Isaiah chapter 10
Your leaders create social injustice. Assyria will be the unwitting instrument of God. The invasion will be thwarted.
YOUR LEADERS CREATE SOCIAL INJUSTICE
VERSE 1. Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees;
NLT translation. What sorrow awaits the unjust judges and those who issue unfair laws;
those who issue unfair laws. That is, corrupt politicians.
VERSE 2. to deprive the needy from justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their plunder, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!
VERSE 3. What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?
VERSE 4. They will only bow down under the prisoners, and will fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
ASSYRIA WILL BE THE UNWITTING INSTRUMENT OF GOD
VERSE 5. Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation!
KJV translation. O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
Assyrian. The king of Assyria. He is the instrument of the LORD God’s righteous anger.
VERSE 6. I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me I will give him a command to take the plunder and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
VERSE 7. However he doesn’t mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations.
it is in his heart to destroy. The king of Assyria is a sociopath. He has a pathologic compulsion to rage out and destroy others.
Psychologically, such a person cannot feel good about themself unless they are hurting other people.
VERSE 8. For he says, “Aren’t all of my princes kings?
VERSE 9. Isn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?”
VERSE 10. As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
VERSE 11. shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
VERSE 12. Therefore it will happen that when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his arrogant looks.
VERSE 13. For he has said, “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding. I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down their rulers.
By the strength of my hand. The king of Assyria is bragging about himself.
by my wisdom. The king of Assyria is bragging about himself.
I have understanding. The king of Assyria is bragging about himself.
Those three demonstrate self-centeredness and narcissistic behavior.
VERSE 14. My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like one gathers eggs that are abandoned, I have gathered all the earth. There was no one who moved their wing, or that opened their mouth, or chirped.”
VERSE 15. Should an ax brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood.
VERSE 16. Therefore the Lord, the LORD of Hosts, will send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire.
send among his fat ones leanness. That is, a plague.
VERSE 17. The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.
fire … flame. Mystics often describe the LORD God using the vocabulary of fire.
See our study of The Living Flame of Love by John of the Cross.
In this verse, the heavenly fire can not only bless the mystic, but also destroy the wicked.
VERSE 18. He will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints.
VERSE 19. The remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child could write their number.
VERSE 20. It will come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and those who have escaped from the house of Jacob will no more again lean on him who struck them, but shall lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
NLT translation. In that day the remnant left in Israel, the survivors in the house of Jacob, will no longer depend on allies who seek to destroy them. But they will faithfully trust the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.
the remnant. The Bible describes a uniquely faithful group of believers called “the remnant.” Are they Jewish or Christians? Now or in the future? Who are they really? Read more »
allies who seek to destroy them. They escape their abusers. They escape their dependency on their abusers. Now they are truly free.
An abuser pretends to be an ally and offers a tiny amount of help, so as to keep their victim dependent.
VERSE 21. A remnant will return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.
the remnant. The Bible describes a uniquely faithful group of believers called “the remnant.” Are they Jewish or Christians? Now or in the future? Who are they really? Read more »
VERSE 22. For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.
only a remnant of them will return. The Bible describes a uniquely faithful group of believers called “the remnant.” Are they Jewish or Christians? Now or in the future? Who are they really? Read more »
VERSE 23. For the Lord, the LORD of Hosts, will make a full end, and that determined, throughout all the earth.
VERSE 24. Therefore the Lord, the LORD of Hosts, says “My people who dwell in Zion, don’t be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod, and lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did.
don’t be afraid of the Assyrian. It is time for them to no longer fear their abusers.
VERSE 25. For yet a very little while, and the indignation against you will be accomplished, and my anger will be directed to his destruction.”
VERSE 26. The LORD of Hosts will stir up a scourge against him, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. His rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up like he did against Egypt.
THE INVASION WILL BE THWARTED
VERSE 27. It will happen in that day that his burden will depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
VERSE 28. He has come to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his baggage.
VERSE 29. They have gone over the pass. They have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled.
VERSE 30. Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of Gallim! Listen, Laishah! You poor Anathoth!
VERSE 31. Madmenah is a fugitive. The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
VERSE 32. This very day he will halt at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
VERSE 33. Behold, the Lord, the LORD of Hosts, will lop the boughs with terror. The tall will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.
will lop the boughs with terror. Right when the enemy is about to capture Jerusalem, the LORD God destroys the enemy.
VERSE 34. He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.
ISAIAH
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, True Fasting
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.