Isa 17:12-14 | JFB | STEP | 12. Woe . . . multitude —rather, " Ho (Hark)! a noise of," &c. The prophet in vision perceives the vast and mixed Assyrian hosts ( Hebrew, "many peoples, " see on ): on the hills of Judah (so "mountains," ): but at the "rebuke" of God, they shall "flee as chaff." to the rushing . . . that make —rather, "the roaring . . . roareth" (compare ).

Isaiah 17:12-14

12. Woe . . . multitude—rather, "Ho (Hark)! a noise of," &c. The prophet in vision perceives the vast and mixed Assyrian hosts (Hebrew, "many peoples," see on Isa 5:26): on the hills of Judah (so "mountains," Isa 17:13): but at the "rebuke" of God, they shall "flee as chaff."

to the rushing . . . that make—rather, "the roaring . . . roareth" (compare Isa 8:7; Jer 6:23).

13. shall . . . shall—rather, "God rebuketh (Ps 9:5) them, and they flee—are chased"; the event is set before the eyes as actually present, not future.

chaff of . . . mountains—Threshing floors in the East are in the open air on elevated places, so as to catch the wind which separates the chaff from the wheat (Ps 88:13; Ho 13:3).

rolling thing—anything that rolls: stubble.

14. eventide . . . before morning—fulfilled to the letter in the destruction "before morning" of the vast host that "at eveningtide" was such a terror ("trouble") to Judah; on the phrase see Ps 90:6; 30:5.

he is not—namely, the enemy.

us—the Jews. A general declaration of the doom that awaits the foes of God's people (Isa 54:17).