Isaiah 9:8-21
8. Heading of the prophecy; (Isa 9:8-12), the first strophe.
unto Jacob—against the ten tribes [LOWTH]. lighted upon—fallen from heaven by divine revelation (Da 4:31).9. know—to their cost: experimentally (Ho 9:7).
Samaria—the capital of Ephraim (compare as to phrase, Isa 1:1).10. bricks—in the East generally sun-dried, and therefore soon dissolved by rain. Granting, say the Ephraimites to the prophet's threat, that our affairs are in a ruinous state, we will restore them to more than their former magnificence. Self-confident unwillingness to see the judgments of God (Isa 26:11).
hewn stones— (1Ki 5:17). sycamores—growing abundantly on the low lands of Judea, and though useful for building on account of their antiseptic property (which induced the Egyptians to use them for the cases of their mummies), not very valuable. The cedar, on the other hand, was odorous, free from knots, durable, and precious (1Ki 10:27). "We will replace cottages with palaces."11. adversaries of Rezin—the Assyrians, who shall first attack Damascus, shall next advance "against him" (Ephraim). This is the punishment of Ephraim's pride in making light (Isa 9:10) of the judgment already inflicted by God through Tiglath-pileser (2Ki 15:29). A second Assyrian invasion (see on Isa 7:1) shall follow. The reading "princes" for "adversaries" in uncalled for.
join—rather, "arm"; cover with armor [MAURER]. his—Rezin's.12. Syrians—Though now allies of Ephraim, after Rezin's death they shall join the Assyrians against Ephraim. "Together," in Isa 9:11, refers to this. Conquering nations often enlist in their armies the subject races (Isa 22:6; compare 2Ki 16:9; Jer 35:11), [ABEN EZRA, GESENIUS]. HORSLEY less probably takes "Syrians before," as the Syrians to the east, that is, not Rezin's subjects, but the Assyrians: "Aram" being the common name of Syrians and Assyrians.
Philistines—of Palestine. behind—from the west: in marking the points of the compass, Orientalists face the east, which is before them: the west is behind. The right hand is the south: the left, the north. devour—as a ravenous beast (Isa 1:20; Jer 10:25; 30:16; Nu 14:9). For all this, &c.—The burden of each strophe.13-17. Second strophe.
turneth not—the design of God's chastisements; not fulfilled in their case; a new cause for punishment (Jer 2:20; 5:3).
14. head and tail—proverbial for the highest and lowest (De 28:13, 44).
branch and rush—another image for the same thought (Isa 19:15). The branch is elevated on the top of the tree: the rush is coarse and low.15. ancient—the older.
honourable—the man of rank. prophet . . . lies, . . . tail—There were many such in Samaria (1Ki 22:6, 22, 23; compare as to "tail," Re 9:19).16. leaders, &c.—(See Isa 3:12, Margin, and see on Isa 3:12.)
17. no joy—the parallelism, "neither . . . mercy," shows that this means, He shall have no such delight in their youthful warriors, however much they be the nation's delight and reliance, as to save them from the enemy's sword (Isa 31:8; compare Jer 18:21).
fatherless, &c.—not even the usual objects of His pity (Ps 10:14, 18; 68:5; Jer 49:11; Ho 14:3) shall be spared. hypocrite—rather, a libertine, polluted [HORSLEY]. folly—wickedness (Ps 14:1). still—Notwithstanding all these judgments, more remain.18-21. Third strophe.
burneth—maketh consumption, not only spreading rapidly, but also consuming like fire: sin is its own punishment.
briers . . . thorns—emblem of the wicked; especially those of low rank (Isa 27:4; 2Sa 23:6). forest—from the humble shrubbery the flame spreads to the vast forest; it reaches the high, as well as the low. mount up like . . . smoke—rather. "They (the thickets of the forest) shall lift themselves proudly aloft [the Hebrew is from a Syriac root, a cock, expressing stateliness of motion, from his strutting gait, HORSLEY], in (in passing into) volumes of ascending smoke" [MAURER].19. darkened—namely, with smoke (Isa 9:18). The Septuagint and Chaldee render it, "is burnt up," so MAURER, from an Arabic root meaning "suffocating heat."
no man . . . spare . . . brother—intestine discord snapping asunder the dearest ties of nature.20. hungry—not literally. Image from unappeasable hunger, to picture internal factions, reckless of the most tender ties (Isa 9:19), and insatiably spreading misery and death on every side (Jer 19:9).
eat—not literally, but destroy (Ps 27:2; Job 19:22). flesh of . . . arm—those nearest akin: their former support (helper) (Isa 32:2) [MAURER].21. Manasseh, Ephraim—the two sons of Joseph. So closely united as to form between them but one tribe; but now about to be rent into factions, thirsting for each other's blood. Disunited in all things else, but united "together against their brother Judah" (2Ki 15:10, 30).
Isaiah 10:1-4
CHAPTER 10
Isa 10:1-4. Fourth strophe.
1. them that decree—namely, unrighteous judges.
write grievousness, &c.—not the scribes, but the magistrates who caused unjust decisions (literally, "injustice" or "grievousness") to be recorded by them (Isa 65:6) [MAURER], (Isa 1:10, 23).2. To turn aside, &c.—The effect of their conduct is to pervert the cause of the needy [HORSLEY]. In English Version "from judgment" means "from obtaining justice."
take away the right—"make plunder of the right" (rightful claim) [HORSLEY].3. what will ye do—what way of escape will there be for you?
visitation—of God's wrath (Isa 26:14; Job 35:15; Ho 9:7). from far—from Assyria. leave . . . glory—rather, "deposit (for safekeeping) your wealth" [LOWTH]. So Ps 49:17.4. Without me—not having Me to "flee to" (Isa 10:3).
bow down—Bereft of strength they shall fall; or else, they shall lie down fettered. under . . . under—rather, "among" (literally, "in the place of") [HORSLEY]. The "under" may be, however, explained, "trodden under the (feet of the) prisoners going into captivity," and "overwhelmed under the heaps of slain on the battlefield" [MAURER].Isa 10:5-34 and Isa 11:12. DESTRUCTION OF THE ASSYRIANS; COMING OF MESSIAH; HYMN OF PRAISE.
Isa 10:9, 11 show that Samaria was destroyed before this prophecy. It was written when Assyria proposed (a design which it soon after tried to carry out under Sennacherib) to destroy Judah and Jerusalem, as it had destroyed Samaria. This is the first part of Isaiah's prophecies under Hezekiah. Probably between 722 and 715 B.C. (see Isa 10:27).