The Lord sent a word into Jacob— We have here the third section of the fifth discourse, which reaches to the fifth verse of the next chapter; it is divided into four parts, and exhibits so many divine judgments concerning the state of the people of Ephraim, to be solemnly denounced upon them by the prophet. The first, from the present to the 12th verse. The second, from the 12th to the 17th. The third, from the 17th to the 21st. The fourth, from chap. Isaiah 10:1 st to the 4th verse. The parts are almost all two-fold; wherein first the fault is laid down, and secondly the punishment, except that a third member is added in defence of the divine judgment: In the verses before us, we have first the fault, Isaiah 9:8-10 namely, the pride and contempt with which the Ephraimites had received the threatenings of the true prophets of God, who had denounced to them the unhappy consequence of their undertakings. Elevated with vain hope, the Ephraimites had declared that they would never desist from their purpose of invading Judaea for any denunciations of the prophets; on the contrary, they had boasted proudly, that strengthened as they were by their present alliance with the king of Assyria, though they had heretofore suffered great loss, they had no doubt of repairing their fortune: Though the bricks were fallen down, they would build with hewn stones, &c. The expression is metaphorically elegant, and denotes the restoration of a fallen state for the better; and the change of a mean and low to a more honourable and excellent situation. For their pride and arrogance, the God who laugheth vain men to scorn, denounces their punishment in the two following verses, and, according to his usual justice, assures them that the union with Rezin, wherein they boasted, should itself prove their destruction. This prophesy was fulfilled by Tiglath-pileser: 2 Kings 16:17. A further threatening is subjoined at the end of the verse. See chap. Isaiah 5:25.
Related Commentaries of Isaiah 9:8
Isaiah 9:8-12
8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.
9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,
10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.
11 Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and joinb his enemies together;
12 The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.