Isaiah 10 6

Isaiah 10:6 kjv

I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Isaiah 10:6 nkjv

I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Isaiah 10:6 niv

I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets.

Isaiah 10:6 esv

Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take spoil and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Isaiah 10:6 nlt

I am sending Assyria against a godless nation,
against a people with whom I am angry.
Assyria will plunder them,
trampling them like dirt beneath its feet.

Isaiah 10 verses

Isaiah 10 6 meaning

Isaiah 10:6 reveals God's explicit declaration of purpose concerning the Assyrian Empire. The Lord announces He will strategically deploy Assyria, a nation powerful in its own right, as His divinely appointed instrument of judgment. This instrument will be directed against His unfaithful covenant people, Judah (and earlier, Israel), whom He pointedly describes as a "godless nation" and a "people of My wrath." God's command to Assyria involves the comprehensive plundering of their wealth and the utter subjugation and humiliation of the populace, rendering them defenseless and trampled like common mud in the streets.

Isaiah 10 6 Context

Isaiah 10:6 is a key statement within a major prophetic section (chapters 7-12), often termed the "Book of Immanuel." This period centers on the looming threat of the Assyrian Empire to the kingdoms of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom). Preceding this verse, Isaiah 10:5 introduces Assyria as "the rod of My anger," unequivocally stating its role as an instrument in God's hand. Verse 6 then details the precise divine mandate given to Assyria. This prophecy relates to actual historical events: the Assyrian destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE under Sargon II, and the later campaign against Judah by Sennacherib in 701 BCE, during the reign of King Hezekiah. The subsequent verses (10:7-19) highlight Assyria's hubris and self-aggrandizement, contrasting its prideful claims of self-sufficient conquest with God's assertion of ultimate control. The theological context emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty over nations and history, underscoring that even a mighty pagan empire operates under divine direction for His purposes of judgment and, ultimately, restoration.

Isaiah 10 6 Word analysis

• אֶשְׁלָחֵהוּ (Esh-la-ḥē-hū) - I will send him:

  • אֶשְׁלָח (Esh-laḥ): This first-person singular imperfect verb from "shalach" (to send) asserts God's direct, personal, and intentional initiative. It's not a passive allowance but an active deployment.
  • ֵהוּ (-hū): The third-person masculine singular suffix points to Assyria, establishing it as God's designated agent.
  • Significance: Underscores God's omnipotence and active involvement in the course of history, sovereignly dispatching nations as instruments of His will, even if they are unaware or disobedient to Him morally.

• אֶל-גּוֹי חָנֵף (ʾEl gōy ḥānēf) - Against a godless nation / profane nation:

  • אֶל (ʾEl): Preposition indicating direction "to" or opposition "against."
  • גּוֹי (Goy): Typically refers to a non-Israelite or pagan nation. Its application here to Judah/Israel is highly significant and shocking, denoting a profound fall from their covenant identity into godlessness.
  • חָנֵף (Ḥānēf): Meaning impious, profane, hypocritical, or godless. It describes deep spiritual corruption, a complete lack of genuine reverence for God despite their religious rituals.
  • Significance: A severe indictment of God's covenant people. Their persistent rebellion and idolatry had eroded their distinctive status, making them, in God's estimation, as spiritually degenerate as the surrounding pagan nations.

• וְעַל-עַם עֶבְרָתִי (Wə-ʿal ʿam ʿeḇ-rā-ṯî) - And against a people of My wrath:

  • וְעַל (Wə-ʿal): "And against," reinforcing the target.
  • עַם (ʿAm): Generally means "people," often specifically used for Israel as God's covenant people. The immediate juxtaposition with "goy" (v. 6a) creates a powerful paradox, highlighting their identity conflict: covenant people exhibiting non-covenant behavior.
  • עֶבְרָתִי (ʿEḇ-rā-ṯî): From "עֶבְרָה" (eḇ-rāh), meaning intense wrath, fury, or indignation, with the possessive "My."
  • Significance: This emphasizes that the impending disaster is not random political upheaval but a direct, righteous manifestation of God's holy anger against the flagrant and persistent disobedience of His own people.

• אֲצַוֶּנּוּ (ʾAṣawwenu) - I will command him:

  • אֲצַוֶּה (ʾAṣawwe): From the verb "tsavah" (to command, ordain, appoint). The first-person singular imperfect form reinforces God's specific and active authoritative direction over Assyria.
  • Significance: Reconfirms God's total command. Assyria is not merely an allowed force but one operating under precise divine directives, executing a predefined punitive mission.

• לָשְׁלֹל שָׁלָל וְלָבֹז בַּז (Lā-šə-lōl šālāl wə-lā-ḇōz baz) - To take plunder and to seize booty:

  • לָשְׁלֹל שָׁלָל (Lā-šə-lōl šālāl): Infinitival construct "to plunder" ("shalal") followed by the cognate noun "plunder" ("shalal").
  • וְלָבֹז בַּז (Wə-lā-ḇōz baz): Infinitival construct "and to loot" ("bazaz") followed by the cognate noun "booty" ("baz").
  • Significance: This figure of speech (cognate accusative/polyptoton) intensifies the action, emphasizing the thorough, merciless, and complete appropriation of all material wealth. It describes the devastating economic impact as an integral part of the judgment.

• וְלָשׂוּמוֹ מִרְמָס כְּחֹמֶר חוּצוֹת (Wə-lā-śū-mō mirmās kə-ḥō-mer ḥū-ṣōṯ) - And to make him/it a treading place like the mud of the streets:

  • וְלָשׂוּמוֹ (Wə-lā-śū-mō): Infinitival construct "and to place him/it" or "to make him/it."
  • מִרְמָס (Mirmās): A noun meaning "a treading place," that which is trampled upon, signifying utter subjugation, contempt, and dishonor.
  • כְּחֹמֶר (Kə-ḥō-mer): "Like mud/clay." "Kə-" is a comparative prefix, and "ḥōmer" refers to common, dirty, soft material.
  • חוּצוֹת (Ḥūṣōṯ): Plural noun for "streets" or "open places."
  • Significance: This powerful simile vividly conveys complete and utter abasement. The people would be debased, powerless, desecrated, and utterly disrespected, resembling the foulest, most insignificant element of urban waste—trampled by all who pass. It symbolizes total defeat and humiliation.

• Word-Group Analysis:

  • "I will send him... I will command him": This reiteration emphatically frames the Assyrian campaign not as an autonomous imperial expansion, but as a deliberate and precise divine assignment. It underscores God's total control and purposeful intent behind the unfolding historical events.
  • "Against a godless nation, against a people of My wrath": This pairing is deeply poignant. It confronts Israel's false security, stripping away the veneer of covenant privilege by highlighting their practical apostasy. To be labeled "godless" (like Gentiles) by Yahweh, and the specific target of His personal "wrath," reveals the depth of their spiritual declension and the severity of the coming judgment.
  • "To take plunder and to seize booty": The use of strong, descriptive, and near-synonymous verbs and nouns emphasizes the destructive economic consequences of God's judgment. It signifies the complete despoiling of their national and personal assets, leading to severe impoverishment and material loss as part of the punitive process.
  • "To make him/it a treading place like the mud of the streets": This striking metaphor serves as the ultimate visual summation of humiliation. It conveys utter conquest, debasement, loss of dignity, and profound powerlessness. The imagery ensures that the listener grasps the extent of the shame and destruction that God purposes through the Assyrian instrument.

Isaiah 10 6 Bonus section

The imagery of being "trampled down like mud in the streets" carries multiple layers of meaning in the ancient Near East, not just signifying military defeat but also complete loss of honor, a permanent stain, and irreversible public disgrace. It represents being rendered utterly defenseless, without any means to reclaim one's position or respect. This aligns with other prophetic denunciations of God's people (e.g., Isa 5:25; Lam 1:15), emphasizing that the humiliation they face is precisely because they neglected the covenant, thereby removing divine protection. This prophetic foresight also showcases God's remarkable precision: Assyria, driven by its own avarice and imperial ambition, perfectly executes the very specific acts of judgment God decreed, unaware that it is a puppet in the hands of the One True God, whose plans extend beyond human comprehension and ambition.

Isaiah 10 6 Commentary

Isaiah 10:6 powerfully asserts the uncompromising sovereignty of God over both history and the choices of nations, including His own covenant people. Here, the divine "I"—the Lord—takes full responsibility for deploying Assyria, the fearsome power of the ancient world, as a controlled instrument of His wrath. This is a severe but righteous judgment against Israel/Judah, whose continued sin, idolatry, and lack of justice had rendered them, in God's sight, as deserving of destruction as any pagan nation—hence their designation as "a godless nation" and "a people of My wrath." The divine commission outlines a fate of utter material ruin, through plunder, and profound societal degradation, expressed by the graphic image of being "trampled down like mud in the streets." This verse teaches that God's covenant does not exempt from judgment when violated, and that He can orchestrate even the cruelest human ambitions to fulfill His just purposes. It’s a sobering reminder that all earthly powers, knowingly or unknowingly, ultimately serve the will of the Almighty.