Isaiah 8:9

Associate yourselves, O ye people ,.... Both of Syria and Israel, whose two kings were confederate against Judah:

and ye shall be broken in pieces ; as the kingdom of Syria was by Tilgathpilneser quickly after this, 2 Kings 16:9 and the kingdom of Ephraim or Israel by Shalmaneser, 2 Kings 17:6 ,

and give ear, all ye of far countries ; the Assyrians, and the nations that belonged to them, who were more remote from Judea:

gird yourselves ; for a long and tedious march, and for war; it may signify the putting on of their whole armour; for, as Pausanius F19 Boeotica sive, l. 9. p. 567. says, the ancients used to call putting on of armour, girding:

and ye shall be broken in pieces : as the Assyrian army was, which came up against Jerusalem in Hezekiah's time, 2 Kings 19:35 ,

gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces ; this is repeated for confirmation sake, to denote the certainty of it.