Isaiah 10:27Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Was not the burden lifted from all shoulders, and furthermore, was not the oppression broken, utterly dismantled? They were filled with the desire for salvation and to return home, no longer looking towards Judah with hostility as they had before; for he had intended to place oppression upon the Jews as well. Yet, his aspirations were thwarted, leading to an outcome contrary to his desires. For he was hardly rescued, not by mere arms, but through divine intervention and the hand of an angel, achieved in a truly miraculous manner.

Although in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18) Sennacherib, king of Assyria, will come against all the fortified cities of Judah with the intent to capture them, and he will send Rabsak to besiege Jerusalem and instill terror among its people; know this: he shall not strike you with a sword, but with a staff. As he moves against Taraham, king of Ethiopia, and the Egyptians, heading toward the Red Sea en route to Egypt, he will raise only a staff against you and will be unable to harm you. Soon, when he returns from Egypt with an overwhelming army and seeks to lay siege, My fury will suddenly cause him to falter, for I have raised up against him the same scourge that I sent against the Midianites during Gideon's time, who was also known as Jerobaal, when the princes of Midian, Oribe and Zib, were slain upon a hard rock. This rock, termed "sur" in Hebrew, gives the origin of the place known as the rock of Oribe. Thus, he shall raise his rod over the Red Sea against the Ethiopians, and again lift it up when returning from Egypt; but as soon as he exits Egypt, the burdensome yoke of his authority shall be forever removed from you, and you shall no longer serve him, for this yoke, the might of Assyria, shall decay due to the mercy of God. The phrases "He shall beat you with his rod, and shall lift up his staff on the way to Egypt," and "His rod upon the sea, and shall lift it up as he returns from Egypt," may also signify that he will strike many from the tribe of Judah and seize numerous cities surrounding the kingdom of Jerusalem because they did not trust in God, but rather relied on Egypt. Consequently, Rabsak challenges them, saying, "Now you hope in this broken reed, Egypt; but when anyone leans on it, it will pierce his hand: so Pharaoh is king of Egypt for all who trust in him" (2 Kings 18:21). The account concerning the Midianites is found in the book of Judges (Judges 7), which is echoed in the Psalm: "put down their princes, like Oribe and Zibah, Zebeah and Salman" (Psalm 82:12). Therefore, those who believe this pertains to the time indicated in the book of Numbers (Num. 25), when the Israelites vanquished the Midianites from the wilderness of Sur to the mountain of God Horeb, are mistaken, as they were not at Mount Horeb but in the wilderness of Shittim at that time. In a figurative sense, it instructs the community of believers not to fear the adversaries who are always poised for battle, and who have ensnared many souls through their opposition. They have wielded some influence over the people of God, rarely striking them outright, but instead threatening them because they sought security in Egypt rather than in the Lord. However, when they turn back to God and abandon reliance on Egypt, then, in accordance with divine judgment, the scourge will be raised against their foes. For Midian suggests divine judgment, so that through the spirit of His mouth and the oil of mercy, the yoke of the enemies will be dissolved.