Isaiah 28:2

2 See, the Lord has a strong and cruel one; like a rain of ice, a storm of destruction, like the overflowing of a strong river, he will violently overcome them.

Isaiah 28:2 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 28:2

Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one
That is, a powerful king, with a mighty army, meaning Shalmaneser king of Assyria; whom the Lord had at his beck and command, and could use at his pleasure, as his instrument, to bring down the towering pride of Ephraim, and chastise him for his sensuality: [which] as a tempest of hail;
that beats down herbs and plants, and branches of trees, and men and beasts: [and] a destroying storm;
which carries all before it, blows down houses and trees, and makes terrible devastation wherever it comes: as a flood of mighty waters overflowing;
whose torrent is so strong there is no stopping it: so this mighty and powerful prince shall cast down to the earth with the hand;
the crown of pride, the people of Israel, and the king of it; he shall take the crown from his head, and cast it to the ground with a strong hand, as the Jews interpret it, with great violence; or very easily, with one hand, as it were, without any trouble at all. The Targum is,

``so shall people come against them, and remove them out of their own land into another land, because of the sins which were in their hands;''

see ( Isaiah 8:7 ) .

Isaiah 28:2 In-Context

1 Ho! crown of pride of those who are given up to wine in Ephraim, and the dead flower of his glory which is on the head of those who are overcome by strong drink!

2 See, the Lord has a strong and cruel one; like a rain of ice, a storm of destruction, like the overflowing of a strong river, he will violently overcome them.

3 The crown of pride of those who are given up to wine in Ephraim will be crushed under foot;

4 And the dead flower of his glory, which is on the head of the fertile valley, will be like the first early fruit before the summer; which a man takes and puts in his mouth the minute he sees it.

5 In that day will the Lord of armies be a crown of glory, and a fair ornament, to the rest of his people;