Isaiah 10:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame, and it will burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day.

NIV: The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers.

NASB: And the Light of Israel will become a fire and Israel’s Holy One a flame, And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day.

CSB: Israel's Light will become a fire, and its Holy One, a flame. In one day it will burn and consume Assyria's thorns and thistles.

NLT: The Lord, the Light of Israel, will be a fire; the Holy One will be a flame. He will devour the thorns and briers with fire, burning up the enemy in a single night.

KJV: 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;

NKJV: So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day.

The kings of Assyria may have thought of themselves as spreading "the light" of the Assyrian Empire around the world (Isaiah 10:13–14). However, the Lord has declared that He will punish the arrogant speech of the Assyrian king. Once the Lord has finished using Assyria to judge His people, He will end the boastful look in the king's eyes (Isaiah 10:16).

The Lord now refers to Himself as the light of Israel, which will become a fire. There will be no more need for the destructive tool of Assyria. The Lord will burn and devour the Assyrian king's "thorns and briers" in a single day.

Isaiah is using the same word picture he painted at the end of the previous chapter (Isaiah 9). In that chapter he described Israel's wickedness as fire burning through the briers and thorns, and then leaping up to consume the forest (Isaiah 9:18–19). In that case, the Lord's wrath against His people took the form of the Assyrian armies. Now it is those armies who will be consumed.

Isaiah 10:5–19 describes Assyria as a weapon of the Lord's anger directed at His own people. The king of Assyria imagines himself to be the source of his own strength. He also images that he will keep conquering one nation after another. However, when the Lord has finished using Assyria, He will turn and judge the king for his arrogance. Does the axe boast over the one who uses it? Or does the staff lift the one who holds it? The Lord will consume Assyria as fire consumes 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).

Accessed 4/27/2024 6:48:46 AM