Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 28:2
Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, [which] as a tempest of hail [and] a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
2. The reason for the woe of Isa 28:1. Render: Behold Jehovah hath a mighty and strong one, like a tempest of hail, a destroying storm; like a flow of mighty overflowing waters, which casts down to the earth with violence.
a mighty and strong one ] i.e. the Assyrian, Jehovah’s instrument (ch. Isa 10:5).
a destroying storm ] Delitzsch renders, less suitably perhaps, “a pestilential wind.” The word occurs again only in Deu 32:24; Psa 91:6; but a closely related one in Hos 13:14 (A.V. “destruction”). The image of the storm, here presented in three forms, recurs in Isa 28:15 ; Isa 28:18 f.
shall cast ] Better, casts (perf. of experience, Davidson, Synt. 40, e) The subj. is the storm of waters.
with the hand ] i.e. with force.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one – The Hebrew of this passage is, Lo! there is to the Lord ( la’donay) mighty and strong. Lowth renders it,
Behold the mighty one, the exceedingly strong one,
And supposes that it means the Lord himself. It is evident, however, that something must be understood as being that which the Lord hath, for the Hebrew properly implies that there is something strong and mighty which is under his control, and with which, as with a tempest, he will sweep away and destroy Ephraim. Jarchi supposes that ruach (wind) is understood; Kimchi thinks that the word is yom (day); others believe that chayil (an army) is understood. But I think the obvious interpretation is to refer it to the Assyrian king, as the agent by which Yahweh would destroy Samaria 2Ki 17:3-6. This power was entirely under the direction of Yahweh, and would be employed by him in accomplishing his purpose on that guilty people (compare the notes at Isa 10:5-6).
As a tempest of hail – A storm of hail is a most striking representation of the desolation that is produced by the ravages of an invading army (compare Job 27:21; the note at Isa 30:30; also Hos 13:15).
A flood of mighty waters – This is also a striking description of the devastating effects of an invading army (compare Psa 90:5; Jer 46:7-8)
Shall cast down to the earth – To cast it to the earth means that it should be entirely humbled and destroyed (see the note at Isa 25:12).
With the hand – Septuagint: bia – Force, violence. This is its meaning here; as if it were taken in the hand, like a cup, and dashed indignantly to the ground.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. Behold the Lord hath a mighty and strong one – “Behold the mighty one, the exceedingly strong one”] ammits ladonai, fortis Domino, i.e., fortissimmus, a Hebraism. For ladonai, to the Lord, thirty-eight MSS. Of Dr. Kennicott’s and many of De Rossi’s, with some of my own, and two editions, read laihovah, to JEHOVAH.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Lord hath, to wit, at his command, prepared and ready to execute his judgments,
a mighty and strong one; the king of Assyria.
Shall cast down; understand it, the crown of pride; or them, the drunkards of Ephraim.
With the hand; or, by his hand; either by that kings force or strong hand; or by the hand of God, which shall strengthen and succeed him in this work.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. strong onethe Assyrian(Isa 10:5).
cast downnamely,Ephraim (Isa 28:1) and Samaria,its crown.
with . . . handwithviolence (Isa 8:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one,…. That is, a powerful king, with a mighty army, meaning Shalmaneser king of Assyria; whom the Lord had at his beck and command, and could use at his pleasure, as his instrument, to bring down the towering pride of Ephraim, and chastise him for his sensuality:
[which] as a tempest of hail; that beats down herbs and plants, and branches of trees, and men and beasts:
[and] a destroying storm; which carries all before it, blows down houses and trees, and makes terrible devastation wherever it comes:
as a flood of mighty waters overflowing; whose torrent is so strong there is no stopping it: so this mighty and powerful prince
shall cast down to the earth with the hand; the crown of pride, the people of Israel, and the king of it; he shall take the crown from his head, and cast it to the ground with a strong hand, as the Jews interpret it, with great violence; or very easily, with one hand, as it were, without any trouble at all. The Targum is,
“so shall people come against them, and remove them out of their own land into another land, because of the sins which were in their hands;”
see Isa 8:7.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In the next three vv. the hoi is expanded. “Behold, the Lord holds a strong and mighty thing like a hailstorm, a pestilent tempest; like a storm of mighty overflowing waters, He casts down to the earth with almighty hand. With feet they tread down the proud crown of the drunken of Ephraim. And it happens to the fading flower of its splendid ornament, which is upon the head of the luxuriant valley, as to an early fig before it is harvest, which whoever sees it looks at, and it is no sooner in his hand than he swallows it.” “A strong and mighty thing:” we have rendered in the neuter (with the lxx and Targum) rather than in the masculine, as Luther does, although the strong and mighty thing which the Lord holds in readiness is no doubt the Assyrian. He is simply the medium of punishment in the hand of the Lord, which is called yad absolutely, because it is absolute in power – as it were, the hand of all hands. This hand hurls Samaria to the ground (on the expression itself, compare Isa 25:12; Isa 26:5), so that they tread the proud crown to pieces with their feet ( teramasnah , the more pathetic plural form, instead of the singular terames ; Ges. 47, Anm. 3, and Caspari on Oba 1:13). The noun saar , which is used elsewhere in the sense of shuddering, signifies here, like , an awful tempest; and when connected with , a tempest accompanied with a pestilential blast, spreading m iasma . Such destructive power is held by the absolute hand. It is soon all over then with the splendid flower that has already begun to fade , like in Isa 22:24). It happens to it as to a bikkurah (according to the Masora, written with m appik here, as distinguished from Hos 9:10, equivalent to k e bhikkurathah ; see Job 11:9, “like an early fig of this valley;” according to others, it is simply euphonic). The gathering of figs takes place about August. Now, if any one sees a fig as early as June, he fixes his eyes upon it, and hardly touches it with his hand before he swallows it, and that without waiting to masticate it long. Like such a dainty bit will the luxuriant Samaria vanish. The fact that Shalmanassar, or his successor Sargon, did not conquer Samaria till after the lapse of three years (2Ki 18:10), does not detract from the truth of the prophecy; it is enough that both the thirst of the conqueror and the utter destruction of Samaria answered to it.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
2. Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one. This may refer to the Assyrians, as if he had said, that they will be ready at God’s command to fight under his authority, as soon as they shall be called. Yet I prefer to take it without a substantive, to mean either “a staff,” or some other instrument, by which the Lord will cast them down from this lofty pride.
As a deluge of hail. He compares it to “a deluge” or to “hail,” by which both herbs and flowers are thrown down, and all the beauty of the earth is marred. Thus he continues the metaphor of the “fading flower,” which he had introduced at the beginning of the chapter; for nothing can be more destructive to flowers than a heavy shower or “hail.” He makes use of the demonstrative particle הנה, ( hinnēh,) behold; because wicked men are not moved by any threatenings, and therefore he shews that he does not speak of what is doubtful, or conjecture at random, but foretells those things which will immediately take place.
Casting them down with the hand to the earth. ביד, ( bĕyād,) which I have translated “with the hand,” is translated by Jerome, “a spacious country,” which does not agree with the words. Others take it for “strength,” so as to mean a violent casting down. But the plain meaning appears to me to be, that the glory and splendor of the Israelites will be laid low, as if one threw down a drunk man “with the hand.” The same statement is confirmed by him in the third verse.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) The Lord hath a mighty and strong one . . .The Hebrew may be either neuter, as in the LXX. and Targum, or masculine, as in the Authorised Version. In either case it refers to the King of Assyria as the instrument of Jehovahs vengeance, the similitudes employed to describe his action reproducing those of Isa. 8:7-8; Isa. 25:4. Here the picture is that of the destroying storm, the pestilent or blasting tempest withering, and the flood sweeping away, the beautiful garland of Samaria.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. A mighty and strong one An invading army, no doubt, is meant. Ravages which this should make on the country would surely have a fiercer description than that furnished in the picture given below.
Tempest of hail At times furious in that land, and occasionally lasting two or three days.
(This remark is from personal observation of the writer at Shechem, seven miles distant from Samaria, in the month of March, 1870.)
Cast with the hand The “hand” is the emblem of force, power, violence.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 28:2-4. Behold, the Lord, &c. The punishment upon Ephraim is contained in these verses, and consists of three gradations; the first in the second verse; the meaning whereof literally is, that God has ready at his command a potent prince, whom he will send against a hypocritical people, its kings, leaders, elders, and teachers, that like a horrid winter-storm he may overflow, overwhelm, and utterly destroy them. The image here used is frequent with the prophets to represent the rapid conquest of an enemy. See ch. Isa 8:7 Isa 25:4. Eze 13:13. This verse would be rendered more properly, Behold the mighty one, the exceedingly strong one! Like a storm of hail, like a destructive tempest; like a rapid flood of mighty waters pouring down; he shall dash them to the ground with his hand [or with great violence.] See Bishop Lowth. The second gradation is, Isa 28:3 that the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim should be trodden under feet; that is, the glory wherein they most boasted should be utterly contemned and spoiled; and the third in Isa 28:4 that the city or cities here spoken of should be utterly and entirely destroyed and consumed; for this is the meaning of the metaphor. The verse should be rendered, And the fading flower of the beauty of her ornament, which is upon the head of the fat valley, shall be as the early-ripe fruit before the autumn, &c. The first ripe figs were esteemed very delicious, which the prophet expresses strongly by saying, that he who plucketh them swalloweth them up, even while they are in his hand. See Jer 24:2. Mic 7:1. The prophet in these verses alludes to the destruction of Samaria by the Assyrians, and of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. See Vitringa.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Isa 28:2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, [which] as a tempest of hail [and] a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
Ver. 2. Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and a strong one, ] viz., Shalmaneser, king of Assyria. For whereas Ephraim might say, Who is there that can or dare pull off the flower of our goodly gallantry? God answereth that he hath at hand one that can do it, and do it with a turn of a hand, with little ado.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
hath a mighty and strong one = hath a mighty one, immensely strong: i.e. Assyria (2Ki 17:5, 2Ki 17:6).
cast down = cast [Ephraim] down.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the Lord: Isa 9:9-12, Isa 27:1, Eze 30:10, Eze 30:11
as a tempest: Isa 28:15-19, Isa 8:7, Isa 8:8, Isa 25:4, Isa 29:6, Isa 30:30, Eze 13:11, Nah 1:8, Mat 7:25-27, Rev 18:8
Reciprocal: Jos 10:11 – the Lord Psa 124:4 – the waters Isa 28:17 – and the hail Isa 32:19 – it shall Eze 38:9 – shalt ascend Hag 2:17 – with hail Mat 21:43 – The kingdom Rev 8:7 – hail Rev 11:19 – and great Rev 12:15 – cast
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 28:2-4. Behold, the Lord hath Namely, at his command, prepared and ready to execute his judgments; a mighty and strong one Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria; which, as a tempest of hail, &c., shall cast down The crown of pride, to the earth, by his hand By the hand of God, which shall strengthen him in this work. The crown, the drunkards, shall be trodden under feet The expression is emphatical; the crown which was upon their own heads shall be trodden under the feet of others; and they, whose drunkenness made them stagger and fall to the ground, shall be trodden down there. The glorious beauty shall be as the hasty fruit That is, the first ripe fruit, which, coming before the season, and before other fruits, is most acceptable. Which he that seeth it eateth up Which, as soon as a man sees, he plucks it off and devours it as soon as he can get it into his hand. And so shall it be with Ephraims glory, which his enemies shall covet and spoil, and devour greedily. The image, says Bishop Lowth, expresses, in the strongest manner, the great ease with which the Assyrians should take the city and the whole kingdom, and the avidity with which they should seize the rich prey without resistance.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
28:2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and {c} strong one, [which] as a tempest of hail [and] a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
(c) He seems to mean the Assyrians, by whom the ten tribes were carried away.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Ephraim was in danger because the Lord had an irresistible agent who would humble her pride, as a storm overwhelms the unprepared. Assyria was that agent, but the prophet did not name it, perhaps because he wanted to emphasize the principles involved in the judgment.