Text -- Isaiah 31:7-9 (NET)

31:7 For at that time everyone will get rid of the silver and gold idols your hands sinfully made. 31:8 Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made; a sword not made by humankind will destroy them. They will run away from this sword and their young men will be forced to do hard labor. 31:9 They will surrender their stronghold because of fear; their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.” This is what the Lord says– the one whose fire is in Zion, whose firepot is in Jerusalem.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Isa 31:7

¹ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

² tn Heb “reject” (so NIV); NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT “throw away.”

³ tn Heb “the idols of their idols of silver and their idols of gold which your hands made for yourselves [in] sin.” חָטָא (khata’, “sin”) is understood as an adverbial accusative of manner. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:573, n. 4.

NET Notes: Isa 31:8

¹ tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”

² tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”

³ tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”

NET Notes: Isa 31:9

¹ tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.

² tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”

³ tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”

⁴ sn The “fire” and “firepot” here symbolize divine judgment, which is heating up like a fire in Jerusalem, waiting to be used against the Assyrians when they attack the city.