Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus [in] a couch.
Ver. 12. As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion] By a country comparison (as before often) the prophet sets forth the fewness of such as shall escape the enemy's hands. It is but a little that a shepherd dare pull out of the jaws of a lion. 1 Samuel 17:35. Few Davids or Lysimachuses, that dare look such fierce creatures in the face. Something a shepherd in this case may adventure to do, that he may not be made to stand to the loss, Exo 22:13 Genesis 31:39. But it is not much; neither are they many that shall make escape, and those few shall be of the poorer sort too, that have scarcely a corner of a bed to lie on (quibus non est lectus integer, Tarnov.): or such as are sick in bed and not cared for by the enemy, not counted worth the killing. Or such as are in good health, but glad to hide themselves for fear of the enemy under any bed or bench hole, as is usual in the sack of a city.
And in Damascus in a couch] Or in the corner of a couch. Now Samaria and Damascus are joined together, because they were both desolated about the same time, by the same enemy, and for the same cause, viz. their invading Judaea in a hostile manner, 2 Kings 16:7; 2Ki 16:9 Isaiah 7:4; Isaiah 8:4; Isaiah 17:3 .