
Text -- Isaiah 10:18 (NET)




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collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
Wesley: Isa 10:18 - -- Of his great army, which may not unfitly be compared to a forest, for the numbers of men, who stood as thick as trees do in a forest.
Of his great army, which may not unfitly be compared to a forest, for the numbers of men, who stood as thick as trees do in a forest.

Of his soldiers, who stood as thick as ears of corn in a fruitful field.

Wesley: Isa 10:18 - -- Like that of an army when their standard - bearer is slain or flees away, which strikes a panic into the whole army.
Like that of an army when their standard - bearer is slain or flees away, which strikes a panic into the whole army.
JFB: Isa 10:17-18 - -- Carrying out the image in the end of Isa 10:16. Jehovah, who is a light to Israel, shall be the "fire" (Deu 4:24; Heb 12:29) that shall ignite the "th...

JFB: Isa 10:18 - -- The common soldiers, the princes, officers, &c., all alike together, shall be consumed (see on Isa 9:18).
The common soldiers, the princes, officers, &c., all alike together, shall be consumed (see on Isa 9:18).

JFB: Isa 10:18 - -- Literally, "Carmel," a rich mountain in the tribe of Asher. Figurative for Sennacherib's mighty army. Perhaps alluding to his own boasting words about...
Literally, "Carmel," a rich mountain in the tribe of Asher. Figurative for Sennacherib's mighty army. Perhaps alluding to his own boasting words about to be uttered (Isa 37:24), "I will enter the forest of his Carmel."

Proverbial for utterly; the entire man is made up of soul and body.

JFB: Isa 10:18 - -- Rather, "they shall be as when a sick man" (from a Syriac root) wastes away." Compare "leanness," that is, wasting destruction (Isa 10:16) [MAURER]. O...
Rather, "they shall be as when a sick man" (from a Syriac root) wastes away." Compare "leanness," that is, wasting destruction (Isa 10:16) [MAURER]. Or, "there shall be an entire dissipation, like a perfect melting" (namely, of the Assyrian army) [HORSLEY].
Calvin -> Isa 10:18
Calvin: Isa 10:18 - -- 18.And shall consume the glory of his forest He goes on with the same comparison of a burning, and declares that the fire will consume both the high...
18.And shall consume the glory of his forest He goes on with the same comparison of a burning, and declares that the fire will consume both the highest and the lowest, and will leave nothing uninjured. It is possible that a fire might destroy the higher parts of a building, and might leave the lower parts unaffected.
And of his fruitful field I do not think that
From the soul even to the flesh This comparison is taken from man. As man consists of a body and a soul, so each part of him is liable to separate diseases. It frequently happens that, when the soul is healthy, the body is diseased; and often the reverse takes place; but when both are unhealthy at the same time, the case is most dangerous. By this comparison, therefore, he threatens that the Assyrians will have nothing safe or sound, but that they will be devoted to utter destruction, because they will perish from the flesh even to the soul; not that souls are mortal, but because the vengeance of God will fall upon them also. This is truly dreadful; for the design of chastisements is,
that the spirit may be saved, though the flesh be destroyed,
(1Co 5:5;)
but when the spirit also is involved in the destruction, what can be said or imagined that is more miserable? The flame only scorches the godly, but does not consume them as it consumes the ungodly, in whom it finds nothing but fuel fit for burning.
And it shall be as the fainting of a standard-bearer There is an allusion in the words of the Prophet, which cannot be conveyed in another language. The meaning is the same as in the other comparisons, that there will be utter destruction, like the complete rout of an army when the standard has been taken. When the ensigns have been taken, it is commonly followed by a great slaughter; and when historians describe a fearful carnage, they tell us that the ensigns were taken. He does not threaten these things against the Assyrians on their own account, that they may receive advantage from the warning or may be led to repentance, but to yield consolation to the godly, that they may not think that the Assyrians will pass unpunished when they raged so fiercely against the people of God, or entertain fears either that the Lord has forgotten his promise, or that he cannot frustrate their designs. If the Prophet had not put them on their guard, many scruples of this kind might have arisen in their minds.
TSK -> Isa 10:18
TSK: Isa 10:18 - -- consume : Isa 10:33, Isa 10:34, Isa 9:18; 2Ki 19:23, 2Ki 19:28; Jer 21:14; Eze 20:47, Eze 20:48
both soul and body : Heb. from the soul and even to th...

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> Isa 10:18
Barnes: Isa 10:18 - -- The glory of his forest - In these expressions, the army of Sennacherib is compared with a beautiful grove thick set with trees; and as all the...
The glory of his forest - In these expressions, the army of Sennacherib is compared with a beautiful grove thick set with trees; and as all the beauty of a grove which the fire overruns is destroyed, so, says the prophet, it will be with the army of the Assyrian under the judgments of God. If the ‘ briers and thorns’ Isa 10:17 refer to the common soldiers of his army, then the glory of the forest - the tall, majestic trees - refer to the princes and nobles. But this mode of interpretation should not be pressed too far.
And of his fruitful field -
Both soul and body - Hebrew, ‘ From the soul to the flesh;’ that is, entirely. As the soul and the flesh, or body, compose the entire man, so the phrase denotes the entireness or totality of anything. The army would be totally ruined.
And they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth - There is here a great variety of interpretation. The Septuagint reads it: ‘ And he shall flee as one that flees from a burning flame.’ This reading Lowth has followed; but for this there is not the slightest authority in the Hebrew. The Vulgate reads it, ‘ And he shall fly for terror, "et crit terrore profugus."The Chaldee, ‘ And he shall be broken, and shall fly.’ The Syriac, ‘ And he shall be as if he had never been.’ Probably the correct idea is, "and they shall be as when a sick man wastes away."The words which are used (
Hence, it is applied to the heart, exhausted of its vigor and spirit, Job 7:5; to things decayed that have lost their strength, 1Sa 15:9; to a loan or tax laid upon a people that wastes and exhausts their wealth. It has the general notion, therefore, of melting, fainting, sinking away with the loss of strength; Psa 22:14; Psa 112:10; Psa 97:5; Isa 19:1; Isa 13:7; Jos 2:11; Jos 5:1; Jos 7:5. The word rendered "standard-bearer"(
Poole -> Isa 10:18
Poole: Isa 10:18 - -- Of his forrest of his great army, which may not unfitly be compared to a forest, either for the multitude of their spears, which, when lifted up toge...
Of his forrest of his great army, which may not unfitly be compared to a forest, either for the multitude of their spears, which, when lifted up together, resemble the trees of a wood or forest; or for the numbers of men, which stood as thick as trees do in a forest. Of his fruitful field ; of his soldiers, which stood as thick as ears of corn do in a fruitful field. Heb. of his Carmel ; wherein it is not improbably conjectured by our late most learned Mr. Gataker, that there is an allusion to that brag of the Assyrian, who threatens that he would go up to the sides of (Israel’ s) Lebanon , and to the forest of his Carmel , and there cut down the tall cedars thereof : which though it was not uttered by the Assyrian till some years after this time, yet was exactly foreknown to God, who understandeth men’ s thoughts , and much more their words, afar off , Psa 139:2-4 , and therefore might direct the prophet to use the same words, and to turn them against himself; Whereas thou threatenest to destroy Israel’ s Carmel, I will destroy thy Carmel
Both soul and body i.e. totally, both inwardly and outwardly, both strength and life. Heb. from the soul to the flesh ; which may possibly signify the manner of their death, which should be by a sudden stroke of the destroying angel upon their inward and vital parts, which was speedily followed by the consumption of their flesh. See Isa 37:35,36 .
They shall be the state of that king, and of his great and valiant army, shall be,
as when a standard-bearer fainteth like that of an army when their standard-bearer either is slain, or rather flees away, which strikes a panic terror into the whole army, and puts them to flight.
Haydock -> Isa 10:18
Haydock: Isa 10:18 - -- Glory. Officers. ---
Flesh. Or body. All shall perish. (Haydock) ---
Fear. Sennacherib escaped alone, and fell by the sword of his own sons.
Glory. Officers. ---
Flesh. Or body. All shall perish. (Haydock) ---
Fear. Sennacherib escaped alone, and fell by the sword of his own sons.
Gill -> Isa 10:18
Gill: Isa 10:18 - -- And shall consume the glory of his forest,.... The Assyrian army is compared to a "forest", for the number of men in it; and for the mighty men in it,...
And shall consume the glory of his forest,.... The Assyrian army is compared to a "forest", for the number of men in it; and for the mighty men in it, comparable to large and tall trees, such as oaks and cedars; and like a wood or forest a numerous army looks, when in rank and file, in proper order, and with banners, and having on their armour, their shields, spears, bows and arrows; and the "glory" of it intends either the princes and nobles that were in it, the principal officers, generals, and captains; or the riches of it, the plunder of the Egyptians and Ethiopians, as Kimchi observes, which were all destroyed at once:
both soul and body, or "from the soul even to the flesh" o; which denotes the total consumption of them, nothing of them remaining; the Targum is,
"the glory of the multitude of his army, and their souls with their bodies, it shall consume;''
and so some understand this of the eternal destruction of soul and body in hell: the Rabbins are divided about the manner of the consumption of the Assyrian army; some say their bodies and souls were both burnt, which these words seem to favour; and others, that their souls were burnt, and not their bodies, their lives were taken away, and their bodies unhurt; which they think is favoured by Isa 10:16 where it is said, "under his glory", and not "his glory" p:
and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth; who when he fails, the whole company or army is thrown into confusion, and flees; and so the Targum,
"and he shall be broken, and flee.''
Some render it, "as the dust of the worm that eats wood" q; so Jarchi; signifying that they should be utterly destroyed, and become as small as the dust that falls from a worm eaten tree; which simile is used, a forest being made mention of before.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes: Isa 10:18 The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. מָסַס (masas), which is used elsewhere of substances dissolving or meltin...
Geneva Bible -> Isa 10:18
Geneva Bible: Isa 10:18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul ( n ) and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer ( o ) faint...

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Isa 10:1-34
TSK Synopsis: Isa 10:1-34 - --1 The woe of tyrants.5 Assyria, the rod of hypocrites, for his pride shall be broken.20 A remnant of Israel shall be saved.24 Judah is comforted with ...
MHCC -> Isa 10:5-19
MHCC: Isa 10:5-19 - --See what a change sin made. The king of Assyria, in his pride, thought to act by his own will. The tyrants of the world are tools of Providence. God d...
Matthew Henry -> Isa 10:5-19
Matthew Henry: Isa 10:5-19 - -- The destruction of the kingdom of Israel by Shalmaneser king of Assyria was foretold in the foregoing chapter, and it had its accomplishment in the ...
Keil-Delitzsch -> Isa 10:18-19
Keil-Delitzsch: Isa 10:18-19 - --
"And the glory of his forest and his garden-ground will He destroy, even to soul and flesh, so that it is as when a sick man dieth. And the remnant...
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