Isaiah 25:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain, and Moab shall be trampled down in his place, as straw is trampled down in a dunghill.

NIV: The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain; but Moab will be trampled in their land as straw is trampled down in the manure.

NASB: For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain, And Moab will be trampled down in his place As straw is trampled down in the water of a manure pile.

CSB: For the Lord’s power will rest on this mountain. But Moab will be trampled in his place as straw is trampled in a dung pile.

NLT: For the Lord’s hand of blessing will rest on Jerusalem. But Moab will be crushed. It will be like straw trampled down and left to rot.

KJV: For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.

NKJV: For on this mountain the hand of the Lord will rest, And Moab shall be trampled down under Him, As straw is trampled down for the refuse heap.

This statement seems like a drastic change of mood. Isaiah has shown the grace of God in removing the shroud of death forever from His people. The Lord has wiped away their tears and removed the reproach of sin. It's the moment that every human heart longs for at the deepest levels (Isaiah 25:7–8). The people gathered respond with joy. They sing about their years of waiting. They believed God, so they waited for His salvation. Now that waiting is at an end. The Lord's salvation has come (Isaiah 25:9).

In contrast, those opposed to God would not wait on Him to keep His promises. Many mocked the Jewish people for continuing to believe in what they could not see. The same often happens to Christians today. Israel's neighbor, Moab, stands as a representative of those who would not trust in the Lord and would not wait for Him to save. Moab was a frequent enemy of Israel (Joshua 24:9; Judges 3:12; 2 Kings 1:1).

Isaiah provides a vivid, somewhat disgusting image. The Lord rests one hand on Mount Zion and smears Moab into the ground with His foot, like someone stomping straw into a manure pile. There is no question about the final and undignified fate being described. Isaiah does not hold back. Those who trust in the Lord and wait on Him will be saved. Those who refuse to trust in the Lord will experience His judgment. There is no third category of humanity (John 3:16–18, 36).

Chapter 25:6–12 describes a celebratory feast, hosted by God Himself, at the inauguration of His kingdom. The Lord will completely remove death and the shame of sin from His people. He also describes how the Lord takes away death forever for those who are His. The salvation which Israel long expected will come at last. In contrast, those who still refuse God's authority are crushed and humiliated. Moab, symbolic of all the nations who hated Israel, is depicted writhing in a cesspit under God's heel.

Isaiah's description of the Lord's judgment on the earth is followed by celebration. This comes at the beginning of the Lord's reign over all the earth. The prophet declares his own praise for God's wonderful works and righteous plans. The Lord protects the needy from the ruthless. At the inaugural banquet, the Lord swallows up death forever and wipes away every tear. All the people declare that they were right to wait on their Lord to save them. The Lord judges unbelieving Moab by trampling them into their place.

In the previous chapter, the Lord of hosts is said to reign on Mount Zion following His judgment of the entire earth. Here, Isaiah declares His praise for the Lord who protects the poor and needy. At an inaugural banquet for His kingdom, the Lord swallows up death forever. He also takes away the shame of His people's sin while wiping away their tears. The people rejoice and are glad for waiting on the Lord's salvation. The Lord destroys Moab—symbolic of nations who reject God—in judgment for not trusting in Him.

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).