Isaiah 10:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the Lord of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt.

NIV: The Lord Almighty will lash them with a whip, as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; and he will raise his staff over the waters, as he did in Egypt.

NASB: The Lord of armies will wield a whip against him like the defeat of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His staff will be over the sea, and He will lift it up the way He did in Egypt.

CSB: And the Lord of Armies will brandish a whip against him as he did when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb; and he will raise his staff over the sea as he did in Egypt.

NLT: The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will lash them with his whip, as he did when Gideon triumphed over the Midianites at the rock of Oreb, or when the Lord’s staff was raised to drown the Egyptian army in the sea.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And the Lord of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.

God is telling His people not to be afraid of the Assyrians (Isaiah 10:24). This is despite the invading nation's destruction of Israel and Judah. The Lord has promised that His anger toward His people will end in a "very little while (Isaiah 10:25)." Then He will focus His anger on the Assyrians for the arrogance of their king (Isaiah 10:12).

The Lord now promises to use His supernatural power against Assyria. He compares it to the time when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb (Judges 7:25). This is a reference to the story of Gideon in Judges 7. At that time, it was the Midianites who were oppressing Israel. The Lord broke their oppression and sent the Midianites fleeing for their lives. One of the Midianite leaders, Oreb, was killed at a place that became known as a the "rock of Oreb" (Judges 7:19–26).

Isaiah also quotes The Lord, reminding the people of their deliverance from Egypt. That was when God told Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea so that the waters would come crashing back down on the Egyptians as they pursued the Israelites. Moses did so, and not one of the host of Pharaoh survived (Exodus 14:15–31). His defeat of the Assyrian king will be like the fate of the Pharaoh.

God wanted His people to remember that He had been willing and able to save them from oppressors in the past. He could and would do so again. The Lord kept this promise in 701 BC, when the angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrians in one night when they were holding Jerusalem in siege (2 Kings 19:35).

Isaiah 10:20–34 describes the remnant that will be saved in Israel and who will reestablish trust in the Lord. Only these few will be saved, and the Lord's destruction will come. The Lord, though, urges His people not to fear the Assyrians. His anger will soon turn from Israel to Assyria's direction. He will use His supernatural power to end Assyria's oppression over Israel. Even if a great Assyrian army marches all the way to the edge of Jerusalem, the Lord will cut them down as a forest.

Isaiah declares woe on those in Israel and Judah who use the law to take advantage of the poor. These people will not escape the Lord's judgment. He next describes the Assyrians as the Lord's staff of judgment against the godless nation that is His people. When He is done punishing His people, the Lord will turn His anger on the Assyrians, nearly destroying them. Eventually, a remnant of Israelites will return to faith in the Lord. Destruction will come, but it will not consume everything. The Lord will triumph over Assyria.

Isaiah 10 follows prophecies about God's judgment on Israel for the nation's sins. It begins pronouncing sorrow for those who oppress the poor and needy. He also declares woe on the Assyrians, whom the Lord is using to judge His people Israel. Soon, the Lord will direct His anger against the Assyrians for the arrogance of their king. He will burn them down as a forest. A remnant of Israel will survive the Assyrian judgment and trust the Lord again. His anger will turn from Israel to Assyria. The Assyrian oppression of Israel will be ended.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).