1. Woe to them that decree. He now attacks the people more closely, as he did in the first and second chapters, to make them feel that they are justly afflicted; for men never acknowledge that they are justly punished till they have been manifestly convicted and constrained.

2. To keep back. Others render it, to cause them to turn aside; but the true meaning is, to keep back the poor from judgment, or make them lose their cause.

3. And what will you do? Here the Prophet severely threatens princes, who were careless and indolent amidst their distresses, as men intoxicated by prosperity are wont to despise haughtily every danger.

4. If they shall not fall down. As the meaning of the particle בלתי (bilti) is ambiguous, various interpretations of it have been given by commentators.

5. O Assyrian. What now follows relates to the threatening of punishment, but at the same time mingles some consolation for alleviating the distresses of the godly.

6. To a hypocritical nation. He proceeds with the former statement, by which he called the Assyrian the rod of God’s indignation; for as the father does not in vain take up the rod, but has this object in view, to chastise his son, so he declares that the Lord’s rod has no uncertain destination,…

7. Yet he will not think so. When wicked men vomit out their rage, they disturb weak minds, as if it were not in the power of God to restrain their pride and fury.

8. For he will say. He explains the reason why the Assyrian will not think that he is the rod of God. It is because, being blinded by pride, he acknowledges no authority superior to his own; for it is impossible for those who rely on their own superiority, and claim ability to do this or that, to…

9. Is not Calno as Carchemish? Here he mentions by name certain cities, though others think that they were countries; but it is more probable that they were cities, or some fortified places.

10. As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols. The Assyrian now breaks out into far more outrageous language; for not only does he insult men, but he insults God himself, and even the very gods whom he worshipped.

12. But it shall come to pass. Hitherto the Prophet had explained what would be the pride of the Assyrian, after having obtained a victory over Israel; but now he foretells what will happen to the Assyrian himself, and what will be the purpose of God against him.

13. For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it. The Prophet again repeats the highly blasphemous words which the Assyrian uttered; for he ascribes to his power and wisdom all the victories which he obtained. By strength of hand he means vast armies collected out of various nations.

14. And my hand hath found as a nest. He adds, that it cost him no trouble to vanquish kings and amass their wealth; and he illustrates this by a comparison.

15. Shall the axe boast? He now ridicules more strongly the mad effrontery of the Assyrians in imagining that he could create mountains of gold; for he tells us that the case is the same as if an axe or a hammer should despise the hand which sets them in motion, and should be proud of their…

16. Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness. He proceeds with the former doctrine, declaring that the Lord will show to the Assyrian how undeservedly he exalts himself, and will throw down his arrogance, in which he foolishly takes delight.

17. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire. There is an elegant allusion to that burning by which he threatened that he would consume the Assyrians. In fire there are two things, light and heat. As the Lord consumes the enemies by his heat, so he enlightens the godly by his light.

18. And shall consume the glory of his forest. He goes on with the same comparison of a burning, and declares that the fire will consume both the highest and the lowest, and will leave nothing uninjured.

19. And the remnant of the trees of his forest shall be a number. When he adds that the remnant of them will be a number, he employs a Hebrew idiom to express that they will be few; and thus he only confirms the former statement, that the devastation produced, after the calamity which God will…

But shall stay upon the Lord We ought not to despise this compensation made for the diminished numbers of the people, that the small portion which survived the calamity learned to place their hope in God. Hence we see more clearly how necessary it was that God should chastise Israel.

21. A remnant shall return. This is a confirmation of the former statement. Yet in the words שאר ישוב, (Shear Yashub) a remnant shall return, there appears to be an allusion to that passage in which Isaiah’s son was called Shear-jashub.

22. For though thy people be. He casts down hypocrites from foolish confidence; for they reckoned it enough to be the descendants of holy Abraham according to the flesh, and, therefore, on the sole ground of their birth, they wished to be accounted holy.

23. For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption. This repetition again wounds the self-complacency of those who proudly despised God. It was almost incredible that the Jews, to whom so many promises had been given, and with whom God had made an everlasting covenant, should perish, as it…

24. Therefore, thus saith the Lord Jehovah of hosts. He goes on with the same consolation, which belongs to the godly alone, who at that time, undoubtedly, were few in number.

25. But yet a little while. He means not only the siege of Jerusalem, when Sennacherib surrounded it with a numerous army, but likewise the rest of the calamities, when Jerusalem was overthrown, the Temple razed, and the inhabitants taken prisoners; for against those dreadful calamities it was…

26. And the LORD of hosts will stir up a scourge for him. Here Isaiah makes use of the word scourge, and not rod, meaning that the Lord will treat the enemies much more harshly and severely than they had treated the Jews.

27. And it shall come to pass in that day. It is uncertain whether he now speaks of the deliverance which took place under Zerubbabel, (2 Chron. 36:22, 2 Chron. 36:23 ; Ezra 1:2) or of that wonderful overthrow of Sennacherib, when he besieged Jerusalem with a huge army.

28. He is come to Aiath. The siege of the holy city being now at hand, Isaiah sets before their eyes the whole of Sennacherib’s march, that the hearts of the godly, by long and careful study of it, may remain steadfast.

29. They have crossed the ford. Some understand by this the passage of the Jordan, but I do not know if it could be crossed by a ford in that quarter. He describes how great will be the terror when they hear of the approach of the Assyrian, that the whole country will be struck with terror and…

30. Neigh, O daughter of Gallim. By the word neigh he denotes the howling and cries which will be heard at a distance. It is very common, in the Hebrew language, to call cities daughters.

31. Madmenah is removed. In exaggerated language he describes that city to have been shaken to such a degree, as if it had been removed to another place.

32. Yet a day. Some interpret this, that the Assyrian will yet remain one day in Nob, which was a village contiguous to Jerusalem, as Jerome and others declare.

34. And he will cut down the thick places of the forest with iron. There is no difficulty in explaining this metaphor, for it is plain enough that by tall and high trees is denoted all that is powerful, excellent, or lofty.