Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.
Thy tacklings are loosed. Continuing the allegory in Isaiah 33:21, he compares the enemies' host to a war-galley, which is deprived of the tacklings or cords by which the mast is sustained and the sail is spread; and which therefore is sure to be wrecked on "the broad river" (Isaiah 33:21), and become the prey of Israel.
They - the tacklings.
Could not well strengthen their mast - or, 'they hold not firm the base of the mast.' The Hebrew for "well" (Keen) or 'rightly' is thus taken as a noun, 'the basis' or receptacle of the mast below. Then - when the Assyrian host shall have been discomfited.
Is the prey of a great spoil divided. Hezekiah had given Sennacherib 300 talents of silver and 30 of gold (2 Kings 18:14-16), and had stripped the temple of its gold to give it to him: this treasure was probably part of the prey found in the foe's camp. After the invasion, Hezekiah had so much wealth that he made an improper display of it (2 Kings 20:13-15); this wealth, probably, was in part gotten from the Assyrian.
The lame take the prey - even the most feeble shall spoil the Assyrian camp (cf. Isaiah 35:6; 2 Samuel 5:6).