Isa 10:5-19 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Isa 10:5-11:16: 10:5–11:16 The primacy of the Lord’s moral law was established in 9:8–10:4 ; this passage works out the implications of the law: (1) Assyria was only a tool in God’s hands and was therefore as liable to judgment by God as any other nation (10:5-19 , 28-34 ); (2) those among God’s people who trusted in him and obeyed his covenant would be rescued (10:20-27 ); and (3) God would establish his kingdom on earth (ch 11 ). Summary for Isa 10:5-19: 10:5-19 This judgment was pronounced on Assyria because of their ruthless destruction of nations (10:7 ), blasphemous boasting (10:12 ), oppression (10:13-14 ), and self-perceived autonomy (10:15 ). 10:5 The Assyrians were God’s instrument ( rod ... club ) in judging Syria, Israel, and Judah, but they would not go unpunished for their own wickedness.

Summary for Isa 10:5-11:16: 10:5–11:16 ^a The primacy of the Lord’s moral law was established in 9:8–10:4 ^b; this passage works out the implications of the law: (1) Assyria was only a tool in God’s hands and was therefore as liable to judgment by God as any other nation (10:5-19 ^c, 28-34 ^d); (2) those among God’s people who trusted in him and obeyed his covenant would be rescued (10:20-27 ^e); and (3) God would establish his kingdom on earth (ch 11 ^f).
Summary for Isa 10:5-19: 10:5-19 ^g This judgment was pronounced on Assyria because of their ruthless destruction of nations (10:7 ^h), blasphemous boasting (10:12 ⁱ), oppression (10:13-14 ^j), and self-perceived autonomy (10:15 ^k). 10:5 ^l The Assyrians were God’s instrument (rod ... club) in judging Syria, Israel, and Judah, but they would not go unpunished for their own wickedness.
10:6 ^m Despite their privileged calling as God’s covenant people, Judah had become a godless nation, making them the object of God’s anger (10:4 ⁿ).

• The word plunder translates both the Hebrew words shalal and baz, recalling the name Maher-shalal-hash-baz (see 5:19 ^o; 8:1 ^p, 3 ^q, 5-10 ^r).
10:7 ^s will not understand: The Assyrians did not realize they were following God’s intended purpose to punish Israel and Judah. Because they went about savagely killing and looting other nations of their own accord, God would also hold them guilty.
10:9 ^t We destroyed: By 717 BC, the regions to the north of Judah were firmly in Assyrian hands. Calno, in northern Syria (referred to as Calneh in Amos 6:2 ^u), fell to the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III in 738 BC. Carchemish, on the Euphrates River, was taken by King Sargon II in 717 BC. Hamath, on the Orontes River, was subjugated in 738 and 720 BC. Arpad was located south of Calno. Damascus and Samaria, the capitals of Syria and Israel, were taken in 732 and 722 BC, respectively (Isa 7:8 ^v; 8:4 ^w).
10:10 ^x whose gods were greater than those in Jerusalem and Samaria: Assyria would make this argument while threatening Jerusalem (36:19-20 ^y; 37:12 ^z).
10:11 ^aa Assyria destroyed Samaria under Shalmaneser V and Sargon II in 722 BC (2 Kgs 17:3-6 ^ab). If Samaria and Judah worshiped the same God, and Assyria had already defeated Samaria, the king of Assyria could expect to defeat Judah also.
10:12 ^ac Any royal power that exalts itself against the Lord, the Great King, is proud and arrogant (see 2:11-12 ^ad) and will be crushed.
10:13 ^ae my own powerful arm ... my own shrewd wisdom (cp. 10:5 ^af): God alone is all-powerful and wise. He plans the future, and he determines which nations will rise to power and which will be defeated.
10:15 ^ag ax ... saw ... rod ... wooden cane: Such instruments are only as good as the person who uses them. Assyria considered itself independent of the hand of God, but their conquests were made possible only by his permission and to serve his purposes (10:5 ^ah).
10:16 ^ai The fulfillment of this prophecy was in 701 BC, when 185,000 Assyrian troops were killed by plague and flaming fire (see 37:36 ^aj).