Isaiah 10:18

18 He will completely destroy the beauty of their forests and rich farm lands. The Assyrian army will be like a sick man who becomes weaker and weaker.

Isaiah 10:18 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 10:18

And shall consume the glory of his forest
The Assyrian army is compared to a "forest", for the number of men in it; and for the mighty men in it, comparable to large and tall trees, such as oaks and cedars; and like a wood or forest a numerous army looks, when in rank and file, in proper order, and with banners, and having on their armour, their shields, spears, bows and arrows; and the "glory" of it intends either the princes and nobles that were in it, the principal officers, generals, and captains; or the riches of it, the plunder of the Egyptians and Ethiopians, as Kimchi observes, which were all destroyed at once: both soul and body,
or "from the soul even to the flesh" ^F15; which denotes the total consumption of them, nothing of them remaining; the Targum is,

``the glory of the multitude of his army, and their souls with their bodies, it shall consume;''

and so some understand this of the eternal destruction of soul and body in hell: the Rabbins are divided about the manner of the consumption of the Assyrian army; some say their bodies and souls were both burnt, which these words seem to favour; and others, that their souls were burnt, and not their bodies, their lives were taken away, and their bodies unhurt; which they think is favoured by ( Isaiah 10:16 ) where it is said, "under his glory", and not "his glory" ^F16: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth;
who when he fails, the whole company or army is thrown into confusion, and flees; and so the Targum,

``and he shall be broken, and flee.''

Some render it, "as the dust of the worm that eats wood" ^F17; so Jarchi; signifying that they should be utterly destroyed, and become as small as the dust that falls from a worm eaten tree; which simile is used, a forest being made mention of before.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 (rvb dew vpnm) "ab anima usque ad carnem", V. L. Montanus, Piscator.
F16 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 113. 2. & Sanhedrin, fol 94. 1, 2. See Kimchi in loc.
F17 (oon owomk) "at pulvis teredinis", Tigurine version.

Isaiah 10:18 In-Context

16 So the LORD who rules over all will send a sickness. The Lord will send it on the king of Assyria's strong fighting men. It will make them weaker and weaker. The army he was so proud of will be completely destroyed. It will be as if it had been burned up in a fire.

17 The LORD is the light of Israel. He will become a fire. Israel's Holy One will become a flame. In a single day he will burn up all of Assyria's bushes. He will destroy all of their thorns.

18 He will completely destroy the beauty of their forests and rich farm lands. The Assyrian army will be like a sick man who becomes weaker and weaker.

19 It will be like the trees of their forests. So few of them will be left standing that even a child could count them.

20 In days to come, some people will still be left alive in Israel. They will be from Jacob's family line. But they won't depend any longer on the nation that struck them down. Instead, they will truly depend on the Lord. He is the Holy One of Israel.