Excerpt - Apocalyptic Commentary of the Book of Isaiah by Avraham Gileadi, Ph.D.

9:8-10 This message my Lord sent to Jacob, and it shall befall Israel. And the entire people-Ephraim and those who dwell in Samaria-shall know of it, who say in pride and arrogance of heart, The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with hewn stone; the sycamores have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars!

Addressing the Jacob/Israel category of his people-in this case, "Ephraim and those who dwell in Samaria"-Jehovah censures them for their conceitedness, for not acknowledging from whence their blessings come. National disasters, symbolized by the covenant curses of fallen buildings and destroyed trees, are taken in stride as if they are merely temporary setbacks, not signs of a protracted trend brought on by Jehovah's judgments. Steeped in "pride and arrogance of heart," Jehovah's people assume that by their own wisdom and strength they will regroup and rebuild even bigger and better.

9:11–12 But Jehovah will strengthen Rezin’s enemies against them when he stirs up their adversaries: Aramaeans from the east and Philistines from the west will devour Israel with open mouth. Yet for all this his anger is not abated; his hand is upraised still.

Seeing the weakness of Jehovah’s people as their condition deteriorates, nations such as “Rezin’s enemies” (Isaiah 7:1–8) or the Assyrian alliance (Isaiah 13:4–5) use this chance to invade. The terms “mouth,” “anger,” and “hand” designate the king of Assyria/Babylon. As Jehovah’s hand of punishment, he personifies Jehovah’s anger and opens his mouth against Jehovah’s people (Isaiah 5:25; 10:5; 37:29; Daniel 7:8, 20; Revelation 13:5). The repeated phrase, “Yet for all this his anger is not abated; his hand is upraised still” (vv 12, 17, 21), denotes a long drawn-out period of Jehovah’s judgment.

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