Verse 8: “For he will say: ‘Surely my princes all together they are kings.’”

Princes: These would be nations that were either enslaved and brought under Assyria’s authority, or those who entered into a confederacy with him.

Surely my princes all together they are kings: This is Assyria’s boast. He is trying to reveal how great he is. Assyria is intimating that small insignificant kingdoms (princes) have become great in his hands (kings).

Verse 9: “Is not Calno like Charchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?”

Note: These places are a list of different kingdoms that Assyria brought into his confederacy, and caused them to submit to him. Even Samaria (Northern Kingdom) was under his authority. They submitted to Assyria and were dominated by them.

Verse 10: “My hand found the kingdoms of idolatry, statues from Jerusalem and from Samaria,”

My hand: God is speaking here. His hand is a reference to His authority or power. God caused these nations to be brought into submission. He caused them to cease and to be destroyed.

The kingdoms of idolatry: All the kingdoms mentioned in Isaiah 10:9 were places of idolatry.

Statues: The people in these kingdoms thought that their idols would give them power and success.

From Jerusalem and from Samaria: Like these other nations that had fallen due to their idolatry so too were Jerusalem and Samaria going to fall because of their idolatry.

Verse 11: “Surely just as I have done to Samaria and to her idols, thus I will do to Jerusalem and to her images.”

Images: This is a word that relates to something carefully designed. When we fashion idols for ourselves the outcome is grief and sadness.

Verse 12: “And it shall come about that the Lord will perform all of His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem that He will say: ‘I will visit upon the exalted fruit of the heart of the king of Assyria, and the splendour of his haughty eyes.’”

Lord: Adonai. Our Master.

Visit: God is all in. He is totally involved.

Note: Assyria did what she did because of her own selfish and sinful desires. Her motivation was not out of a desire to serve and honour God. God did not cause or make Assyria do what it did to other nations or to Israel. However, God used what she did for His purposes.
Because Assyria’s motivation was wrong, God was against her and is going to visit her to punish her.

Exalted: Arrogant. Proud. Assyria was proud and arrogant. They were not submissive to God, and therefore He is going to bring judgment upon them.

Verse 13: “For he will say: ‘My hand, with power, I have done this, and with wisdom. For I have functioned with understanding. I have removed the borders of the people and I have stolen the treasures of their treasuries. I will bring down the inhabitants as a valiant knight.”

He will say: The king of Assyria will say.

This: Referring to the destruction he has brought about in Israel.

Knight: A warrior.