Isaiah 10:4

4 ne incurvemini sub vinculo et cum interfectis cadatis super omnibus his non est aversus furor eius sed adhuc manus eius extenta

Isaiah 10:4 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 10:4

Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and
they shall fall under the slain
That is, either, being forsaken by me, and destitute of my help, they shall bow down; or, "because they are without me", are not my people, and do not hearken to me, therefore they shall bow down, so David Kimchi; or, were it not for me, they would, as others; or that they might not bow down and fall; and so the words may be connected with the preceding verse ( Isaiah 10:3 ) : others render the word, translated "without me, besides"; and the sense is either, as Moses Kimchi, besides their bowing in their own land, when subdued by the Gentiles, a greater affliction shall befall them, captivity; when they should be either carried captive or slain; or besides him that shall bow down under the prisoners, they shall fall under the slain; besides those that are taken, others shall be killed; or none shall escape, but, or "except", him that bows, and hides himself under the prisoners, or in the place of the slain, that he might not be thought to be alive: or the sense is, the desolation shall be so general, that none shall escape, either they shall be taken prisoners, or they shall be slain; agreeably to which Noldius F9 renders the words, "without me", everyone "shall bow down among the prisoners, or shall fall among the slain"; which gives the best sense of them; that, being left of God for their sins, they would either be bound and carried captive, or else slain with the sword, and one or the other would be the lot of everyone of them: for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is
stretched out still;
the final and utter destruction of the nation of the Jews being then not yet come, when carried captive to Babylon, there remained a greater calamity for them, to come by the hands of the Romans. These first four verses ( Isaiah 10:1-4 ) seem more properly to belong to the preceding chapter ( Isaiah 9:1-21 ) , and this should begin with the next verse ( Isaiah 10:5 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F9 Ebr. Concord. Part. p. 201, 771.

Isaiah 10:4 In-Context

2 ut opprimerent in iudicio pauperes et vim facerent causae humilium populi mei ut essent viduae praeda eorum et pupillos diriperent
3 quid facietis in die visitationis et calamitatis de longe venientis ad cuius fugietis auxilium et ubi derelinquetis gloriam vestram
4 ne incurvemini sub vinculo et cum interfectis cadatis super omnibus his non est aversus furor eius sed adhuc manus eius extenta
5 vae Assur virga furoris mei et baculus ipse in manu eorum indignatio mea
6 ad gentem fallacem mittam eum et contra populum furoris mei mandabo illi ut auferat spolia et diripiat praedam et ponat illum in conculcationem quasi lutum platearum
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.