This chapter contains a prophecy of the ruin of Syria and Israel, the ten tribes; who were in alliance; and also of the overthrow of the Assyrian army, that should come against Judah. The destruction of Damascus, the metropolis of Syria, and of other cities, is threatened, Isa. 17:1, Isa.

The burden of Damascus, &c.] A heavy and grievous prophecy, concerning the destruction of it; the Arabic version is, “the prophecy of Isaiah concerning Damascus;” and the Targum is, “the burden of the cup of cursing to give Damascus to drink.” Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city; a…

The cities of Aroer are forsaken The inhabitants of them being slain, or carried captive, or obliged to flee. Aroer was a city by the river Arnon, on the borders of Moab and Ammon, , it was originally in the hands of the Amorites, and sometimes in the hands of the Moabites and Ammonites: it was…

The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim The ten tribes, now in confederacy with the Syrians, whose metropolis or fortress was Samaria, which seems to be intended here; and should be destroyed, at least taken out of the hands of the Israelites, and they be carried captive by Shalmaneser king of…

And in that day it shall come to pass It being much about the same time that both kingdoms were destroyed by the Assyrians: that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin; the same with Ephraim and Israel, the ten tribes, whose glory lay in the superior number of their tribes to Judah; in the multitude…

And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, &c.] The “standing” corn, as in the Hebrew text: “and reapeth the ears with his arm”; or “his arm reaps the ears” [[13]]; that is, with one hand he gathers the standing corn into his fist, and then reaps it with his other arm; and just so…

Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it In Ephraim or Jacob; that is, in the ten tribes, a few of them should escape, a remnant should be saved; comparable, for the smallness of their number, to grapes that are gleaned after the vintage is got in: though Kimchi interprets it of the inhabitants of…

At that day shall a man look to his Maker The one only living and true God, who has made him, and not he himself, nor any other creature; that is, such as are left, as before described, the remnant, according to the election of grace; these shall look to God for help and assistance, for supply,…

And he shall not took to the altars, the work of his hands, &c.] That is, to altars erected to the worship of idols, which are both the works of men’s hands, so as to serve at them, and sacrifice upon them.

In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch Meaning the strong cities of Ephraim or Jacob, the ten tribes, which should be forsaken of their inhabitants; having fled from before the enemy, or being slain or carried captive; like a bough of a tree, that is…

Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation Who had been the author of salvation to them many a time, in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in various instances since; and yet they had forgot his works of mercy and goodness, and had left his worship, and gone after idols; and this was the cause of…

In the day shall thou make thy plant to grow Not that it is in the power of man to make it grow; but the sense is, that all means and methods should be used to make it grow, no cost nor pains should be spared: and in the morning shall thou make thy seed to flourish; which may denote both diligence…

Woe to the multitude of many people . Not as lamenting the people of the Jews with Hezekiah, as if they were the words of the prophet bemoaning their condition, saying, “O the multitude” nor intending the Syrians and Israelites joined together against Judah; but the Assyrian army under Sennacherib,…

The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters, &c.] With great force and noise, and run over the whole land, as the Assyrian army did, until it came to Jerusalem, and there it stopped; see (Isa. 8:7, Isa.

And behold at eveningtide trouble Or terror [[0]] and consternation; which some understand of that which was in the Assyrian army, when the Angel of the Lord destroyed it, taking “evening for night”, for it was in the night that that was done; so Jarchi interprets it of Shedim, a sort of spirits or…