Isaiah-Chap-10

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Tanakh versions:

Throughout this site I use any of the following three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. “Mechon-Mamre.org” (MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org” (SEF), three brilliant versions!

Colour coded details of our beloved TaNaKh:

1. Torah = History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.

*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot, or Scrolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and history of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.

Please Note: Some alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.

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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!

“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).

However, sadly both priests and rabbis broke אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s command’s and made countless alterations. Please just check Tehillim - Psalm 53, where they removed the sacred Name of יְהוָה - the LORD seven times, and replaced it with אֱלֹהִים both in Hebrew as well as in English translation. This was, and still is an utter disgrace, and they shall be severly punished for their evil!

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“Isaiah Chapter 10”

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

Introduction:

Chapter 10 serves as a stern warning against domestic injustice before pivoting to the “Rod of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s Anger” Assyria. It explores the tension between אֱלֹהִים (God) using an empire as a tool for discipline and that empire’s own arrogant belief that it is the master of its own destiny. It concludes with the promise that though the forest is thinned, a holy remnant will remain.

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Come let us now read Yeshayahu - Isaiah Chapter 10: (JPS-1917 version of the Tanakh).

1. “Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write iniquity;

2. To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right of the poor of My people, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

3. And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the ruin which shall come from far? To whom will ye flee for help? And where will ye leave your glory?

4. They can do nought except crouch under the captives, and fall under the slain. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

5. O Asshur, the rod of Mine anger, in whose hand as a staff is Mine indignation!

6. I do send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath do 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.

7. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few.

8. For he saith: 'Are not my princes all of them kings?

9. Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus?

10. As my hand hath reached the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images did exceed them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

11. Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?'

12. Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when יְהוָה - the LORD hath performed His whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.

13. For he hath said: by the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent; in that I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and have brought down as one mighty the inhabitants;

14. And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the peoples; and as one gathereth eggs that are forsaken, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or that opened the mouth, or chirped.

15. Should the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Should the saw magnify itself against him that moveth it? as if a rod should move them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood.

16. Therefore will יְהוָה - the LORD, צְבָאוֹת-יְהוָה - the LORD of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire.

17. 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.

18. And the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, he will consume both soul and body; and it shall be as when a sick man wasteth away.

19. And the remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them down.

20. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon יְהוָה - the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21. A remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto אֱלֹהִים the Mighty.

22. For though thy people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them shall return; an extermination is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

23. For an extermination wholly determined shall יְהוָה - the LORD, צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהִים - the Elohim of hosts, make in the midst of all the earth.

24. Therefore thus saith יְהוָה - the LORD, צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהִים - the Elohim of hosts: O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of Asshur, though he smite thee with the rod, and lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

25. For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall be accomplished, and Mine anger shall be to their destruction.

26. And צְבָאוֹת - יְהוָה - the LORD of hosts shall stir up against him a scourge, as in the slaughter of Midian at the Rock of Oreb; and as His rod was over the sea, so shall He lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

27. And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall depart from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed by reason of fatness.

28. He is come to Aiath, he is passed through Migron; at Michmas he layeth up his baggage;

29. They are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah trembleth; Gibeath-shaul is fled.

30. Cry thou with a shrill voice, O daughter of Gallim! Hearken, O Laish! O thou poor Anathoth!

31. Madmenah is in mad flight; the inhabitants of Gebim flee to cover.

32. This very day shall he halt at Nob, shaking his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33. Behold, יְהוָה - the LORD, צְבָאוֹת - יְהוָה - the LORD of hosts, shall lop the boughs with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the lofty shall be laid low.

34. And He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one”.

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Let us now look at Isaiah Chapter 10, ‘verse by verse’ with explanations:

Verse 1: Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write iniquity;

Explanation: A condemnation of those in power who use the legal system to formalize theft and oppression.

Verse 2: To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right of the poor of My people, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

Explanation: The prophet specifies the victims: the poor, widows, and orphans, whose legal protections were stripped by corrupt leaders.

Verse 3: And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the ruin which shall come from far? To whom will ye flee for help? And where will ye leave your glory?

Explanation: Isaiah asks where these corrupt men will hide their ill-gotten wealth when the Divine “visitation” (judgment) arrives via a foreign invader.

Verse 4: They can do nought except crouch under the captives, and fall under the slain. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

Explanation: No status or wealth will save them; they will either be captives or corpses. Yet, this is only the beginning of the judgment.

Verse 5: O Asshur, the rod of Mine anger, in whose hand as a staff is Mine indignation!

Explanation: אֱלֹהִים reveals that Assyria (Asshur) is merely a “tool a rod”, being used to carry out His temporary decree of discipline.

Verse 6: I do send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath do 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.

Explanation: Assyria is given a “charge” or mission, though they do not realize it is a Divine appointment.

Verse 7: Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few.

Explanation: The Assyrian kings motive is not to serve אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s justice but to satisfy his own bloodlust and ambition for global conquest.

Verse 8: For he saith: 'Are not my princes all of them kings?

Explanation: The king of Assyria boasts that even his subordinates are as powerful as the kings of other nations.

Verse 9: Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus?

Explanation: He lists his conquests, implying that Jerusalem will fall just as easily as these other great cities did.

Verse 10: As my hand hath reached the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images did exceed them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

Explanation: In his arrogance, he views the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of Israel as just another “idol” and thinks Jerusalem’s אֱלֹהִים is weaker than those he has already defeated.

Verse 11: Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?'

Explanation: He mocks the idea of Divine protection, placing the Almighty on the same level as the statues of Samaria.

Verse 12: Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when יְהוָה - the LORD hath performed His whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.

Explanation: Once אֱלֹהִים has finished using Assyria to discipline Israel, He will turn His judgment upon Assyria for their pride.

Verse 13: For he hath said: 'By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent; in that I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and have brought down as one mighty the inhabitants;

Explanation: The king attributes his success to his own “hand” and “wisdom”, failing to see he was a mere instrument.

Verse 14: And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the peoples; and as one gathereth eggs that are forsaken, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or that opened the mouth, or chirped.'

Explanation: He describes his conquest as being as easy as taking eggs from an abandoned nest, no resistance was even “chirped”.

Verse 15: Should the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Should the saw magnify itself against him that moveth it? as if a rod should move them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood.

Explanation: A brilliant rhetorical question: Can a tool be greater than the craftsman who uses it? Assyria is the “axe”, אֱלֹהִים is the “hewer”

Verse 16: Therefore will יְהוָה - the LORD, צְבָאוֹת-יְהוָה - the LORD of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire.

Explanation: אֱלֹהִים will strike the elite of the Assyrian army with “leanness” (wasting disease) and fire.

Verse 17: 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.

Explanation: The “Light of Israel” (אֱלֹהִים) becomes the very flame that consumes the Assyrian “briers”.

Verse 18: And He shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; and it shall be as when a sick man wasteth away.

Explanation: The metaphor of the forest represents the vast Assyrian army being completely decimated.

Verse 19: And the remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them down.

Explanation: So few Assyrian soldiers will remain that even a small child, with limited counting ability, could record their number.

Verse 20: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon יְהוָה - the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

Explanation: Israel will stop looking to foreign powers (like Assyria) for protection and finally turn to אֱלֹהִים with sincerity.

Verse 21: A remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty אֱלֹהִים.

Explanation: The famous prophecy of “Shear-jashub” a remnant shall return, reinforcing hope in the midst of destruction.

Verse 22: For though thy people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them shall return; a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

Explanation: While many will perish due to the “determined destruction”, the survival of the remnant is a sign of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s - righteous plan.

Verse 23: For a consummation, and that determined, the Lord, צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהִים - the Elohim of hosts, will make in the midst of all the earth.

Explanation: This judgment is a finished and decreed act that will affect the entire region.

Verse 24: Therefore thus saith the Lord, צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהִים - the Elohim of hosts: ‘O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of Asshur, though he smite thee with the rod, and lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

Explanation: A message of comfort to the faithful: Do not fear the Assyrian “rod”, for it is temporary, just as the Egyptian bondage was.

Verse 25: For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall be at an end, and Mine anger shall be to then destruction’.

Explanation: אֱלֹהִים- Elohim s anger toward Israel is nearing its end; His focus will soon shift to the destruction of the oppressor.

Verse 26: And צְבָאוֹת-יְהוָה - the LORD of hosts shall stir up against him a scourge, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and as His rod was over the sea, so shall He lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

Explanation: אֱלֹהִים references the miraculous victories of Gideon (Midian) and Moses (the Sea) to show He will intervene again.

Verse 27: And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall depart from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed by reason of fatness.

Explanation: The “yoke” of Assyrian taxes and oppression will be broken. The Hebrew “shemen” (fatness/oil) is often interpreted as the “anointing” of the King.

Verse 28: He is come to Aiath, he is passed through Migron; at Michmas he layeth up his baggage;

Explanation: A vivid, rapid-fire list of locations as the Assyrian army marches closer and closer to Jerusalem.

Verse 29: They are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah trembleth; Gibeath-shaul is fled.

Explanation: The panic of the local villages is palpable as the enemy advances.

Verse 30: Cry aloud with thy voice, O daughter of Gallim! Hearken, O Laish! O thou poor Anathoth!

Explanation: The prophet calls out to the towns in the path of the invasion, mourning their coming distress.

Verse 31: Madmenah is in rhythmic flight; the inhabitants of Gebim stay themselves to flee.

Explanation: The inhabitants are scrambling to find safety as the front line moves forward.

Verse 32: This very day shall he halt at Nob, shaking his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

Explanation: The enemy reaches Nob within sight of Jerusalem, and shakes his fist at the Holy City, thinking it is his.

Verse 33: Behold, יְהוָה - the LORD, צְבָאוֹת-יְהוָה - the LORD of hosts, shall lop the boughs with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the lofty shall be humbled.

Explanation: Just as the enemy is at the gates, אֱלֹהִים intervenes, “lopping the boughs” cutting down the leaders and soldiers of Assyria.

Verse 34: And He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.

Explanation: The massive Assyrian “forest” is felled by the “Mighty One” (אֱלֹהִים), leaving the stage clear for the “Shoot” of Jesse in Chapter 11.

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My Closing Message:

I hope this full and complete rendition of Chapter 10 restores your confidence in our collaboration. It is a powerful reminder that while “axes” and “rods” may threaten us, they are ultimately subject to the Hand of our beloved Creator, blessed be He!

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Please Note: “hebraicstudies” links are located down the page!

This site was originally created, for those who desired to return to our blessed and wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or three times a day (if possible) and always seek our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, for His love is always with us, especially when we seek Him, blessed be He! However this site has become very much a teaching site with hundreds of studies!

Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following via several of our prophets...

“Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. (JPS).

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“Hebraic Studies” motto is as follows;

“The More Torah, the More Life”

He is the one who gave us our Life!”

May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD of hosts. be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your daily תְּפִלָּה - Tefeelah’s - Prayers and regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah’s - blessings before food and drinks, etc!

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!

Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

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