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Isaiah 10:8
Verse
Summary
Commentary
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Vauntings of the Assyrians. Illustrated by the self-laudatory inscriptions of Assyria deciphered by HINCKS. princes . . . kings--Eastern satraps and governors of provinces often had the title and diadem of kings. Hence the title, "King of kings," implying the greatness of Him who was over them (Eze 26:7; Ezr 7:12).
John Gill Bible Commentary
For he saith, are not my princes altogether kings? Meaning either the kings which he had conquered, which were become his princes and subjects; or rather, such were the greatness and glory of his nobles, that they were equal in their riches and dominions to kings, and so were able to furnish him with men and money for such an expedition he had in his heart to undertake, even to conquer and subdue all the nations of the earth: and this he said either to his people, boasting of his grandeur; or in his heart, as Kimchi observes, to encourage himself; or rather more openly before others, in order to discourage and inject terror into the nations he meant to destroy, and particularly the inhabitants of Jerusalem. For he saith, are not my princes altogether kings? Meaning either the kings which he had conquered, which were become his princes and subjects; or rather, such were the greatness and glory of his nobles, that they were equal in their riches and dominions to kings, and so were able to furnish him with men and money for such an expedition he had in his heart to undertake, even to conquer and subdue all the nations of the earth: and this he said either to his people, boasting of his grandeur; or in his heart, as Kimchi observes, to encourage himself; or rather more openly before others, in order to discourage and inject terror into the nations he meant to destroy, and particularly the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Isaiah 10:9 isa 10:9 isa 10:9 isa 10:9Is not Calno as Carchemish?.... Jarchi's note is, "as the children of Carchemish are princes and rulers, so are the children of Calno;'' as if this was giving an instance of the grandeur of his subjects; but much better is the Targum, "as Carchemish is subdued before me, shall not Calno be so?'' as I or my ancestors have conquered the one, it is as easy for me to conquer the other; or as sure as the one is subject to me, so sure shall the other be; for Carchemish was a city belonging to the Assyrians, situated upon the river Euphrates, Ch2 35:20 called by Ammianus (k) Circusium; the Syriac version calls it Barchemosh; and Calno is the same with Calneh in the land of Shinar, a city built by Nimrod, Gen 10:10 in the Septuagint version it is called Chalane, and it is added, "where the tower was built;'' from whence the country, called by Pliny (l) Chalonitis, had its name, the chief city of which was Ctesiphon, thought to be the same with Calneh. Is not Hamath as Arphad? Hamath and Arphad were both cities conquered by the Assyrians; see Kg2 18:34 and are both mentioned along with Damascus, Jer 49:23. Is not Samaria as Damascus? Damascus was the metropolis of Syria, and was taken by the Assyrians; and Samaria was the metropolis of Ephraim, or the ten tribes; see Isa 7:8 and was as easy to be taken as Damascus was. The Targum is, "as Arphad is delivered into my hands, shall not Hamath be so? As I have done to Damascus, so will I do to Samaria.'' (k) L. 23. c. 5. p. 360. (l) Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 26. and 27.
Isaiah 10:8
Judgment on Assyria
7But this is not his intention; this is not his plan. For it is in his heart to destroy and cut off many nations.8“Are not all my commanders kings?” he says. 9“Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
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- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Vauntings of the Assyrians. Illustrated by the self-laudatory inscriptions of Assyria deciphered by HINCKS. princes . . . kings--Eastern satraps and governors of provinces often had the title and diadem of kings. Hence the title, "King of kings," implying the greatness of Him who was over them (Eze 26:7; Ezr 7:12).
John Gill Bible Commentary
For he saith, are not my princes altogether kings? Meaning either the kings which he had conquered, which were become his princes and subjects; or rather, such were the greatness and glory of his nobles, that they were equal in their riches and dominions to kings, and so were able to furnish him with men and money for such an expedition he had in his heart to undertake, even to conquer and subdue all the nations of the earth: and this he said either to his people, boasting of his grandeur; or in his heart, as Kimchi observes, to encourage himself; or rather more openly before others, in order to discourage and inject terror into the nations he meant to destroy, and particularly the inhabitants of Jerusalem. For he saith, are not my princes altogether kings? Meaning either the kings which he had conquered, which were become his princes and subjects; or rather, such were the greatness and glory of his nobles, that they were equal in their riches and dominions to kings, and so were able to furnish him with men and money for such an expedition he had in his heart to undertake, even to conquer and subdue all the nations of the earth: and this he said either to his people, boasting of his grandeur; or in his heart, as Kimchi observes, to encourage himself; or rather more openly before others, in order to discourage and inject terror into the nations he meant to destroy, and particularly the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Isaiah 10:9 isa 10:9 isa 10:9 isa 10:9Is not Calno as Carchemish?.... Jarchi's note is, "as the children of Carchemish are princes and rulers, so are the children of Calno;'' as if this was giving an instance of the grandeur of his subjects; but much better is the Targum, "as Carchemish is subdued before me, shall not Calno be so?'' as I or my ancestors have conquered the one, it is as easy for me to conquer the other; or as sure as the one is subject to me, so sure shall the other be; for Carchemish was a city belonging to the Assyrians, situated upon the river Euphrates, Ch2 35:20 called by Ammianus (k) Circusium; the Syriac version calls it Barchemosh; and Calno is the same with Calneh in the land of Shinar, a city built by Nimrod, Gen 10:10 in the Septuagint version it is called Chalane, and it is added, "where the tower was built;'' from whence the country, called by Pliny (l) Chalonitis, had its name, the chief city of which was Ctesiphon, thought to be the same with Calneh. Is not Hamath as Arphad? Hamath and Arphad were both cities conquered by the Assyrians; see Kg2 18:34 and are both mentioned along with Damascus, Jer 49:23. Is not Samaria as Damascus? Damascus was the metropolis of Syria, and was taken by the Assyrians; and Samaria was the metropolis of Ephraim, or the ten tribes; see Isa 7:8 and was as easy to be taken as Damascus was. The Targum is, "as Arphad is delivered into my hands, shall not Hamath be so? As I have done to Damascus, so will I do to Samaria.'' (k) L. 23. c. 5. p. 360. (l) Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 26. and 27.