Isaiah 10:17

Verse

And the Light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame. In a single day it will burn and devour Assyria’s thorns and thistles.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.

Bible in Basic English

And the light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: wasting and burning up his thorns in one day.

Free Bible Version

Israel's light will become a fire, and his Holy One will become a flame. It will burn up his thorns and brambles in just one day.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the light of Israel shalbe as a fire, and the Holy one thereof as a flame, and it shall burne, and deuoure his thornes and his briers in one day:

King James (Authorized) Version

And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

One Unity Resource Bible

The light of Israel [God prevails] will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.

Translation for Translators

I, Yahweh, who am like [MET] a light for the people of Israel, will be the fire; I, the Holy One, will be like a flame. The soldiers of Assyria are like [MET] thorns and briers, and I will burn them up in one night.

Unlocked Literal Bible

The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame; it will burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day.

Noah Webster Bible

And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

World English Bible

The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.

Young's Literal Translation

And the light of Israel hath been for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame, And it hath burned, and devoured his thorn And his brier in one day.

Context

Judgment on Assyria

¹⁶Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts will send a wasting disease among Assyria’s stout warriors, and under his pomp will be kindled a fire like a burning flame. ¹⁷And the Light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame. In a single day it will burn and devour Assyria’s thorns and thistles. ¹⁸The splendor of its forests and orchards, both soul and body, it will completely destroy, as a sickness consumes a man.

Summary

This verse in Isaiah describes the Light of Israel as a consuming fire and a Holy One who will be a flame that will burn and destroy the Assyrian army. It portrays God's power and judgment against those who oppress His people, showing that He will ultimately bring justice and deliverance. The imagery of fire symbolizes purification and the removal of evil, highlighting God's sovereignty and protection over His chosen ones. This verse serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness in defending His people and fulfilling His promises of redemption.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Keil-Delitzsch
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

And it shall burn and devour his thorns "And he shall burn and consume his thorn" - The briers and thorns are the common people; the glory of his forest are the nobles and those of highest rank and importance. See note on Isa 9:17, and compare Eze 20:47. The fire of God's wrath shall destroy them, both great and small; it shall consume them from the soul to the flesh; a proverbial expression; soul and body, as we say; it shall consume them entirely and altogether; and the few that escape shall be looked upon as having escaped from the most imminent danger; "as a firebrand plucked out of the fire," Amo 4:11; ὡς δια πυρος, so as by fire, Co1 3:15; as a man when a house is burning is forced to make his escape by running through the midst of the fire. I follow here the reading of the Septuagint, כמאש נסס kemash noses, ὡς ὁ φευγων απω φλογος χαιομενης, as he who flees from the burning flame. Symmachus also renders the latter word by φευγων, flying.

John Gill Bible Commentary

And shall consume the glory of his forest,.... The Assyrian army is compared to a "forest", for the number of men in it; and for the mighty men in it, comparable to large and tall trees, such as oaks and cedars; and like a wood or forest a numerous army looks, when in rank and file, in proper order, and with banners, and having on their armour, their shields, spears, bows and arrows; and the "glory" of it intends either the princes and nobles that were in it, the principal officers, generals, and captains; or the riches of it, the plunder of the Egyptians and Ethiopians, as Kimchi observes, which were all destroyed at once: both soul and body, or "from the soul even to the flesh" (o); which denotes the total consumption of them, nothing of them remaining; the Targum is, "the glory of the multitude of his army, and their souls with their bodies, it shall consume;'' and so some understand this of the eternal destruction of soul and body in hell: the Rabbins are divided about the manner of the consumption of the Assyrian army; some say their bodies and souls were both burnt, which these words seem to favour; and others, that their souls were burnt, and not their bodies, their lives were taken away, and their bodies unhurt; which they think is favoured by Isa 10:16 where it is said, "under his glory", and not "his glory" (p): and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth; who when he fails, the whole company or army is thrown into confusion, and flees; and so the Targum, "and he shall be broken, and flee.'' Some render it, "as the dust of the worm that eats wood" (q); so Jarchi; signifying that they should be utterly destroyed, and become as small as the dust that falls from a worm eaten tree; which simile is used, a forest being made mention of before. (o) "ab anima usque ad carnem", V. L. Montanus, Piscator. (p) T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 113. 2. & Sanhedrin, fol 94. 1, 2. See Kimchi in loc. (q) "at pulvis teredinis", Tigurine version.

Isaiah 10:17

Judgment on Assyria

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

And the Light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame. In a single day it will burn and devour Assyria’s thorns and thistles.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.

Bible in Basic English

And the light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: wasting and burning up his thorns in one day.

Free Bible Version

Israel's light will become a fire, and his Holy One will become a flame. It will burn up his thorns and brambles in just one day.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the light of Israel shalbe as a fire, and the Holy one thereof as a flame, and it shall burne, and deuoure his thornes and his briers in one day:

King James (Authorized) Version

And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

One Unity Resource Bible

The light of Israel [God prevails] will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame; it will burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day.

Noah Webster Bible

And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

World English Bible

The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.

Young's Literal Translation

And the light of Israel hath been for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame, And it hath burned, and devoured his thorn And his brier in one day.