Isaiah 10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 10:15

Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith ?.... Hitherto are the words of the Assyrian monarch; and here begin the words of the prophet, rebuking him for his pride, and deriding his vain boasting, in attributing that to himself, to his wisdom and power, who was but an instrument, which belonged to God, the sole Governor and wise orderer of all things; which was all one as if an axe should ascribe the cutting down of trees to itself, and insist on it that the man that cut... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 10:16

Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts ,.... Because of the pride, and arrogance, and vain boasting of the Assyrian monarch, which was resented by the Lord, he is threatened with what follows; and in order to humble him, and to show that God is above him, these titles are used; "the Lord", the Lord of the whole earth, and the King of kings, and Lord of lords; "the Lord of hosts", of armies above and below, of more and greater armies than what the king of Assyria was lord of; and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 10:17

And the light of Israel shall be for a fire ,.... That is, the Lord, who is the light of his people; who enlightens them by his word and Spirit, and by his grace effectually calls them out of darkness into marvellous light, to the light of grace here, and to the light of glory hereafter; and who comforts and refreshes them with his gracious presence, and with the light of his countenance when in affliction and distress, which is sometimes signified by darkness; and the same Lord, who is as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 10:18

And shall consume the glory of his forest ,.... The Assyrian army is compared to a "forest", for the number of men in it; and for the mighty men in it, comparable to large and tall trees, such as oaks and cedars; and like a wood or forest a numerous army looks, when in rank and file, in proper order, and with banners, and having on their armour, their shields, spears, bows and arrows; and the "glory" of it intends either the princes and nobles that were in it, the principal officers,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 10:19

And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few ,.... Which were left unconsumed, that escaped this destruction, those of the Assyrian army that fled with Sennacherib their king; which, the Rabbins say F18 T. Bab. ib. fol. 95. 2. Praefat. Echa Rabbati, fol. 41. 1. , were no more than ten, as Jarchi and Kimchi observe; yea, some say there were but five left who escaped, and name them, Sennacherib and his two sons, Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuzaradan: that a child may write them ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 10:20

And it shall come to pass in that day ,.... Here begins a prophecy relating to the people of Israel, and concerns things that should befall them after the destruction of the Babylonish monarchy, which after Nebuchadnezzar did not last long; there were but two kings after him mentioned in Scripture, Evilmerodach, and Belshazzar; so that its tall trees, its kings, were very few, so few that a child might count them; and what is after said is for the comfort of that people, and seems to refer... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 10:21

The remnant shall return ,.... This is said in allusion to Shearjashub, the name of Isaiah's son, Isaiah 7:3 which signifies "the remnant shall return", and was imposed on him, to give assurance of it; meaning, either that they should return from the Babylonish captivity, as they did, or to God by repentance; or rather the sense is, they shall turn to the Lord, be converted to Christ, to the faith and obedience of him, as some of them were when he came, a few, not all, only a remnant, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 10:22

For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea ,.... These words are spoken either by the Lord to the prophet, calling Israel his people; or by the prophet to Hezekiah, as Jarchi and Kimchi think; or they may be rendered thus, "for though thy people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea" F19 "Nam etsi fuerit populus tuus, O Israel, sicut arena maris", Piscator. ; that is, innumerable, as was promised to Abraham, Genesis 22:17 , yet a remnant of them shall return ; or "be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 10:23

For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption ,.... Not of the land of Judea, as at the destruction of Jerusalem; but the meaning is, that he that is Lord of all, who does what he pleases in the armies above and below, will execute and accomplish a precise and absolute decree of his, concerning the salvation of the remnant of his people; which is his decree of election, and that standing sure, not upon the foot of works, but his own sovereign will: hence their salvation is sure and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 10:24

Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts ,.... Since there is such a decree, and this will certainly be executed: O my people, that dwellest in Zion ; the inhabitants of Jerusalem; such of them especially as feared the Lord, and worshipped him, and served him in the temple: be not afraid of the Assyrian : the king of Assyria; neither Sennacherib, that threatened them with ruin, having taken the cities of Judah, and laid siege to Jerusalem; nor Nebuchadnezzar, who carried them... read more

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