Isaia 10

1 Guai a quelli che fanno decreti iniqui e dettano l’ingiuria, la quale eglino stessi hanno innanzi scritta;

2 per fare scadere i miseri dal giudicio, e per rapire il diritto a’ poveri del mio popolo; acciocchè le vedove sieno le loro spoglie, e per predar gli orfani!

3 E che farete voi al giorno della visitazione, e nella desolazione che verrà da lontano? a chi rifuggirete per aiuto? ed ove lascerete la vostra gloria?

4 Che farete voi, se non che gli uni si chineranno sotto i prigioni, e gli altri caderanno sotto gli uccisi? Per tutto ciò la sua ira non si racqueterà; anzi la sua mano sarà ancora stessa.

5 GUAI ad Assur, verga della mia ira, il cui bastone, che hanno in mano, è la mia indegnazione!

6 Io lo manderò contro alla gente profana, e gli darò commissione contro al popolo del mio cruccio; per ispogliar spoglie, per predar preda, e per render quello calcato, come il fango delle strade.

7 Ma egli non penserà già così, e il suo cuore non istimerà già così; anzi penserà nel cuor suo di distruggere, e di sterminar genti non poche.

8 Perciocchè dirà: I miei principi non son eglino re tutti quanti?

9 Non è Calno come Carchemis? non è Hamat come Arpad? non è Samaria come Damasco?

10 Siccome la mia mano ha ritrovati i regni degl’idoli, le cui sculture erano in maggior numero, e di più valore, che quelle di Gerusalemme e di Samaria;

11 non farei io a Gerusalemme, ed a’ suoi idoli, come ho fatto a Samaria, ed a’ suoi idoli?

12 Egli avverrà dunque, quando il Signore avrà compiuta tutta l’opera sua nel monte di Sion, ed in Gerusalemme, che io farò, dice egli, la punizione del frutto della grandigia del cuore del re degli Assiri, e della gloria dell’alterezza degli occhi suoi.

13 Perciocchè egli avrà detto: Io ho fatte queste cose per la forza delle mie mani, e per la mia sapienza; conciossiachè io sia intendente; ed ho rimossi i confini de’ popoli, ed ho predati i lor tesori; e, come possente, ho posti giù quelli ch’erano a seder sopra troni.

14 E la mia mano ha ritrovate, come un nido, le ricchezze de’ popoli; e come si raccolgono le uova lasciate, così ho raccolta tutta la terra; e non vi è stato alcuno che abbia mossa l’ala, od aperto il becco e pigolato.

15 Glorierassi la scure contro a colui che taglia con essa? magnificherassi la sega contro a colui che la mena? come se la verga movesse quelli che l’alzano, e come se il bastone si elevasse da sè, quasi come non fosse legno.

16 Perciò, il Signore, il Signor degli eserciti, manderà la magrezza ne’ grassi di esso; e sotto la sua gloria accenderà un incendio, simile ad un incendio di fuoco.

17 E la luce d’Israele sarà come un fuoco, e il suo Santo come una fiamma; e arderà, e divorerà le vepri, ed i pruni di esso, in un giorno.

18 Ed anche consumerà la gloria del suo bosco, e il suo Carmel; consumerà ogni cosa, dall’anima infino alla carne; e sarà di lui come quando il banderaro è messo in rotta.

19 E il rimanente degli alberi del suo bosco sarà in piccol numero, ed un fanciullo potrà metterne il conto in iscritto.

20 Ed avverrà che, in quel giorno, il rimanente d’Israele, e quelli della casa di Giacobbe, che saranno scampati, non continueranno più ad appoggiarsi sopra colui che li percoteva; anzi si appoggeranno sopra il Signore, il Santo d’Israele, in verità.

21 Il rimanente si convertirà; il rimanente di Giacobbe si convertirà all’Iddio forte.

22 Perciocchè, avvegnachè il tuo popolo, o Israele, fosse come la rena del mare, il sol rimanente di esso si convertirà; una distruzione è determinata, e farà inondare la giustizia.

23 Perciocchè il Signore Iddio degli eserciti manda ad esecuzione una sentenza finale, ed una determinazione in mezzo di tutta la terra.

24 Perciò, il Signore Iddio degli eserciti ha detto così: Popol mio, che abiti in Sion, non temer dell’Assiro; egli ti percoterà con la verga, ed alzerà il suo bastone sopra te, nella medesima maniera che l’alzò l’Egitto.

25 Perciocchè fra qui e ben poco tempo l’indegnazione sarà venuta meno; e la mia ira sarà alla distruzione di quelli.

26 E il Signor degli eserciti ecciterà contro a lui un flagello, qual fu la piaga di Madian, alla pietra di Oreb; e la sua verga sarà sopra il mare, ed egli l’alzerà nella medesima maniera ch’egli l’alzò in Egitto.

27 Ed avverrà, in quel giorno, che il suo incarico sarà rimosso d’in su la tua spalla, e il suo giogo d’in sul tuo collo; e il giogo sarà rotto per cagion dell’unzione.

28 Egli è venuto in Aiat, egli è passato in Migron, ha riposti in Micmas i suoi arnesi;

29 hanno passato il passo; Gheba è stato un alloggiamento, dove sono alloggiati; Rama ha tremato, Ghibea di Saul è fuggita.

30 Strilla con la tua voce, o figliuola di Gallim; e tu, povera Anatot, riguarda attentamente verso Lais.

31 Madmena si è messa in fuga; gli abitanti di Ghebim si son salvati in fretta.

32 Egli si fermerà ancora quel giorno in Nob; e moverà la sua mano contro al monte della figliuola di Sion, e contro al colle di Gerusalemme.

33 Ecco, il Signore, il Signor degli eserciti, troncherà i rami con violenza, e i più elevati saran ricisi,

34 e gli eccelsi saranno abbassati. Ed egli taglierà dal piè col ferro i più folti alberi del bosco, e il Libano caderà per la man di un possente.

Isaia 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

Woes against proud oppressors. (1-4) The Assyrian but an instrument in the hand of God for the punishment of his people. (5-19) The deliverance from him. (20-34)

Verses 1-4 These verses are to be joined with the foregoing chapter. Woe to the superior powers that devise and decree unrighteous decrees! And woe to the inferior officers that draw them up, and enter them on record! But what will sinners do? Whither will they flee?

Verses 5-19 See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God designs to correct his people for their hypocrisy, and bring them nearer to him; but is that Sennacherib's design? No; he designs to gratify his own covetousness and ambition. The Assyrian boasts what great things he has done to other nations, by his own policy and power. He knows not that it is God who makes him what he is, and puts the staff into his hand. He had done all this with ease; none moved the wing, or cried as birds do when their nests are rifled. Because he conquered Samaria, he thinks Jerusalem would fall of course. It was lamentable that Jerusalem should have set up graven images, and we cannot wonder that she was excelled in them by the heathen. But is it not equally foolish for Christians to emulate the people of the world in vanities, instead of keeping to things which are their special honour? For a tool to boast, or to strive against him that formed it, would not be more out of the way, than for Sennacherib to vaunt himself against Jehovah. When God brings his people into trouble, it is to bring sin to their remembrance, and humble them, and to awaken them to a sense of their duty; this must be the fruit, even the taking away of sin. When these points are gained by the affliction, it shall be removed in mercy. This attempt upon Zion and Jerusalem should come to nothing. God will be as a fire to consume the workers of iniquity, both soul and body. The desolation should be as when a standard-bearer fainteth, and those who follow are put to confusion. Who is able to stand before this great and holy Lord God?

Verses 20-34 By our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures our confidence. Those only can with comfort stay upon God, who return to him in truth, not in pretence and profession only. God will justly bring this wasting away on a provoking people, but will graciously set bounds to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give way to fear. God's anger against his people is but for a moment; and when that is turned from us, we need not fear the fury of man. The rod with which he corrected his people, shall not only be laid aside, but thrown into the fire. To encourage God's people, the prophet puts them in mind of what God had formerly done against the enemies of his church. God's people shall be delivered from the Assyrians. Some think it looks to the deliverance of the Jews out of their captivity; and further yet, to the redemption of believers from the tyranny of sin and Satan. And this, "because of the anointing;" for his people Israel's sake, the believers among them that had received the unction of Divine grace. And for the sake of the Messiah, the Anointed of God. Here is, ver. ( 28-34 ) , a prophetical description of Sennacherib's march towards Jerusalem, when he threatened to destroy that city. Then the Lord, in whom Hezekiah trusted, cut down his army like the hewing of a forest. Let us apply what is here written, to like matters in other ages of the church of Christ. Because of the anointing of our great Redeemer, the yoke of every antichrist must be broken from off his church: and if our souls partake of the unction of the Holy Spirit, complete and eternal deliverances will be secured to us.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 10

This chapter contains denunciations of punishment, first on the governors of the Jewish nation, and then upon the Assyrians; a woe is denounced on the makers and imposers of bad laws, whereby the poor and the needy, the widows and the fatherless, were deprived of their right, Isa 10:1,2 which woe or punishment is explained to be a desolation of their country by the Assyrians, that should come afar off, and which they could not escape; under whom they should bow and fall; and yet there should not be an end of their punishment, Isa 10:3,4 next follows a prophecy of the destruction of the Assyrians themselves, for the comfort of God's people; in which is observed, that the Assyrian monarch was an instrument in the hand of the Lord to chastise his people, and therefore is called the rod and staff of his wrath and indignation, Isa 10:5 the people are described against whom he was sent, and the end for which is mentioned, Isa 10:6 though this was not his intention, nor did he design to stop here, but to destroy and cut off many other nations, Isa 10:7 which he hoped to do from the magnificence of his princes, who were as kings, and from the conquests he had made of kingdoms, and their chief cities, Isa 10:8-11 wherefore, when the Lord had done what he designed to do by him among his people the Jews, he was determined to punish him, because of the pride of his heart, and the haughtiness of his looks, and his boasting of his strength and wisdom, and of his robberies and plunders, without opposition; which boasting was as foolish as if an axe, a saw, a rod, and a staff, should boast, magnify, move, and lift up themselves against the person that made use of them, Isa 10:12-15 which punishment is said to come from the Lord, and is expressed by leanness, and by a consuming and devouring fire; for which reason his army is compared to thorns and briers, to a forest, and a fruitful field, which should be destroyed at once; so that what of the trees remained should be so few as to be numbered by a child, Isa 10:16-19 and, for the further consolation of the people of God, it is observed, that in the times following the destruction of the Assyrian monarchy, a remnant of the people of Israel should be converted, and no more lean upon an arm of flesh, but upon the Lord Christ, the Holy One of Israel; even a remnant only; for though that people were very numerous, yet a remnant, according to the election of grace, should be saved, when it was the determinate counsel of God, and according to his righteous judgment, to destroy the far greater part of them, for their perverseness and obstinacy, Isa 10:20-23 wherefore the people of God are exhorted not to be afraid of the Assyrian, though chastised by him; since in a little time the anger of the Lord would cease in his destruction, which should be after the manner of the Egyptians at the Red sea, and as the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; whereby they would be free from his burden and yoke, because of the anointed King that should reign, or the King Messiah, Isa 10:24-27 and then follows a description of the expedition of the king of Assyria into Judea, by making mention of the several places through which he should pass with terror to the inhabitants, until he should come to Jerusalem, against which he should shake his hand, Isa 10:28-32 and then, under the similes of lopping a bough, and cutting down the thickets of a forest, and the trees of Lebanon, is predicted the destruction of his army and its generals by an angel, Isa 10:33,34.