Isaiah 10:19

19 The remaining trees of its forests will be so few that a child could count them.

Isaiah 10:19 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 10:19

And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few
Which were left unconsumed, that escaped this destruction, those of the Assyrian army that fled with Sennacherib their king; which, the Rabbins say ^F18, were no more than ten, as Jarchi and Kimchi observe; yea, some say there were but five left who escaped, and name them, Sennacherib and his two sons, Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuzaradan: that a child may write them;
count them, and take down their names; and it may be understood of a military muster, and the sense be, that the army should be reduced to so small a number by this stroke upon them, that there would be no need of an able muster master to take the account of them, a child would be equal to such a task. The Targum is,

``and the rest of his warriors shall fail, that the people shall be a small number, and shall be reckoned a weak kingdom.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 T. Bab. ib. fol. 95. 2. Praefat. Echa Rabbati, fol. 41. 1.

Isaiah 10:19 In-Context

17 And the Light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame. In a single day it will burn and devour Assyria’s thorns and thistles.

18 The splendor of its forests and orchards, both soul and body, it will completely destroy, as a sickness consumes a man.

19 The remaining trees of its forests will be so few that a child could count them.

20 On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on him who struck them, but they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

21 A remnant will return —a remnant of Jacob— to the Mighty God.