For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts
These titles of Jehovah, expressive of power and authority, are
used to show that he is able to execute what he threatens to do;
and the word "behold" is prefixed, to excite attention to what is
about to be said: doth take away from Jerusalem, and from
Judea;
the present tense is used for the future, because of the
certainty of what would be done to the Jews, both in city and
country; for as in the preceding chapter ( Isaiah
2:1-22 ) it is foretold what shall befall the antichristian
party among the nations of the world, this is a prophecy of the
destruction of the Jews by the Romans; at which time there would
be a dreadful famine, signified by the taking away the stay
and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole
stay
of water;
bread and water being the stay and staff of man's life, which
support and maintain it; and, in case of disobedience, a famine
was threatened this people very early, and in much such terms as
here, ( Leviticus
26:26 ) and as there was a very sore famine at the siege of
Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, ( Jeremiah
52:6 ) so there was a very dreadful one when the city was
besieged by the Romans, as related by Josephus, and predicted by
Christ, ( Matthew 24:7
) .
Isaiah 3:1
