Isaiah 31 8

Isaiah 31:8 kjv

Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.

Isaiah 31:8 nkjv

"Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, And his young men shall become forced labor.

Isaiah 31:8 niv

"Assyria will fall by no human sword; a sword, not of mortals, will devour them. They will flee before the sword and their young men will be put to forced labor.

Isaiah 31:8 esv

"And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labor.

Isaiah 31:8 nlt

"The Assyrians will be destroyed,
but not by the swords of men.
The sword of God will strike them,
and they will panic and flee.
The strong young Assyrians
will be taken away as captives.

Isaiah 31 verses

Isaiah 31 8 Meaning

Assyria will fall, not by human sword or conquest, but by the mighty power of God. Israel's reliance on Egyptian military might is futile. God Himself will fight for Jerusalem and defend it. The victory is not through human strength, but divine intervention.

Isaiah 31 8 Context

Chapter 31 of Isaiah directly addresses the southern kingdom of Judah. The historical context is during the 8th century BC, when the Neo-Assyrian Empire was a dominant and threatening force in the region. The prophet Isaiah is counseling King Hezekiah and the people of Judah, urging them not to rely on political alliances or military might, particularly a treaty with Egypt, for their defense. Instead, they are to trust in the LORD. This specific verse is a pivotal statement within a larger discourse against Egypt and misplaced trust, highlighting God's active role in delivering His people. The Assyrians, specifically the army under Sennacherib, posed an imminent threat, as evidenced in chapters 36-37.

Isaiah 31 8 Word Analysis

• אֶת־ (et-): This is a preposition that functions as a direct object marker.
  • Significance: It introduces the object of the action. Here, it marks “the Assyrian” as the one who will fall.
• אַשּׁוּר (ash-shoor): Assyria.
  • Transliteration: Asshur.
  • Meaning: A great ancient empire that was a formidable military power and often an oppressor of Israel and Judah.
  • Significance: Represents the peak of earthly military power and arrogance in this context, contrasted with God’s ultimate power.
• לֹא (lo): Not.
  • Significance: Emphatic negation.
• חֶרֶב (che-rev): Sword.
  • Meaning: A weapon of war, symbolizing human warfare and violent conquest.
  • Significance: Directly contrasts the manner of Assyria's defeat, which will not be by another human military force.
• לֹא (lo): Not.
  • Significance: Another emphatic negation.
• תֹאכַלֶּנּוּ (to-kha-le-nu): Shall devour him.
  • Root: אָכַל (akal) - to eat, devour, consume.
  • Meaning: A strong verb indicating complete destruction or consumption.
  • Significance: The Assyrian empire, though powerful, will not be consumed by human conflict or another earthly army. This implies a divine intervention or judgment that bypasses conventional warfare.
• וְחֶרֶב (ve-che-rev): And a sword.
  • Significance: Reinforces the idea of military engagement, but the negation preceding it makes this a specific denial of how destruction will occur.
• לֹא (lo): Not.
  • Significance: Continues the negation.
• תֹאכַל (to-kha-l): Shall devour.
  • Significance: Again, emphasizing the rejection of human warfare as the cause of Assyria's downfall.
• לְבַדּוֹ (le-vad-do): Him alone; in his own strength/country.
  • Root: לְבַד (levad) - alone.
  • Meaning: Can imply personal or self-sufficiency.
  • Significance: This phrase is crucial. It indicates that Assyria will not be destroyed by another nation in their land, nor will their own military might (their "own strength") lead to their destruction. However, in the broader context of Isaiah, this is often understood as the defeat by divine action rather than solely by other human armies, emphasizing that the agency of destruction is God.
• וּבְחֶרֶב (u-ve-che-rev): And by sword.
  • Significance: Repetition for emphasis on the mode of defeat being denied.
• חֶרֶב (che-rev): Sword.
  • Significance: Repeatedly contrasts with divine action.
• גָּדוֹל (ga-dol): Great.
  • Meaning: Great, large, mighty.
  • Significance: Describes the nature of the swords or conflicts that will not bring Assyria down. This is not just any sword, but the instruments of major warfare.
• לֹא (lo): Not.
  • Significance: Final negation in this clause.
• תִּהְיֶה־ (ti-hye): Shall be.
  • Root: היה (hayah) - to be, to exist.
  • Significance: Denies a specific future state for the Assyrian threat.
• לְבַד (le-vad): To him alone/apart/sufficient.
  • Significance: Further emphasizes that Assyria’s doom is not dependent on its own martial prowess or on another specific earthly enemy being sufficient to defeat it. The divine aspect is the decisive factor.
• However, the primary nuance of this verse and surrounding verses speaks to Assyria being struck down by God directly, not through the direct military action of Judah or any other specific human nation being “sufficient” to achieve their final destruction in the manner described here.
• Group Analysis: The repeated negation "לא" (lo) coupled with "חרב" (cherev - sword) highlights the inadequacy and irrelevance of human warfare in God's ultimate plan for Assyria's downfall and the protection of Jerusalem. The phrase "לבד" (levad) emphasizes that Assyria's confidence in its own strength ("alone" or "self-sufficiently") and its belief that human military power (even in large-scale conflict) could defeat Jerusalem or its own enemies, was misplaced. God’s victory will supersede and render human military actions insufficient in this context. The overall structure is a powerful rejection of Assyrian reliance on its military machine and, by extension, any reliance on the military might of Egypt.

Isaiah 31 8 Bonus Section

The specific nature of Assyria's devastating loss, often referred to in scholarly discussions as a miraculous intervention, is famously described in 2 Kings 19:35. In that account, an angel of the LORD struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers overnight, leaving Sennacherib to retreat. While this verse in Isaiah 31 predates that event by some years, it prophetically outlines the manner of Assyria's future downfall. It’s not simply defeat by another army; it’s a supernatural overthrow by the Lord of Hosts, who “shall fight for Israel” (Deut 1:30). The "sword" that ultimately brings down Assyria in this context is the direct judgment of God, not the clash of human armies alone. The verse signifies a departure from "power for power" to "power of God."

Isaiah 31 8 Commentary

This verse dramatically illustrates God's sovereignty over nations and human affairs. Assyria, the most powerful military empire of its day, prided itself on its military prowess, its "sword" and its vast armies. Isaiah declares that this formidable power will not fall by another human army ("sword," "devour him," "sword shall not devour"). Instead, God Himself will be the agent of Assyria's destruction. This theme is echoed throughout Isaiah, where God uses or overthrows nations to execute His judgment. For Judah, the lesson is clear: trust in God, not in Egypt's chariots and horsemen. True security comes from a right relationship with the Almighty, not from geopolitical alliances or military might. This verse preempts Judah's potential boast or reliance on any earthly deliverer and points them directly to divine intervention as the ultimate source of salvation.