Thus saith the Lord, though [they be] quiet, and likewise
many
The Assyrian army under Sennacherib before Jerusalem, though they were quiet and secure and thought themselves out of all danger; not at all fearing that the besieged would sally out against them they being so numerous, and therefore betook themselves to sleep and rest: yet thus shall they be cut down;
or "shorn" F12; as the wool is shorn off the back of a sheep with sheers; or grass or corn is mowed with a scythe; or else as the hair of a man's head and beard are shaved with a razor; which sometimes was done, not only in a way of ignominy and contempt, as David's servants were served by Hanun, ( 2 Samuel 10:4 ) ; but as a token of servitude; hence those words of the poet F13,
``after thou art a servant, dost thou let thy hair grow?''upon which it is observed F14, that it belongs to freemen to let the hair grow; and so the philosopher says F15, to let the hair grow, or to nourish it, is commendable with a Lacedemonian, for it is a sign of liberty; for it is not for him who lets his hair grow to do any servile work; and it was usual with conquerors to shave the conquered, and such as were carried captives F16, which some think is referred to in ( Deuteronomy 32:42 ) ; and render the latter clause of that verse,
``and there shall be captivity, by reason of the head of nakedness of the enemy;''that is, there should be captives whose heads should be made bare, or shaved by the enemy the conqueror F17; hence the king of Assyria, when a conqueror, is compared to a sharp razor, that should shave the head, and feet, and beard, even all sorts of people, ( Isaiah 7:20 ) ; but now he and his army should be shaved themselves; that is, conquered, slain, or taken captives, and become slaves, and treated with contempt; all which may be taken into the sense of this phrase, and serve to illustrate it: when he shall pass through;