Woe to Unjust Lawmakers
Study note
This final 'woe' continues the series from earlier chapters. It targets corrupt lawmakers and judges who write unfair laws designed to cheat the poor and deny justice to widows and orphans. God asks them a pointed question: what will they do when punishment comes? Where will they run? Where will they hide their wealth? They will either be taken prisoner or killed. Yet even after this, God's anger is not satisfied.
1 How awful for those who create unfair laws and write rules that are cruel and unjust! Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
2 They deny poor people their rights and steal justice from those who have nothing. They prey on widows and rob orphans. To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!
3 What are you going to do when judgment day arrives and disaster slams into you from far away? Who are you going to run to for help? Where are you going to stash all your wealth? And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?
4 Your only options will be to huddle with the prisoners or drop among the dead. Even after all this, his anger has not cooled down, and his hand is still raised, ready to strike. Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
God Uses Assyria as His Tool
Study note
God calls Assyria the 'rod of my anger,' a tool he uses to punish sinful nations. But Assyria does not realize it is serving God's purposes. The Assyrian king brags about his conquests, listing the cities he has destroyed. He boasts that his commanders are as powerful as kings and asks if Jerusalem's idols can save it any more than the idols of other conquered cities. God warns that after using Assyria to discipline his people, he will punish Assyria for its arrogance. An axe should not boast against the one who swings it.
5 "How awful it will be for Assyria, the club I use to punish! The stick in their hands is my fury." O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
6 "I send Assyria against a nation that has turned its back on me. I command them to march against a people who have made me furious — to grab their wealth, haul off their possessions, and stomp them flat like mud in the road." I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 "But the king of Assyria does not understand this is my plan. He has no clue that I am using him. All he cares about is destroying and wiping out one nation after another." Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
8 He brags, "My commanders are as powerful as kings!" For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
9 "Was not Calno destroyed just like Carchemish? Was not Hamath crushed just like Arpad? Was not Samaria defeated just like Damascus?" Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
10 "I have beaten kingdoms full of idols. Those kingdoms had better images than Jerusalem or Samaria." As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
11 "I wrecked Samaria and its idols. Why would I not do the same to Jerusalem and its images?" Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
12 The Lord will finish using Assyria to punish Mount Zion and Jerusalem. Then he will turn on the king of Assyria. He will punish him for his proud heart and his big ego. Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.
13 Because the king of Assyria boasts: "I pulled this off with my own skill and cleverness, because I am so smart. I have redrawn the borders of nations, raided their storehouses, and knocked their rulers off their thrones like a champion." For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:
14 "I reached into the wealth of the nations like reaching into a bird's nest. I scooped up the whole world like gathering abandoned eggs. Not one bird flapped a wing or opened its beak to chirp at me." And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.
15 Does an ax act like it is more important than the person swinging it? Does a saw act bigger than the one using it? That would be like a stick lifting up the person who carries it, or a wooden rod picking up the one holding it! Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
16 So the Lord of heaven's armies will send a sickness among Assyria's proudest fighters. A hidden fire will blaze up under their glory. It will burn them alive. Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
17 The Light of Israel will become a fire, and the Holy One will become a flame. In a single day it will burn through every thorn and brier in Assyria. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
18 God will wipe out the beauty of Assyria's forests and rich farmland completely — body and soul. It will be like watching a sick person waste away to nothing. And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.
19 So few trees will remain in the forest that a little kid could count them all. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.
A Remnant Will Return
Study note
Despite the coming destruction, a small group of survivors, called a remnant, will stop relying on foreign powers and will truly trust in the Lord. Even though Israel's population is as numerous as the sand on the seashore, only a remnant will return. God tells his people not to be afraid of Assyria, because just as God defeated Egypt and Midian in the past, he will defeat Assyria too. The heavy yoke of oppression will be broken.
20 When that day comes, the survivors of Israel and the remaining people of Jacob will stop depending on the nation that hurt them. Instead, they will truly lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21 A remnant will come back to the mighty God — a remnant from Jacob's descendants. The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
22 Even though the people of Israel are as countless as sand on the seashore, only a small portion of them will come back. Destruction has been determined, and it will pour out with righteousness. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
23 The Lord of heaven's armies will carry out the ruin he has planned. It will sweep across the whole land. For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
24 So the Lord of heaven's armies says this. "My people in Zion, do not fear the Assyrians. They will beat you with a rod. They will wave their stick at you, just as Egypt once did." Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
25 "In just a short while, my anger at you will end, and then my fury will turn and destroy them instead." For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
26 The Lord who commands heaven's armies will crack a whip over them, just as he defeated Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise his rod over the sea, just like he did when he rescued his people from Egypt. And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.
27 When that day comes, the weight of Assyria will be lifted off your shoulders, and their yoke will be pulled off your neck. The yoke will snap because you have grown so strong. And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
The Assyrian March and God's Response
Study note
Isaiah dramatically describes the Assyrian army's march toward Jerusalem, naming the towns it passes through one by one. The army gets closer and closer until it is shaking its fist at Mount Zion. But just when all seems lost, the Lord of Heaven's Armies acts. He cuts down the mighty Assyrian army like a woodsman chopping down tall trees. Even Lebanon's great forest falls. This was fulfilled when an angel of the Lord destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night during King Hezekiah's reign.
28 The Assyrian army has reached Aiath! They have passed through Migron! They have stashed their supplies at Michmash! He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
29 They crossed the mountain pass and camped overnight at Geba. The people of Ramah are shaking with terror. The people of Gibeah, Saul's hometown, have run for their lives. They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
30 Scream, people of Gallim! Listen, people of Laishah! Oh, poor Anathoth! Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
31 The people of Madmenah are fleeing. The people of Gebim are packing up and getting out. Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
32 Today the enemy will stop at Nob. He will shake his fist at the mountain of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
33 But watch! The Lord who commands heaven's armies will hack off the branches with terrifying power. The tallest trees will be cut down, and the proud will be brought low. Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.
34 He will swing his ax and chop through the thick forest, and the great trees of Lebanon will crash down before the Mighty One. And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.