I ordered him.”
to take plunder and to carry away loot,
to trample them down#tn Heb “to make it [i.e., the people] a trampled place.” like dirt in the streets.
7 But he does not agree with this,
his mind does not reason this way,#tn Heb “but he, not so does he intend, and his heart, not so does it think.”
for his goal is to destroy,
and to eliminate many nations.#tn Heb “for to destroy [is] in his heart, and to cut off nations, not a few.”
8 Indeed,#tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV). he says:
“Are not my officials all kings?
9 Is not Calneh like Carchemish?
Hamath like Arpad?
Samaria like Damascus?#sn Calneh … Carchemish … Hamath … Arpad … Samaria … Damascus. The city states listed here were conquered by the Assyrians between 740-717 b.c. The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one can stand before Assyria’s might. On the geographical, rather than chronological arrangement of the cities, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:264, n. 4.
10 I overpowered kingdoms ruled by idols,#tn Heb “Just as my hand found the kingdoms of the idol[s].” The comparison is expanded in v. 11a (note “as”) and completed in v. 11b (note “so”).
whose carved images were more impressive than Jerusalem’s#map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. or Samaria’s.
11 As I have done to Samaria and its idols,
so I will do to Jerusalem and its idols.”#tn The statement is constructed as a rhetorical question in the Hebrew text: “Is it not [true that] just as I have done to Samaria and its idols, so I will do to Jerusalem and its idols?”sn This statement indicates that the prophecy dates sometime between 722-701 b.c.
12 But when#tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2. the sovereign master#tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 23, 24, 33 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). finishes judging#tn Heb “his work on/against.” Cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV “on”; NIV “against.” Mount Zion and Jerusalem, then I#tn The Lord is speaking here, as in vv. 5-6a. will punish the king of Assyria for what he has proudly planned and for the arrogant attitude he displays.#tn Heb “I will visit [judgment] on the fruit of the greatness of the heart of the king of Assyria, and on the glory of the height of his eyes.” The proud Assyrian king is likened to a large, beautiful fruit tree. 13 For he says:
“By my strong hand I have accomplished this,
by my strategy that I devised.
I invaded the territory of nations,#tn Heb “removed the borders of nations”; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “boundaries.”
and looted their storehouses.
Like a mighty conqueror,#tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has כְּאַבִּיר (kÿ’abir, “like a strong one”); the marginal reading (Qere) is כַּבִיר (kavir, “mighty one”). I brought down rulers.#tn Heb “and I brought down, like a strong one, ones sitting [or “living”].” The participle יוֹשְׁבִים (yoshÿvim, “ones sitting”) could refer to the inhabitants of the nations, but the translation assumes that it refers to those who sit on thrones, i.e., rulers. See BDB 442 s.v. יָשַׁב and HALOT 444 s.v. ישׁב.
14 My hand discovered the wealth of the nations, as if it were in a nest,
as one gathers up abandoned eggs,
I gathered up the whole earth.
There was no wing flapping,
or open mouth chirping.”#sn The Assyrians’ conquests were relatively unopposed, like robbing a bird’s nest of its eggs when the mother bird is absent.
15 Does an ax exalt itself over the one who wields it,
or a saw magnify itself over the one who cuts with it?#tn Heb “the one who pushes it back and forth”; KJV “him that shaketh it”; ASV “him that wieldeth it.”
As if a scepter should brandish the one who raises it,
or a staff should lift up what is not made of wood!
16 For this reason#sn The irrational arrogance of the Assyrians (v. 15) will prompt the judgment about to be described. the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, will make his healthy ones emaciated.#tn Heb “will send leanness against his healthy ones”; NASB, NIV “will send a wasting disease.” His majestic glory will go up in smoke.#tc Heb “and in the place of his glory burning will burn, like the burning of fire.” The highly repetitive text (יֵקַד יְקֹד כִּיקוֹד אֵשׁ, yeqad yiqod kiqod ’esh) may be dittographic; if the second consonantal sequence יקד is omitted, the text would read “and in the place of his glory, it will burn like the burning of fire.”
17 The light of Israel#tn In this context the “Light of Israel” is a divine title (note the parallel title “his holy one”). The title points to God’s royal splendor, which overshadows and, when transformed into fire, destroys the “majestic glory” of the king of Assyria (v. 16b). will become a fire,
their Holy One#sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4. will become a flame;
it will burn and consume the Assyrian king’s#tn Heb “his.” In vv. 17-19 the Assyrian king and his empire is compared to a great forest and orchard that are destroyed by fire (symbolic of the Lord). briers
and his thorns in one day.
18 The splendor of his forest and his orchard
will be completely destroyed,#tn Heb “from breath to flesh it will destroy.” The expression “from breath to flesh” refers to the two basic components of a person, the immaterial (life’s breath) and the material (flesh). Here the phrase is used idiomatically to indicate totality.
as when a sick man’s life ebbs away.#tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. מָסַס (masas), which is used elsewhere of substances dissolving or melting, may here mean “waste away” or “despair.” נָסַס (nasas), which appears only here, may mean “be sick” or “stagger, despair.” See BDB 651 s.v. I נָסַס and HALOT 703 s.v. I נסס. One might translate the line literally, “like the wasting away of one who is sick” (cf. NRSV “as when an invalid wastes away”).
19 There will be so few trees left in his forest,
a child will be able to count them.#tn Heb “and the rest of the trees of his forest will be counted, and a child will record them.”
20 At that time#tn Or “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2. those left in Israel, those who remain of the family#tn Heb “house” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV). of Jacob, will no longer rely on a foreign leader that abuses them.#tn Heb “on one who strikes him down.” This individual is the king (“foreign leader”) of the oppressing nation (which NLT specifies as “the Assyrians”). Instead they will truly#tn Or “sincerely”; KJV, ASV, NAB, NRSV “in truth.” rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.#sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4. 21 A remnant will come back, a remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.#tn The referent of אֵל גִּבּוֹר (’el gibbor, “mighty God”) is uncertain. The title appears only here and in 9:6, where it is one of the royal titles of the coming ideal Davidic king. (Similar titles appear in Deut 10:17 and Neh 9:32 [“the great, mighty, and awesome God”] and in Jer 32:18 [“the great and mighty God”]. Both titles refer to God.) Though Hos 3:5 pictures Israel someday seeking “David their king,” and provides some support for a messianic interpretation of Isa 10:21, the Davidic king is not mentioned in the immediate context of Isa 10:21 (see Isa 11, however). The preceding verse mentions Israel relying on the Lord, so it is likely that the title refers to God here. 22 For though your people, Israel, are as numerous as#tn Heb “are like.” the sand on the seashore, only a remnant will come back.#sn The twofold appearance of the statement “a remnant will come back” (שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב, she’ar yashuv) in vv. 21-22 echoes and probably plays off the name of Isaiah’s son Shear-jashub (see 7:3). In its original context the name was meant to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3), but here it has taken on new dimensions. In light of Ahaz’s failure and the judgment it brings down on the land, the name Shear-jashub now foreshadows the destiny of the nation. According to vv. 21-22, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that a remnant of God’s people will return; the bad news is that only a remnant will be preserved and come back. Like the name Immanuel, this name foreshadows both judgment (see the notes at 7:25 and 8:8) and ultimate restoration (see the note at 8:10). Destruction has been decreed;#tn Or “predetermined”; cf. ASV, NASB “is determined”; TEV “is in store.” just punishment#tn צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) often means “righteousness,” but here it refers to God’s just judgment. is about to engulf you.#tn Or “is about to overflow.” 23 The sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, is certainly ready to carry out the decreed destruction throughout the land.#tn Heb “Indeed (or perhaps “for”) destruction and what is decreed the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, is about to accomplish in the middle of all the land.” The phrase כָלָא וְנֶחֱרָצָה (khala’ venekheratsah, “destruction and what is decreed”) is a hendiadys; the two terms express one idea, with the second qualifying the first.
24 So#tn Heb “therefore.” The message that follows is one of encouragement, for it focuses on the eventual destruction of the Assyrians. Consequently “therefore” relates back to vv. 5-21, not to vv. 22-23, which must be viewed as a brief parenthesis in an otherwise positive speech. here is what the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, says: “My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of Assyria, even though they beat you with a club and lift their cudgel against you as Egypt did.#tn Heb “in the way [or “manner”] of Egypt.” 25 For very soon my fury#tc The Hebrew text has simply “fury,” but the pronominal element can be assumed on the basis of what immediately follows (see “my anger” in the clause). It is possible that the suffixed yod (י) has been accidentally dropped by virtual haplography. Note that a vav (ו) is prefixed to the form that immediately follows; yod and vav are very similar in later script phases. will subside, and my anger will be directed toward their destruction.” 26 The Lord who commands armies is about to beat them#tn Heb “him” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); the singular refers to the leader or king who stands for the entire nation. This is specified by NCV, CEV as “the Assyrians.” with a whip, similar to the way he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb.#sn According to Judg 7:25, the Ephraimites executed the Midianite general Oreb at a rock which was subsequently named after the executed enemy. He will use his staff against the sea, lifting it up as he did in Egypt.#tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and his staff [will be] against the sea, and he will lift it in the way [or “manner”] of Egypt.” If the text is retained, “the sea” symbolizes Assyria’s hostility, the metaphor being introduced because of the reference to Egypt. The translation above assumes an emendation of עַל הַיָּם (’al hayyam, “against the sea”) to עַלֵיהֶם (’alehem, “against them”). The proposed shift from the third singular pronoun (note “beat him” earlier in the verse) to the plural is not problematic, for the singular is collective. Note that a third plural pronoun is used at the end of v. 25 (“their destruction”). The final phrase, “in the way/manner of Egypt,” probably refers to the way in which God used the staff of Moses to bring judgment down on Egypt.
27 At that time#tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
the Lord will remove their burden from your shoulders,#tn Heb “he [i.e., the Lord] will remove his [i.e, Assyria’s] burden from upon your shoulder.”
and their yoke from your neck;
the yoke will be taken off because your neck will be too large.#tc The meaning of this line is uncertain. The Hebrew text reads literally, “and the yoke will be destroyed (or perhaps, “pulled down”) because of fatness.” Perhaps this is a bizarre picture of an ox growing so fat that it breaks the yoke around its neck or can no longer fit into its yoke. Fatness would symbolize the Lord’s restored blessings; the removal of the yoke would symbolize the cessation of Assyrian oppression. Because of the difficulty of the metaphor, many prefer to emend the text at this point. Some emend וְחֻבַּל (vÿkhubbal, “and it will be destroyed,” a perfect with prefixed vav), to יִחְבֹּל (yikhbol, “[it] will be destroyed,” an imperfect), and take the verb with what precedes, “and their yoke will be destroyed from your neck.” Proponents of this view (cf. NAB, NRSV) then emend עֹל (’ol, “yoke”) to עָלָה (’alah, “he came up”) and understand this verb as introducing the following description of the Assyrian invasion (vv. 28-32). מִפְּנֵי־שָׁמֶן (mippÿney-shamen, “because of fatness”) is then emended to read “from before Rimmon” (NAB, NRSV), “from before Samaria,” or “from before Jeshimon.” Although this line may present difficulties, it appears best to regard the line as a graphic depiction of God’s abundant blessings on his servant nation.
28#sn Verses 28-31 display a staccato style; the statements are short and disconnected (no conjunctions appear in the Hebrew text). The translation to follow strives for a choppy style that reflects the mood of the speech. They#tn Heb “he,” that is, the Assyrians (as the preceding context suggests). Cf. NCV “The army of Assyria.”sn Verses 28-32 describe an invasion of Judah from the north. There is no scholarly consensus on when this particular invasion took place, if at all. J. H. Hayes and S. A. Irvine (Isaiah, 209-10) suggest the text describes the Israelite-Syrian invasion of Judah (ca. 735 b.c.), but this proposal disregards the preceding context, which prophesies the destruction of Assyria. Some suggest that this invasion occurred in conjunction with Sargon’s western campaign of 713-711 b.c., but there is no historical evidence of such an invasion at that time. Many others identify the invasion as Sennacherib’s in 701 b.c., but historical records indicate Sennacherib approached Jerusalem from the southwest. J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:274-75) prefers to see the description as rhetorical and as not corresponding to any particular historical event, but Hayes and Irvine argue that the precise geographical details militate against such a proposal. Perhaps it is best to label the account as rhetorical-prophetic. The prophecy of the invasion was not necessarily intended to be a literal itinerary of the Assyrians’ movements; rather its primary purpose was to create a foreboding mood. Geographical references contribute to this purpose, but they merely reflect how one would expect an Assyrian invasion to proceed, not necessarily how the actual invasion would progress. Despite its rhetorical nature, the prophecy does point to the invasion of 701 b.c., as the announcement of the invaders’ downfall in vv. 33-34 makes clear; it was essentially fulfilled at that time. For further discussion of the problem, see R. E. Clements, Isaiah (NCBC), 117-19. On the geographical details of the account, see Y. Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 393. attacked#tn Heb “came against,” or “came to.” Aiath,
moved through Migron,
depositing their supplies at Micmash.
29 They went through the pass,
spent the night at Geba.
Ramah trembled,
Gibeah of Saul ran away.
30 Shout out, daughter of Gallim!
Pay attention, Laishah!
Answer her, Anathoth!#tc The Hebrew text reads “Poor [is] Anathoth.” The parallelism is tighter if עֲנִיָּה (’aniyyah,“poor”) is emended to עֲנִיהָ (’aniha, “answer her”). Note how the preceding two lines have an imperative followed by a proper name.
31 Madmenah flees,
the residents of Gebim have hidden.
32 This very day, standing in Nob,
they shake their fist at Daughter Zion’s mountain#tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has “a mountain of a house (בֵּית, bet), Zion,” but the marginal reading (Qere) correctly reads “the mountain of the daughter (בַּת, bat) of Zion.” On the phrase “Daughter Zion,” see the note on the same phrase in 1:8. –
at the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Look, the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies,
is ready to cut off the branches with terrifying power.#tc The Hebrew text reads “with terrifying power,” or “with a crash.” מַעֲרָצָה (ma’aratsah, “terrifying power” or “crash”) occurs only here. Several have suggested an emendation to מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad, “ax”) parallel to “ax” in v. 34; see HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד and H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:448. sn As in vv. 12 (see the note there) and 18, the Assyrians are compared to a tree/forest in vv. 33-34.
The tallest trees#tn Heb “the exalted of the height.” This could refer to the highest branches (cf. TEV) or the tallest trees (cf. NIV, NRSV). will be cut down,
the loftiest ones will be brought low.
34 The thickets of the forest will be chopped down with an ax,
and mighty Lebanon will fall.#tn The Hebrew text has, “and Lebanon, by/as [?] a mighty one, will fall.” The translation above takes the preposition בְּ (bet) prefixed to “mighty one” as indicating identity, “Lebanon, as a mighty one, will fall.” In this case “mighty one” describes Lebanon. (In Ezek 17:23 and Zech 11:2 the adjective is used of Lebanon’s cedars.) Another option is to take the preposition as indicating agency and interpret “mighty one” as a divine title (see Isa 33:21). One could then translate, “and Lebanon will fall by [the agency of] the Mighty One.”
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