Isa 10:5-11:16 | 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).
Summary for Isa 10:20-27: 10:20-27 ^ak In the midst of Assyrian oppression, there was hope for the remnant. This passage develops more fully the meaning of Shear-jashub, a remnant will return (10:21 ^al; see 7:3 ^am; 8:18 ^an). 10:20 ^ao left ... the survivors: A remnant from Jerusalem barely survived, but their safety was secure because God promised to preserve them (see 1:8-9 ^ap; 4:2 ^aq; 6:13 ^ar; 37:31-32 ^as).

• All these wars would teach the Israelite remnant to no longer depend on allies such as Assyria. Instead, they would faithfully trust in the Lord (see 8:13 ^at; 17:7 ^au).
10:22 ^av God had similarly promised descendants as numerous as the sand of the seashore to Abraham (Gen 22:17 ^aw).

• rightly decided to destroy: God’s decision was a just response to the people’s persistent wickedness.
Summary for Isa 10:24-34: 10:24-34 ^ax God assured his people of his presence and purpose. 10:24 ^ay as the Egyptians did long ago: See Exod 1:8–2:25 ^az.
10:26 ^ba Gideon triumphed over the Midianites: See Judg 7:25 ^bb.
10:27 ^bc Israel’s bondage ended in 539 BC with a new exodus from exile.
Summary for Isa 10:28-34: 10:28-34 ^bd Look, the Assyrians are now at Aiath: The march described in 10:29-32 ^be is a poetic account of Assyria’s defeat. The places follow a route from the north down to Jerusalem. Upon arriving at Jerusalem, the Assyrians were forced to retreat. God was with Jerusalem, and eventually Assyria would be utterly destroyed. This passage might foretell Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 BC (see chs 36–37 ^bf), but it could just as well describe an earlier or later invasion.

‏ Isaiah 11

Summary for Isa 11:1-16: 11:1-16 ^bg The kingdom of the Messiah, first introduced in 9:1-7 ^bh, is now considered in more detail. Isaiah challenged the Israelites about why they would trust in any of the nations when God had far better plans in mind. 11:1 ^bi stump ... shoot ... new Branch ... from the old root: This new growth refers to the continuity of David’s royal family line despite its virtual cessation during the Exile (see also 6:13 ^bj; 39:7 ^bk; Rev 22:16 ^bl). The new growth from the old roots would not be like the former frail and unjust descendants of David (see Isa 4:2 ^bm). Jesus, the Messiah, is the final fulfillment.
11:2 ^bn The Spirit of the Lord will rest on the Messiah. The succession of David’s line is guaranteed by the Spirit. The Messiah’s coming would bring justice and righteousness (11:4 ^bo), peace (11:8 ^bp), and the extension of the Kingdom to the nations (11:10 ^bq; see also 32:15-16 ^br).

• The promised Messiah would have great wisdom and understanding, like Solomon, as well as knowledge and the fear of the Lord (1 Kgs 3:28 ^bs; 4:29 ^bt; Prov 1:1-7 ^bu; 2:6-7 ^bv).

• The Spirit of counsel and might alludes to Isa 9:6 ^bw. The Messiah will be full of wisdom and will have the power to execute his righteous rule.
11:3 ^bx obeying the Lord: Literally the fear of the Lord, as in 11:2 ^by (see Prov 1:7 ^bz).
11:4 ^ca The poor and ... the exploited would receive the justice due to them, which the wicked leaders of Judah had previously withheld.

• the force of his word: Literally the scepter of his mouth (see Ps 2:9 ^cb; Rev 19:15 ^cc).
11:5 ^cd By virtue of the righteous character of the Messiah, his reign will be characterized by justice, righteousness, and truth, in contrast to the conditions of Jerusalem described in 1:21 ^ce.
11:6 ^cf In that day means in the coming age of the Messiah. The prophecy that follows received partial fulfillment in Isaiah’s day or shortly thereafter. The final fulfillment is found in the coming of the Messiah to inaugurate and then fully establish the age to come.
11:9 ^cg Nothing will hurt or destroy: There will be no evildoers, corruption, or sin on God’s holy mountain (Zion).
11:10 ^ch the heir to David’s throne: Literally the root of Jesse (11:1 ^ci; Rev 5:5 ^cj; 22:16 ^ck).

• The Messiah will bring salvation to all the world (Isa 2:1-5 ^cl). Members of other nations will even serve as priests and Levites (66:20-21 ^cm), but only if they repent and believe in the true God.
11:11 ^cn The first time the Lord reached out his hand was at the Exodus; the second time will occur in the future when the Messiah gathers Gentiles (11:10 ^co) and his own people who live among the Gentile nations (11:11 ^cp). The Exodus remained the paradigm of hope for those in exile (see 11:16 ^cq; 35:8 ^cr; 40:3 ^cs; 43:19-20 ^ct; 48:21 ^cu).

• The remnant of his people included Israelites who survived the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions and were sent into exile.
11:13 ^cv jealousy between Israel and Judah: The two kingdoms had become enemies during Judah’s war with the alliance of Syria and Israel (see 7:1-12 ^cw). In the future, they would cooperate in joint military expeditions.
11:14 ^cx Philistia to the west: The Philistines were Israel’s historic enemy.

• The nations to the east included the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites. All foes would be vanquished.
Summary for Isa 11:15-16: 11:15-16 ^cy Using imagery from Israel’s past exodus, Isaiah encouraged his listeners by promising that God would bring his people out of Assyria the way he brought them out of Egypt (Exod 14:29–15:18 ^cz; see also Rev 16:12 ^da).