Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 10:14

And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs [that are] left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

14. The magnificent simile represents the ease with which the Assyrians had rifled the countries of their treasures, and the panic terror which their approach everywhere produced.

or peeped ] R.V. chirped; the same word as in Isa 8:19.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

And my hand hath found, as a nest – By a beautiful and striking figure here, the Assyrian monarch is represented as describing the ease with which he had subdued kingdoms, and rifled them of their treasures. No resistance had been offered. He had taken them with as little opposition as a rustic takes possession of a nest, with its eggs or young, when the parent bird is away.

Eggs that are left – That is, eggs that are left of the parent bird; when the bird from fright, or any other cause, has gone, and when no resistance is offered.

Have I gathered all the earth – That is, I have subdued and plundered it. This shows the height of his self-confidence and his arrogant assumptions.

That moved the wing – Keeping up the figure of the nest. There was none that offered resistance; as an angry bird does when her nest is about to be robbed.

Or opened the mouth – To make a noise in alarm. The dread of him produced perfect silence and submission.

Or peeped – Or that chirped – the noise made by young birds; the note at Isa 8:19. The idea is, that such was the dread of his name and power that there was universal silence. None dared to resist the terror of his arms.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Isa 10:14

And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people

A proud boast of utter subjugation

The Assyrian conqueror has gathered all the earth as one gathers the eggs from which he has first driven off the terrified hen bird.

But she would hover round her rifled nest and its plunderer with a trepidating flight and piercing cry, than which no movements and sounds in the brute creation express more anguish; while these spoiled nations dare not show even such instinctive signs of a broken heart, but know a depth beyond that depth–there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or chirped. (Sir E. Strachey, Bart.)

Easy conquest

I have taken by my might the riches of the people, with as great ease as a countryman takes young birds out of a nest; yea, as one taketh and gathereth eggs which the bird hath forsaken–which is easier than to take birds. (W. Day, M. A.)

Unholy brag

Strange that ever men, who were made to do good, should take a pride and take a pleasure in doing wrong or doing mischief to all about them without control, and should reckon that their glory which is their shame. (M. Henry.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Hath found as a nest; as one findeth young birds in a nest, the nest being put for the birds in it, as Deu 32:11. No less easily do I both find and take them.

Eggs that are left; which the dam hath left in her nest. This is more easy than the former; for the young birds might possibly make some faint resistance, or flutter away; but the eggs could do neither.

All the earth; all the riches of the earth or world. An hyperbole not unusual in the mouths of such persons, upon such occasions.

That moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped; as birds do, which, when they see and cannot hinder the robbing of their nests, express their grief and anger by hovering about them, and by mournful cries.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

14. nestimplying the easewith which he carried off all before him.

leftby the parentbird.

none . . . moved . . .wingimage from an angry bird resisting the robbery of its”nest.”

peepedchirped even low(Isa 8:19). No resistance wasoffered me, of deed, or even word.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people,…. With that ease as a man finds a nest of birds, and takes them:

and as one gathereth eggs [that are] left; by the bird, who not sitting upon them, there is none to protect them; whereas, when they are sat upon by the bird, she will flutter with her wings, and strike with her bill, and preserve them as well as she can:

have I gathered all the earth; the kingdoms and inhabitants of it, there being none to resist, or that dared to do it, as follows:

and there was none that moved the wing; as a bird will do, when its young or eggs are taken away from it:

or opened the mouth, or peeped; chattered, clucked, or expressed any grief, uneasiness, or resentment; the Targum is,

“that opened his mouth, and spoke a word.”

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

14. And my hand hath found as a nest. He adds, that it cost him no trouble to vanquish kings and amass their wealth; and he illustrates this by a comparison. As if one were to seek a nest and find one deserted by the birds, and consequently to take the eggs without difficulty; for if the parent birds were sitting on the eggs, having an instinctive desire to protect their nest, they would either fly at the robber, and attack him with their bill, or by loud and unpleasant noises endeavor to drive him away. But this tyrant boasts that there was no one who ventured so much as to open the mouth against him, and therefore that he had no difficulty in bringing all the kingdoms under his dominion. Accordingly, he lays claim to all these things, and attributes them to his wisdom, and makes no acknowledgment of the providence of God. These boastful pretensions the Prophet has purposely related as coming from the despot’s own mouth, in order to show that they were so many bellows to kindle the judgment of God; for among men this haughtiness could not be endured, and how would not God restrain it?

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(14) My hand hath found as a nest.The inscription of Sargon presents an almost verbal parallelism (Records of the Past, vii. 28). In other documents the king looks on himself as a colossal fowler, and the kingdoms are but as birds-nests for him to spoil, and the nests are left empty.

There was none that . . . peepedi.e., chirped. See Note on Isa. 8:19. Not a fledgling was left in the nests which the royal fowler had despoiled.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

14. The same self-glorifying goes on.

My hand hath found Has only to reach out and seize.

As a nest As easy as an undefended bird’s nest.

Riches of The wealth of the peoples whom I attack, so powerless are they to resist.

Eggs that are left Abandoned by the parent bird.

That moved the wing “None fluttered the wing, or opened the beak, or peeped.” The figure is carried here to eggs hatched, and young birds, which also had abandoned the nest. The word chirped or peeped is the same as in Isa 8:19, where it means the low cry of false soothsayers, here it is the cry of young birds whom the spoiler’s hand snatches away. In Isa 38:14, the same word means (Authorized Version) the cry or chatter of a swallow or a crane. The boaster means, that such everywhere is the dread of his name there is universal silence. None dare to resist his terrible assaults.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isa 10:14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs [that are] left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

Ver. 14. And my hand had found. ] See Isa 10:10 .

As a nest. ] Or, As in a nest, where a man need but only put in his hand and take out the birds or eggs, and hath none to withstand him. Thrasonica Allegoria.

The riches of the people. ] Whereon they sat abrood, as it were, but I have unnested and despoiled them. They meanwhile, as silly doves, saved themselves by flight, not fight; or else, sitting in their dove cots, saw their nests destroyed, young ones taken away and killed before their eyes, never offering to rescue or revenge.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

found as a nest. Supply the Ellipsis thus: “found [means to reach] as a nest”. peeped. See note on Isa 8:19.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

And my: Isa 5:8, Job 31:25, Pro 18:12, Pro 21:6, Pro 21:7, Hos 12:7, Hos 12:8, Nah 2:9-13, Nah 3:1, Hab 2:5-11

peeped: That is, chirped, from the Latin pipio. We still use the term pipe to express the note of the bullfinch.

Reciprocal: 2Sa 17:12 – we will light 1Ki 20:3 – General 1Ki 20:10 – if the dust 2Ki 3:23 – now therefore 2Ki 18:23 – I will deliver 2Ki 19:23 – With the multitude 2Ch 32:13 – I and my Psa 9:6 – thou hast Psa 37:7 – the man Psa 44:10 – spoil Psa 124:6 – who hath not Pro 1:13 – General Pro 28:11 – rich Isa 10:6 – will I give Isa 10:10 – the kingdoms Isa 15:7 – the abundance Isa 31:5 – birds Isa 33:3 – General Isa 33:8 – he regardeth Isa 36:8 – and I Isa 37:24 – By the Eze 29:3 – My river Dan 8:4 – but Oba 1:3 – pride Oba 1:6 – are the

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge