I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
I will send him. "Kings' hearts are in the hand of the Lord" (Proverbs 21:1).
Against an hypocritical - polluted (Horsley). But see Isaiah 9:17, chaneeph, 'hypocrite,' which supports the English version here.
Nation - Judah, against whom Sennacherib was forming designs.
And against the people of my wrath - the objects of my wrath.
Will I give him a charge - (Jeremiah 34:22.)
And to tread them down like the mire. Horsley translates, 'and then to make him (the Assyrian) a trampling under foot like the mire of the streets' (so Isaiah 10:12; Isaiah 33:1; Zechariah 10:5). But see Isaiah 37:26, in favour of the English version.