Isa 10:15-19 | Clarke | STEP | Verse 15 No wood "Its master" - I have here given the meaning, without attempting to keep to the expression of the original, לא עץ lo ets, "the no-wood;" that which is not wood like itself, but of a quite different and superior nature. The Hebrews have a peculiar way of joining the negative particle לא lo to a noun, to signify in a strong manner a total negation of the thing expressed by the noun. "How hast thou given help (ללא כח lelo choach) to the no-strength? And saved the arm (לא עז lo oz) of the no-power? How hast, thou given counsel (ללא חכמה lelo chochmah) to the no-wisdom?" , . That is, to the man totally deprived of strength, power, and wisdom. "Ye that rejoice (ללא דבר lelo dabar) in nothing." . That is, in your fancied strength, which is none at all, a mere nonentity. "For I am God, (ולא איש velo ish), and no-man; The Holy One in the midst of thee, yet do not frequent cities." . "And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword (לא איש lo ish) of no-man; And a sword of (לא אדם lo adam) no-mortal, shall devour him." . "Wherefore do ye weigh out your silver (בלוא לחם belo lechem) for the no-bread." . So here לא עץ lo ets means him who is far from being an inert piece of wood, but is an animated and active being; not an instrument, but an agent.

Isaiah 10:15-19

Verse 15

No wood "Its master" - I have here given the meaning, without attempting to keep to the expression of the original, לא עץ lo ets, "the no-wood;" that which is not wood like itself, but of a quite different and superior nature. The Hebrews have a peculiar way of joining the negative particle לא lo to a noun, to signify in a strong manner a total negation of the thing expressed by the noun. "How hast thou given help (ללא כח lelo choach) to the no-strength?

And saved the arm (לא עז lo oz) of the no-power?

How hast, thou given counsel (ללא חכמה lelo chochmah) to the no-wisdom?" Job 26:2, Job 26:3.

That is, to the man totally deprived of strength, power, and wisdom. "Ye that rejoice (ללא דבר lelo dabar) in nothing." Amo 6:13.

That is, in your fancied strength, which is none at all, a mere nonentity. "For I am God, (ולא איש velo ish), and no-man;

The Holy One in the midst of thee, yet do not frequent cities." Hos 11:9. "And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword (לא איש lo ish) of no-man;

And a sword of (לא אדם lo adam) no-mortal, shall devour him." Isa 31:8. "Wherefore do ye weigh out your silver (בלוא לחם belo lechem) for the no-bread." Isa 55:2.

So here לא עץ lo ets means him who is far from being an inert piece of wood, but is an animated and active being; not an instrument, but an agent. Verse 16

The Lord "Jehovah" - For אדני Adonai, fifty-two MSS., eleven editions, and two of my own, ancient, read יהוה, Yehovah, as in other cases.

And under his glory - That is, all that he could boast of as great and strong in his army, (Sal. ben Melec in loc.), expressed afterwards, Isa 10:18, by the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field. Verse 17

And it shall burn and devour his thorns "And he shall burn and consume his thorn" - The briers and thorns are the common people; the glory of his forest are the nobles and those of highest rank and importance. See note on Isa 9:17, and compare Eze 20:47. The fire of God's wrath shall destroy them, both great and small; it shall consume them from the soul to the flesh; a proverbial expression; soul and body, as we say; it shall consume them entirely and altogether; and the few that escape shall be looked upon as having escaped from the most imminent danger; "as a firebrand plucked out of the fire," Amo 4:11; ὡς δια πυρος, so as by fire, 1Cor 3:15; as a man when a house is burning is forced to make his escape by running through the midst of the fire.

I follow here the reading of the Septuagint, כמאש נסס kemash noses, ὡς ὁ φευγων απω φλογος χαιομενης, as he who flees from the burning flame. Symmachus also renders the latter word by φευγων, flying.