Woe to the multitude— We have here the third member of this prophetic discourse, and the first part of the section, concerning the unexpected overthrow of the Assyrians. After the prophet had exhibited the divine judgment upon the Syrians and Ephraimites, he immediately beholds the Assyrians themselves, after they had destroyed both these states; that is to say, eight years afterwards, advancing against the Jews, that they might oppress and subject to them their state also: but at the same time he sees their grievous and sudden fall; that is, the fall of Sennacherib; for almost all ancient and modern interpreters are agreed, that this prophesy refers to him. It contains an antecedent and consequent, with a conclusion. The antecedent is the vehement motion of the Assyrian army towards Judaea, elegantly compared to a mighty sea stirred up by the winds, whose waves dashed against each other with great roaring; Isaiah 17:12 to the middle of the 13th. The consequence is, the extraordinary, sudden, and grievous punishment with which this proud king was to be depressed and overthrown; middle of Isaiah 17:13 to middle of Isaiah 17:14. To which is subjoined a conclusion concerning the enemies of the church. Bishop Lowth observes, respecting the simile in the 12th verse, that though it is taken from a common appearance, it is wrought up with such an elegant boldness and inexpressible propriety, that we are at a loss whether we should admire most the judgment or sublimity of the sacred writer. See chap. Isaiah 8:7. 2 Chronicles 32:7. Psalms 65:8. The words describing the consequence of this judgment, may be rendered, And God rebukes him [Sennacherib, who is here immediately pointed out, one hundred and eighty-five thousand of his army being smitten with death] and he shall fly far away. The prophet's idea is here taken from God's rebuke of the sea when the Israelites passed through out of Egypt. Instead of a rolling thing before the wind, we may render, as the straw or chaff turned round in a whirlwind: like the chaff of the hills before the wind, says Bishop Lowth. This comparison is frequently made use of to illustrate the ease with which Jehovah overcomes his enemies, and will receive great light from a recollection of what we have heretofore said concerning the threshing-floors of the Jews. See Proverbs 28:1. The fourteenth verse more fully sets forth the destruction of the Assyrian; At evening-tide, and behold, trouble; before the morning he is not. Every one must discern that the prophet here alludes to the time and circumstances of the judgment which was inflicted upon the Assyrians by night, and indeed in one night. At evening-tide the Jews were certainly in great terror, perplexity, horror, and perturbation, when besieged by the Assyrians; in the morning behold they were all dead corpses! a striking emblem of the fashion of this world, and of the affliction of good men, and the church, which soon passeth away. For the consolation of these the prophet subjoins an instruction: This is the portion, &c. This holds good in all ages of the church; none can endeavour to remove this stone from its place, but they will find hurt to themselves: Zechariah 12:3. In this one example we see the fall of all the empires and kingdoms of the world which oppose the kingdom of Christ, and the event of all the attempts of Satan tending to its destruction; in the evening confusion; in the morning serenity arising by divine grace on the church. See Vitringa.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, The cup of trembling goes round; Syria and Israel must drink of it. They were closely allied; but the strongest confederacies in sin will fail. The burden begins with Syria; Damascus, the capital, is doomed to fall, and lie for a while in ruins; her fertile villages desolate; the deserted houses become shepherds' huts; and in the streets, once thronged with crowds of citizens, the sheep shall graze unmolested. The few who remain poor and despicable, shall be as the glory of Israel, an ironical expression, since Israel's glory too was alike departed. The fortress of Ephraim, Samaria, shall be demolished, the government dissolved; so that it should no more recover: and all the fatness of Israel, her riches and multitudes, once her glory, like a man wasted with a consumption, shall pine away, destroyed by famine or the sword; ripe for ruin as the corn in harvest, and cut down by the armies of the Assyrians, as the reaper gathers the sheaf, and with as much care as the husbandman in the vale of Rephaim, where the corn was peculiarly excellent, collected every ear. Note; (2.) If pining consumption seize the body natural or politic, we may quickly trace the origin of the disease to sin, the cause of every human misery. (2.) The strongest fortress has no defence, when God stretches out his arm to destroy. (3.) When the sinner is ripe for destruction, death, as the harvest-man, will put in the sickle, and none can deliver out of his hands.
2nd, One gleam of mercy beams through the darkness, to comfort the hearts of God's faithful people amid these desolating judgments. They shall be preserved from the destruction; and hid in the day of the Lord's fierce anger, by escaping to Judah, or being overlooked by the Assyrians.
1. They are but few, very few, like the gleaning grapes when the vintage is over, or two or three olives left on the topmost bough, which were not shaken down. Note; Such as are careful in the evil day to keep close to God, he will keep from the hour of temptation.
2. They are drawn nearer to God by their danger. At that day of Israel's calamity shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the holy One of Israel. In prayer the faithful will spread their case before God their Saviour, and cast their care on him, renouncing every vain confidence, such as the idol altars and images of their apostate countrymen, which themselves might have formerly worshipped, but now abhorred and rejected; they cleave to the Lord alone, as able to save them in the day of evil. Note; (1.) They are blessed afflictions which bring us nearer to God. (2.) As naturally as a child runs to its parent for protection, so does the child of God in the day of distress in prayer betake himself to the arms of Jesus his Saviour. (3.) Nothing serves more to detach the soul from earth and creature-comforts and confidences, than those strokes of Providence which convince us of their vanity.
3rdly, The prophet, having said to the righteous, It shall be well with them, returns to cry Woe to the wicked, for it shall be ill with them.
1. The cause of all their misery is their departure from God. They had forgotten his wonders of mercy and grace, neglected his worship, disregarded his commands, and, forsaking the rock of their strength, were justly forsaken by him. Note; (1.) Negligence about the things of God, and their souls, is the great sin and ruin of mankind. (2.) They who forsake the God of their strength renounce their own mercies.
2. The consequence of their apostacy is their destruction. As desolate as the cities of Canaan were made when first Israel seized them, so desolate should their own cities become through the sword of the Assyrians, as a withered branch stripped of its leaves, and a topmost bough blasted and dead. Their country, cultivated with such assiduity, full of pleasant fruits, its native produce, and improved by foreign trees and plants, promised a great increase: but, ere the day of harvest comes, all is blasted, a heap in the day of grief or possession; when they expected to reap, the enemy should collect their fruits into a heap, destroying what he did not use, and leaving them nothing but desperate sorrow; not only their land wasted, but themselves carried captive, without any hope of ever returning to it again. Note; (1.) If the wicked Canaanites were cast out of their cities, let not the wicked Israelites think to escape. (2.) When worldly hopes and cares engross our hearts, God justly blasts our prospects, and punishes our creature-idolatry.
4thly, We have a prophesy concerning the destruction of Sennacherib and his army.
1. Their multitude and impetuosity are described, like raging seas rolling their furious billows to the shore, and foaming out, in Rabshakeh's blasphemy, their own shame.
2. Their woe is denounced. God will take the cause into his own hand, and rebuke the wrath of these fierce enemies. They shall rush upon their ruin; his angel, like chaff, shall beat them small; and, as the down of thistles before the whirlwind, so easily shall they be dispersed, and the few that remain from the sword of the destroyer flee far away. Note; The mightiest foes of the church and people of God, before the Almighty, are less than nothing and vanity.
3. A quick period is put to the distress of God's people. Though troubled in the evening, when they beheld the approaching hosts of Assyria, one night removed their fears, and the next morning shewed them the dead corpses of their enemies. Note; Though the faithful may be now and then dismayed, their heaviness endureth but for a night, and joy cometh in the morning.
4. Such shall be the case of all the enemies of God's church, and his servants must remember it for their comfort; for this is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us. Note; The past experience of God's people should be treasured up as a ground of present confidence in the like temptations.