Isaiah 10:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land the LORD will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.

NIV: The splendor of his forests and fertile fields it will completely destroy, as when a sick person wastes away.

NASB: And He will destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body, And it will be as when a sick person wastes away.

CSB: He will completely destroy the glory of its forests and orchards as a sickness consumes a person.

NLT: The Lord will consume Assyria’s glory like a fire consumes a forest in a fruitful land; it will waste away like sick people in a plague.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, Both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away.

The prophet Isaiah continues to metaphorically describe the Lord's destruction of the Assyrian Empire (Isaiah 10:15–17). Once God is done using Assyria to judge His own people, His wrath will be turned on them. Isaiah describes Assyria as a mighty forest. He wrote in the previous verse (Isaiah 10:17) that the Holy One will become a flame that burns through the thorns and briers of the forest underbrush.

Now that fire consumes the forest itself. The destruction burning the glory of the arrogant king, and the land that made him so great and wealthy. The Lord will destroy the king's empire, both body and soul. His empire will be like a mighty man who gets a terrible disease and is diminished to an emaciated remnant of its former self. As the following verse shows (Isaiah 10:19), very little of the Assyrian Empire will remain once the Lord is done burning it down to size.

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 5/1/2024 10:09:54 PM