O My people, that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian
Forbidden fear
It is against the mind and will of God that His people, whatever happens, should give way to that fear which has torment and amazement.
They that dwell in Zion, where God dwells, and where His people attend Him, and are employed in His service, that are under the protection of the bulwarks that are round about Zion, need not be afraid of any enemy. Let their souls dwell at ease in God.
1. The Assyrian shall do nothing against them but what God hath appointed and determined. “He shall smite thee” by the Divine permission, but it shall be only with a rod to correct thee, not with a sword to wound and kill. Nay, “he shall but lift up his staff against thee,” threaten thee and frighten thee, and shake the rod at thee, “after the manner of Egypt,” as the Egyptians shook their staff against your fathers at the Red Sea, when they said, “We will pursue, we will overtake,” but could not reach to do them any hurt. We should not be frightened at those enemies that can do no more than frighten us.
2. The storm will soon blow over (Isaiah 10:25). God’s anger against His people is but for a moment; and when that ceaseth, and is turned away from us, we need not fear the fury of any man, for it is impotent passion.
3. The enemy that threatens them shall himself be reckoned with. The rod with which He corrected His people shall not only be laid aside, but thrown into the fire. The prophet, for the encouragement of God’s people, quotes precedents; and puts them in mind of what God had done formerly against the enemies of His Church that were very strong and formidable, but were brought to ruin. It is good to observe a resemblance between God’s latter and former appearances for His people, and against His and their enemies.
4. They shall be wholly delivered from the power of the Assyrian, and from the fear of it (Isaiah 10:27). (M. Henry.)