Yeshayah 10:13

13 For he saith, By the ko’ach of my yad I have done it, and by my chochmah; for I have binah; and I have removed the boundaries of the nations, and have plundered their treasures, and like the mighty I have subdued those on thrones;

Yeshayah 10:13 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 10:13

For he saith, by the strength of my hand I have done [it],
&c.] Meaning either that by the power of his army, which was under his command, or by his own personal valour, he had subdued kings, taken their kingdoms and chief cities, and ascribes nothing to the power aud providence of God; and if such arrogance and haughtiness, in things of a civil nature, is an instance of vanity, and is resented by the Lord, then much more such conduct in things of a religious nature, when men ascribe regeneration, conversion, and salvation, to the power of their free will, and to the works of their hands, and not to the power and grace of God: and by my wisdom, for I am prudent;
attributing his conquests partly to his power, and partly to his skill and prudence in marshalling his army, making use of stratagems to decoy the enemy, and get an advantage of him; whereas strength and power, and so wisdom and prudence, are from the Lord; as he gives safety, victory, and salvation to kings, so he teaches their hands to war, and their fingers to fight; which they ought to acknowledge, and will, unless vain and proud: and I have removed the bounds of the people;
by subduing kingdoms, and adding them to his own, so that they were no more distinct governments; and by transplanting the inhabitants of them to other places, and making new colonies and settlements; and so the Targum,

``and I have removed the people from province to province:''

taking that to himself which belongs to God, who has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of men's habitations: and have robbed their treasures:
laid up in palaces, temples, sepulchres, and private houses, for time to come, which are usually plundered when cities and towns are taken; the Targum renders it,

``their laudable cities:''

and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant [man];
from their greatness, from their seats of honour and dignity; or I have put down many inhabitants, as Jarchi, and reduced great numbers to a low and mean estate. The Targum is,

``I have brought down with strength they that dwell in fortified places;''

and so Aben Ezra and Kimchi explain it, they that dwell in a strong place or palace.

Yeshayah 10:13 In-Context

11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Shomron and her elilim, so do to Yerushalayim and her atzabim (images)?

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when Adonoi hath performed His whole work upon Mt Tziyon and on Yerushalayim, I will punish the fruit of the proud lev of Melech Ashur, and the tiferet of his haughty eyes.

13 For he saith, By the ko’ach of my yad I have done it, and by my chochmah; for I have binah; and I have removed the boundaries of the nations, and have plundered their treasures, and like the mighty I have subdued those on thrones;

14 And my yad hath found like a ken (nest) the riches of the nations; and like one gathereth beitzim (eggs) that are left, have I gathered kol ha’aretz; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the beak, or peeped.

15 Shall the garzen (axe) boast itself against Him that cuts therewith? Or shall the masor (saw) magnify itself against Him that useth it? As if the shevet (rod) should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the matteh (staff) should lift up itself, as if it were not etz.