Your country [is] desolate
Or "shall be"; this is either a declaration in proper terms of what is before figuratively expressed, or rather a prophecy of what would be their case on account of transgressions; and which had its accomplishment partly in the Babylonish captivity, and fully in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans; when not only their city and temple, called their house, ( Matthew 23:38 ) , were left unto them desolate, but the whole land; and they were carried captive, and scattered among the nations, where they have been ever since: your cities [are,
or shall be, burned with fire;
as, Jerusalem has been, and other cities in Judea, ( Matthew 22:7 ) your land, strangers devour it in your presence;
before their eyes, and it would not be in their power to prevent it; meaning either the Babylonians or the Romans, or both, and especially the latter, who were strangers and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel: and [it is] desolate, as overthrown by strangers;
who ravage, plunder, and destroy all they meet with, and spare nothing, not intending to settle there, as those who are near do, when they conquer a neighbouring nation. Some think this prophecy was delivered in the times of Ahaz, and refers to the desolation in his time, ( 2 Chronicles 28:17-19 ) but rather, as Joel and Amos prophesied before Isaiah, he may refer to those desolating judgments, they speak of, by the locusts, caterpillars, and fire, ( Joel 1:4 Joel 1:10-12 Joel 1:17-20 ) ( Amos 4:6 Amos 4:11 ) but to consider the words as a prediction of what should be in after times seems best; and so the Arabic version reads the words, "your land shall be desolate, your cities shall be burnt with fire, and your country strangers shall devour before you"; or shall be as overthrown by strangers, being overflown with a flood or storm of rain; so Abendana F4.