Isaiah 31:6-9

6 Return, you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted against.
7 For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made.
8 “Assyria will fall by no human sword; a sword, not of mortals, will devour them. They will flee before the sword and their young men will be put to forced labor.
9 Their stronghold will fall because of terror; at the sight of the battle standard their commanders will panic,” declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 31:6-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 31

This chapter denounces woe to those that trusted in the Egyptians; assures the Jews of God's care and protection of them; calls them to repentance, and foretells the destruction of the Assyrian army. The sin of those that trusted in Egypt, with the reasons of their trust, and not looking to the Lord, and seeking him, is declared in Isa 31:1 and their folly exposed in so doing; since the Lord is wise, powerful, and unchangeable, and the Egyptians frail and weak; so that the helper and the helped must fall before him, Isa 31:2,3 whereas protection might be expected from the Lord, as is promised, whose power is like that of the lion, and whose tender care is like that of birds to defend their young, Isa 31:4,5 wherefore the Jews are called upon to return to the Lord by repentance, from whom they had revolted; which would be shown by their detestation of idolatry, the sin they had been guilty of, Isa 31:6,7 and the chapter is closed with a prophecy of the ruin of the Assyrian army, and the flight of their king, Isa 31:8,9.

Cross References 13

  • 1. S Job 22:23; S Isaiah 1:27
  • 2. S Isaiah 1:5
  • 3. Isaiah 29:18
  • 4. S Isaiah 2:20; Isaiah 30:22
  • 5. S Psalms 135:15
  • 6. S Isaiah 10:12
  • 7. S Exodus 12:12; Isaiah 10:12; Isaiah 14:25; S Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 33:1; Isaiah 37:7; Jeremiah 25:12; Habakkuk 2:8
  • 8. S Genesis 49:15; S Deuteronomy 20:11
  • 9. Deuteronomy 32:31,37
  • 10. S Isaiah 18:3; S Jeremiah 4:6
  • 11. Jeremiah 51:9; Nahum 3:7
  • 12. S Isaiah 10:17
  • 13. Psalms 21:9; Malachi 4:1
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