Isaiah 10:12

12 1When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, 2he[a] will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes.

Isaiah 10:12 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 10:12

Wherefore it shall come to pass
It shall surely be; what God has purposed in his heart, and published in his word, shall certainly be fulfilled: [that] when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion,
and on Jerusalem;
in correcting, chastising, and humbling the inhabitants thereof, by suffering them to be besieged by the Assyrian army. God sometimes makes use of wicked men to chastise his people; this is his work, and not theirs; and when he begins, he goes on, and finishes it; and when he has done, punishes the instruments he uses; after he has scourged his children, he takes the rod, and breaks it to pieces. I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria,
and the glory of his high looks;
that is, he would punish him for his wicked actions, which were the fruit of the haughtiness of his heart, and the pride of his eyes; or for that pride which filled his heart, and showed itself in his lofty looks. Kimchi joins this to the preceding clause, and makes the sense to be, that God would punish the Assyrian for his pride, in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; for there his army died, or near it, being smitten by the angel. The Targum is,

``and it shall be, when the Lord hath finished to do all that he hath said in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem.''

Isaiah 10:12 In-Context

10 As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her images?"
12 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes.
13 For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.
14 My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing or opened the mouth or chirped."

Cross References 2

  • 1. [Isaiah 29:4, 5; Isaiah 30:18; 2 Kings 19:31]
  • 2. See 2 Kings 19:35-37

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.