Profeetat

The Assyrian as God's Rod and Judgment on Pride

God uses the king of Assyria as a rod to punish His ungodly people, but the Assyrian does not understand that he is merely an instrument and boasts in his own strength and wisdom. When the Lord has finished His work on Zion, His wrath turns against the proud heart of the Assyrian, and the Lord of Hosts sends fire and wasting away to consume his glory so that only a few trees remain in his forest.

Jesaja 10,5-19

5Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger — the club in their hand is my fury!
ה֥וֹי אַשּׁ֖וּר שֵׁ֣בֶט אַפִּ֑י וּמַטֶּה־ה֥וּא בְיָדָ֖ם זַעְמִֽי׃ ‬
6I send him against a godless nation; I charge him against the people of my wrath, to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to trample them down like mud in the streets.
בְּג֤וֹי חָנֵף֙ אֲשַׁלְּחֶ֔נּוּ וְעַל־עַ֥ם עֶבְרָתִ֖י אֲצַוֶּ֑נּוּ לִשְׁלֹ֤ל שָׁלָל֙ וְלָבֹ֣ז בַּ֔ז *ולשימו **וּלְשׂוּמ֥וֹ מִרְמָ֖ס כְּחֹ֥מֶר חוּצֽוֹת׃ ‬
7But this is not what he intends; this is not what his heart plans. His heart is set on destruction, on cutting off nations — and not a few.
וְהוּא֙ לֹא־כֵ֣ן יְדַמֶּ֔ה וּלְבָב֖וֹ לֹא־כֵ֣ן יַחְשֹׁ֑ב כִּ֚י לְהַשְׁמִ֣יד בִּלְבָב֔וֹ וּלְהַכְרִ֥ית גּוֹיִ֖ם לֹ֥א מְעָֽט׃ ‬
8For he says, "Are not my commanders all kings?
כִּ֖י יֹאמַ֑ר הֲלֹ֥א שָׂרַ֛י יַחְדָּ֖ו מְלָכִֽים׃ ‬
9Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
הֲלֹ֥א כְּכַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ כַּלְנ֑וֹ אִם־לֹ֤א כְאַרְפַּד֙ חֲמָ֔ת אִם־לֹ֥א כְדַמֶּ֖שֶׂק שֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃ ‬
10As my hand reached the kingdoms of idols, whose images outnumbered those of Jerusalem and Samaria —
כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ מָצְאָ֣ה יָדִ֔י לְמַמְלְכֹ֖ת הָאֱלִ֑יל וּפְסִ֣ילֵיהֶ֔ם מִירֽוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם וּמִשֹּׁמְרֽוֹן׃ ‬
11shall I not do to Jerusalem and her images what I have done to Samaria and her idols?"
הֲלֹ֗א כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֛יתִי לְשֹׁמְר֖וֹן וְלֶאֱלִילֶ֑יהָ כֵּ֛ן אֶעֱשֶׂ֥ה לִירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם וְלַעֲצַבֶּֽיהָ׃ ס ‬
12When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, he will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the haughty pride of his eyes.
וְהָיָ֗ה כִּֽי־יְבַצַּ֤ע אֲדֹנָי֙ אֶת־כָּל־מֽ͏ַעֲשֵׂ֔הוּ בְּהַ֥ר צִיּ֖וֹן וּבִירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם אֶפְקֹ֗ד עַל־פְּרִי־גֹ֙דֶל֙ לְבַ֣ב מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֔וּר וְעַל־תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת ר֥וּם עֵינָֽיו׃ ‬
13For he says: "By the strength of my own hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of peoples and plundered their treasures; like a bull I brought down those who sat enthroned.
כִּ֣י אָמַ֗ר בְּכֹ֤חַ יָדִי֙ עָשִׂ֔יתִי וּבְחָכְמָתִ֖י כִּ֣י נְבֻנ֑וֹתִי וְאָסִ֣יר ׀ גְּבוּלֹ֣ת עַמִּ֗ים *ועתידתיהם **וַעֲתוּדֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ שׁוֹשֵׂ֔תִי וְאוֹרִ֥יד כַּאבִּ֖יר יוֹשְׁבִֽים׃ ‬
14My hand found the wealth of the peoples as one finds a nest; as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth. Not a wing fluttered, not a beak opened to chirp."
וַתִּמְצָ֨א כַקֵּ֤ן ׀ יָדִי֙ לְחֵ֣יל הָֽעַמִּ֔ים וְכֶאֱסֹף֙ בֵּיצִ֣ים עֲזֻב֔וֹת כָּל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲנִ֣י אָסָ֑פְתִּי וְלֹ֤א הָיָה֙ נֹדֵ֣ד כָּנָ֔ף וּפֹצֶ֥ה פֶ֖ה וּמְצַפְצֵֽף׃ ‬
15Does the axe boast over the one who swings it, or the saw exalt itself above the one who wields it? As if a rod could brandish the one who lifts it, or a club could lift the one who is not wood!
הֲיִתְפָּאֵר֙ הַגַּרְזֶ֔ן עַ֖ל הַחֹצֵ֣ב בּ֑וֹ אִם־יִתְגַּדֵּ֤ל הַמַּשּׂוֹר֙ עַל־מְנִיפ֔וֹ כְּהָנִ֥יף שֵׁ֙בֶט֙ וְאֶת־מְרִימָ֔יו כְּהָרִ֥ים מַטֶּ֖ה לֹא־עֵֽץ׃ ‬
16Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will send a wasting sickness among his stout warriors, and beneath his glory a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire.
לָ֠כֵן יְשַׁלַּ֨ח הָאָד֜וֹן יְהוָ֧ה צְבָא֛וֹת בְּמִשְׁמַנָּ֖יו רָז֑וֹן וְתַ֧חַת כְּבֹד֛וֹ יֵקַ֥ד יְקֹ֖ד כִּיק֥וֹד אֵֽשׁ׃ ‬
17The Light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and devour his thorns and briers.
וְהָיָ֤ה אֽוֹר־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְאֵ֔שׁ וּקְדוֹשׁ֖וֹ לְלֶהָבָ֑ה וּבָעֲרָ֗ה וְאָֽכְלָ֛ה שִׁית֥וֹ וּשְׁמִיר֖וֹ בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃ ‬
18The glory of his forest and his fruitful land it will consume, soul and body alike, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
וּכְב֤וֹד יַעְרוֹ֙ וְכַרְמִלּ֔וֹ מִנֶּ֥פֶשׁ וְעַד־בָּשָׂ֖ר יְכַלֶּ֑ה וְהָיָ֖ה כִּמְסֹ֥ס נֹסֵֽס׃ ‬
19The remaining trees of his forest will be so few that a child could write them down.
וּשְׁאָ֥ר עֵ֛ץ יַעְר֖וֹ מִסְפָּ֣ר יִֽהְי֑וּ וְנַ֖עַר יִכְתְּבֵֽם׃ פ ‬