הוֹי הַחֹקְקִים חִקְקֵי אָוֶן וּמְכַתְּבִים — עָמָל כִּתֵּבוּ

Woe! The engravers of evil inscriptions and writers who write suffering. Laws and statues were often engraved on stone tablets which could endure for a long period of time. The prophet laments the fact that the laws and statutes engraved and recorded in other ways perpetuated crimes and iniquities.

לְהַטּוֹת מִדִּין דַּלִּים וְלִגְזֹל מִשְׁפַּט עֲנִיֵּי עַמִּי לִהְיוֹת אַלְמָנוֹת שְׁלָלָם וְאֶת יְתוֹמִים יָבֹזּוּ

These laws served to divert the destitute from equity, and to rob the poor of My people of their justice. Theft, robbery, and exploitation were performed not by forcefully taking others’ property, but by means of legislation that sanctioned despicable actions. Widows would be their spoils, and they would plunder orphans. The neediest ended up losing the most due the corrupt system of laws.

וּמַה תַּעֲשׂוּ לְיוֹם פְּקֻדָּה וּלְשׁוֹאָה מִמֶּרְחָק תָּבוֹא עַל מִי תָּנוּסוּ לְעֶזְרָה וְאָנָה תַעַזְבוּ כְּבוֹדְכֶם

And what will you do on the day of reckoning, when God will reckon with you for your sins, and when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your glory, your property or your lives? You act out of the assumption that there is no judge and that no judgment will be meted out. What will you do when the time of judgment arrives?

בִּלְתִּי כָרַע תַּחַת אַסִּיר וְתַחַת הֲרוּגִים יִפֹּלוּ בְּכָל זֹאת לֹא שָׁב אַפּוֹ וְעוֹד יָדוֹ נְטוּיָה

You can only kneel under the yoke of the prisoners who will rule over you, and they, your lives, will fall beneath the slain. Nevertheless, His wrath is not withdrawn and His hand is still outstretched. Despite suffering punishment after punishment, they continue on their evil path, and therefore their punishment will also continue.

הוֹי אַשּׁוּר שֵׁבֶט אַפִּי וּמַטֶּה הוּא בְיָדָם זַעְמִי

God addresses the enemy: Woe! Assyria is the rod of My wrath, and My fury is a staff in their hand. God administers judgment through the actions of Assyria’s king.

בְּגוֹי חָנֵף אֲשַׁלְּחֶנּוּ וְעַל עַם עֶבְרָתִי אֲצַוֶּנּוּ לִשְׁלֹל שָׁלָל וְלָבֹז בַּז וּלְשׂוּמוֹ מִרְמָס כְּחֹמֶר חוּצוֹת

Against a hypocritical and lying nation, I will send him, the king of Assyria, and against the people of My wrath I will command him, to plunder spoils and to take loot, and to set them to be tread upon like the mire of the streets.

וְהוּא לֹא כֵן יְדַמֶּה וּלְבָבוֹ לֹא כֵן יַחְשֹׁב כִּי לְהַשְׁמִיד בִּלְבָבוֹ וּלְהַכְרִית גּוֹיִם לֹא מְעָט

However, he, the king of Assyria, does not imagine so and his heart does not think so, that he is God’s emissary to punish the sinners, for it is in his heart to destroy, and to eliminate not a few nations. He believes he engages in warfare for the sake of his own greatness.

כִּי יֹאמַר הֲלֹא שָׂרַי יַחְדָּו מְלָכִים

For he, the king of Assyria, says: Are not all my princes together, kings? Each prince was sent to a different district, where he ruled with the authority of a local king.

הֲלֹא כְּכַרְכְּמִישׁ כַּלְנוֹ אִם לֹא כְאַרְפַּד חֲמָת אִם לֹא כְדַמֶּשֶׂק — שֹׁמְרוֹן

Is Kalno, elsewhere called Kalne, not like Karkemish,a city in northern Syria that was conquered by the Assyrians? Is Hamat, in the northernmost region of the Land of Israel, not like Arpad, another city in northern Syria that was conquered by the Assyrians? Is Samaria not like Damascus, which had already been conquered?

כַּאֲשֶׁר מָצְאָה יָדִי לְמַמְלְכֹת הָאֱלִיל וּפְסִילֵיהֶם מִירוּשָׁלִַם וּמִשֹּׁמְרוֹן

For my hand has reached the kingdoms of the gods and their idols are more numerous and greater than those of Jerusalem and greater than Samaria’s. Assyria conquered one kingdom after another and the gods of each one did not avail them. A similar boast was made by the emissary of the king of Assyria (36:13–20).

הֲלֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי לְשֹׁמְרוֹן וְלֶאֱלִילֶיהָ כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה לִירוּשָׁלִַם וְלַעֲצַבֶּיהָ

Will it not be the case that just as I did to Samaria and its gods, so I will do to Jerusalem and its effigies? The Assyrian king does not refer to the One God of Israel and assumes that the inhabitants of Jerusalem are also idol worshippers, even if in private and only partially.

וְהָיָה כִּי יְבַצַּע אֲדֹנָי אֶת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂהוּ בְּהַר צִיּוֹן וּבִירוּשָׁלִָם אֶפְקֹד עַל פְּרִי גֹדֶל לְבַב מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וְעַל תִּפְאֶרֶת רוּם עֵינָיו

God responds: It will be that when the Lord implements His entire work on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem by punishing the inhabitants of Jerusalem for their transgressions, I will reckon with the fruit of the arrogance of the heart of the king of Assyria and the splendor of his haughty eyes, and he will be punished for his arrogant perception of himself as the world’s overlord.

כִּי אָמַר בְּכֹחַ יָדִי עָשִׂיתִי וּבְחָכְמָתִי כִּי נְבֻנוֹתִי וְאָסִיר גְּבוּלֹת עַמִּים ועֲתוּדוֹתֵיהֶם שׁוֹשֵׂתִי וְאוֹרִיד כַּאבִּיר יוֹשְׁבִים

For he, the king of Assyria, said: I have succeeded in all this with the strength of my hand and with my wisdom, as I have been clever; I have removed the borders of the peoples and plundered their treasures, and I have taken down mighty inhabitants.

וַתִּמְצָא כַקֵּן יָדִי לְחֵיל הָעַמִּים וְכֶאֱסֹף בֵּיצִים עֲזֻבוֹת כָּל הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי אָסָפְתִּי וְלֹא הָיָה נֹדֵד כָּנָף וּפֹצֶה פֶה וּמְצַפְצֵף

My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like gathering abandoned eggs, I gathered the entire world. The Assyrians easily conquered numerous cities, collecting conquests as though they were eggs clustered in a nest or abandoned, and there was no one mother bird showing her objection by flapping a wing, or opening a mouth, or chirping. No one could stand against the Assyrian juggernaut.

הֲיִתְפָּאֵר הַגַּרְזֶן עַל הַחֹצֵב בּוֹ אִם יִתְגַּדֵּל הַמַּשּׂוֹר עַל מְנִיפוֹ כְּהָנִיף שֵׁבֶט וְאֶת מְרִימָיו כְּהָרִים מַטֶּה לֹא עֵץ

The prophet chastises Assyria: Does the axe boast over he who chops with it? Does the saw exalt itself over he who wields it? It is as though a rod would wield itself and those who lift it; as though a staff would lift itself like it was not wood. Assyria is but a tool in God’s hands, yet its king ascribes all of his success to himself.

לָכֵן יְשַׁלַּח הָאָדוֹן ה' צְבָאוֹת בְּמִשְׁמַנָּיו רָזוֹן וְתַחַת כְּבֹדוֹ יֵקַד יְקֹד כִּיקוֹד אֵשׁ

Therefore, the Lord, Lord of hosts, will send leanness among his fattened ones, and instead of his glory, a burning will ignite like the burning of fire.

וְהָיָה אוֹר יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאֵשׁ וּקְדוֹשׁוֹ — לְלֶהָבָה וּבָעֲרָה וְאָכְלָה שִׁיתוֹ וּשְׁמִירוֹ בְּיוֹם אֶחָד

And the Light of Israel, its God, shall be a fire and his Holy One will be a flame, and it will burn and consume his, the Assyrian king’s, thorn and thistle, all that he has, very quickly and in one day.

וכְבוֹד יַעְרוֹ וְכַרְמִלּוֹ מִנֶּפֶשׁ וְעַד בָּשָׂר יְכַלֶּה וְהָיָה כִּמְסֹס נֹסֵס

The glory of his forest and his farmland, from soul to flesh, will be annihilated, and it shall be as if it was consumed by a worm.

וּשְׁאָר עֵץ יַעְרוֹ — מִסְפָּר יִהְיוּ וְנַעַר יִכְתְּבֵם

The remaining trees of his forest will be numbered, and they will be so few that even a child will be able to record them.

וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֹא יוֹסִיף עוֹד שְׁאָר יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפְלֵיטַת בֵּית יַעֲקֹב לְהִשָּׁעֵן עַל מַכֵּהוּ וְנִשְׁעַן עַל ה' קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל בֶּאֱמֶת

The prophecy contains a modicum of consolation: It shall be on that day that the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer continue to rely on their attacker and place their trust in the superpower that oppresses them, but they will rely upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב שְׁאָר יַעֲקֹב אֶל אֵל גִּבּוֹר

A remnant will return [she’ar yashuv], the remnant of Jacob, to God the Mighty [El Gibor]. This prophecy once again references the portentous names of the prophet’s sons (see 7:3, 9:5).

כִּי אִם יִהְיֶה עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּחוֹל הַיָּם — שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב בּוֹ כִּלָּיוֹן חָרוּץ שׁוֹטֵף צְדָקָה

For even if your people, Israel, will be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of it will return [she’ar yashuv], as annihilation is decreed for them, and the bulk of the people will be swept away in justice. Alternatively, the verse may mean not that a remnant will return, but that even the remnant of Israel will perish, as the prophet states elsewhere (see 6:13).

כִּי כָלָה וְנֶחֱרָצָה ה' אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹת עֹשֶׂה בְּקֶרֶב כָּל הָאָרֶץ

For annihilation that is decreed, the Lord, God of hosts, enacts in the midst of the entire land.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹת אַל תִּירָא עַמִּי יֹשֵׁב צִיּוֹן מֵאַשּׁוּר בַּשֵּׁבֶט יַכֶּכָּה וּמַטֵּהוּ יִשָּׂא עָלֶיךָ בְּדֶרֶךְ מִצְרָיִם

Therefore, so said the Lord, God of hosts: Do not fear Assyria, My people that inhabits Zion; with the rod he, Assyria, will strike you, and he will raise his staff against you to assault you, in the manner of Egypt. Assyria was striking Judah as the Egyptians had. Alternatively, the verse may be rendered: He will raise his staff against you on the way to Egypt. The Assyrians were en route to attack Egypt, but on their way they passed through the Land of Israel and attacked Judah.

כִּי עוֹד מְעַט מִזְעָר וְכָלָה זַעַם וְאַפִּי עַל תַּבְלִיתָם

For in a very little while, the time of My fury against you will cease, and then My wrath will be turned against the Assyrians for their depravity and their immoral actions.

וְעוֹרֵר עָלָיו ה' צְבָאוֹת שׁוֹט כְּמַכַּת מִדְיָן בְּצוּר עוֹרֵב וּמַטֵּהוּ עַל הַיָּם וּנְשָׂאוֹ בְּדֶרֶךְ מִצְרָיִם

The Lord of hosts will goad him with a whip, as at the smiting of Midyan at the rock of Orev when Gideon fought them; His staff is over the sea, like it had been set over the Red Sea following the Exodus, and He will bear him in the manner of Egypt. God will agitate Assyria and destroy its might, as He did to Egypt.

וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יָסוּר סֻבֳּלוֹ מֵעַל שִׁכְמֶךָ וְעֻלּוֹ מֵעַל צַוָּארֶךָ וְחֻבַּל עֹל מִפְּנֵי שָׁמֶן

It shall be on that day, that his burden will depart from upon your shoulder, Judah, and his yoke will be removed from upon your neck; and the yoke will be damaged from the fat of those on whom it had rested, in contrary to the natural way, where the fat of the neck is damaged by the yoke.

בָּא עַל עַיַּת עָבַר בְּמִגְרוֹן לְמִכְמָשׂ יַפְקִיד כֵּלָיו

Before Sennacherib sent his army to Jerusalem he first had them subdue the surrounding cities. The prophet describes the towns north of Jerusalem taken easily by the Assyrian king: He came to Ayat; he passed through Migron. At Mikhmashe deposits his baggage.

עָבְרוּ מַעְבָּרָה גֶּבַע מָלוֹן לָנוּ חָרְדָה הָרָמָה גִּבְעַת שָׁאוּל נָסָה

They passed over [averu] the pass [ma’bara]. Alternately, this is the name of a place, Ma’bara, and the previous verb, averu, is a play on words. Geva, south of Mikhmas, is a lodging place where they stayed. Ramatrembled before the Assyrians; Givat Shaul fled.

צַהֲלִי קוֹלֵךְ בַּת גַּלִּים הַקְשִׁיבִי לַיְשָׁה עֲנִיָּה עֲנָתוֹת

Raise your voice in warning, daughter of Galim. Listen, Layish; poor Anatot!The inhabitants of these places fled from the Assyrians.

נָדְדָה מַדְמֵנָה יֹשְׁבֵי הַגֵּבִים הֵעִיזוּ

Madmenah wandered [nadeda] away. Once again, the prophet utilizes alliteration, relating the place’s name with its misfortune. The inhabitants of Gevim gathered their flocks and fled to safety. The exact locations of these towns are unknown to us.

עוֹד הַיּוֹם בְּנֹב לַעֲמֹד יְנֹפֵף יָדוֹ הַר בַּת צִיּוֹן גִּבְעַת יְרוּשָׁלִָם

Even today he, the king of Assyria, will come and stand at Nov; having conquered all these cities, he will wave his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

הִנֵּה הָאָדוֹן ה' צְבָאוֹת מְסָעֵף פֻּארָה בְּמַעֲרָצָה וְרָמֵי הַקּוֹמָה גְּדוּעִים וְהַגְּבֹהִים יִשְׁפָּלוּ

Behold, the Master, the Lord of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a saw, and those of elevated stature will be felled, and the lofty will be lowered.

וְנִקַּף סִבְכֵי הַיַּעַר בַּבַּרְזֶל וְהַלְּבָנוֹן בְּאַדִּיר יִפּוֹל

The thickets of the forest will be cut with iron, and the Lebanon will fall by a mighty one.The entire forest, which represents the might of the Assyrians, will swiftly be trampled and destroyed.