Isaiah 10:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child can write them down.

NIV: And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few that a child could write them down.

NASB: And the rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number That a child could write them down.

CSB: The remaining trees of its forest will be so few in number that a child could count them.

NLT: Of all that glorious forest, only a few trees will survive — so few that a child could count them!

KJV: And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

NKJV: Then the rest of the trees of his forest Will be so few in number That a child may write them.

Isaiah has described the unstoppable, feared, and hated Assyrian Empire as a mighty forest (Isaiah 10:17–18). The Lord, though, is a flame that will burn down that forest. He will bring the arrogant kings of Assyria to their knees. Once this empire ceases to serve the Lord's purpose, it will be like a once powerful warrior who gets a disease and wastes away: only a shadow of its former self (Isaiah 10:16).

Now the prophet concludes the forest metaphor by describing the version of Assyria that will remain. When the Lord is done with them only a few "scattered trees" will remain. So few that a child could count them. The great forest will be gone, burned to a pittance to punish the arrogance of its kings.

Although the Lord often uses armies to wipe out armies, He does not need to use them. In 701 BC, the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers who were surrounding Jerusalem, ending their siege of the city (2 Kings 19:35). In 609 BC, the Lord used the rising Babylonian Empire to defeat the Assyrians, reducing the once-great empire to nearly nothing.

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 5/7/2024 12:34:55 AM