Isaiah 28:2

2 Lo, a mighty and strong one [is] to the Lord, As a storm of hail -- a destructive shower, As an inundation of mighty waters overflowing, He cast down to the earth with the hand.

Isaiah 28:2 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 28:2

Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one
That is, a powerful king, with a mighty army, meaning Shalmaneser king of Assyria; whom the Lord had at his beck and command, and could use at his pleasure, as his instrument, to bring down the towering pride of Ephraim, and chastise him for his sensuality: [which] as a tempest of hail;
that beats down herbs and plants, and branches of trees, and men and beasts: [and] a destroying storm;
which carries all before it, blows down houses and trees, and makes terrible devastation wherever it comes: as a flood of mighty waters overflowing;
whose torrent is so strong there is no stopping it: so this mighty and powerful prince shall cast down to the earth with the hand;
the crown of pride, the people of Israel, and the king of it; he shall take the crown from his head, and cast it to the ground with a strong hand, as the Jews interpret it, with great violence; or very easily, with one hand, as it were, without any trouble at all. The Targum is,

``so shall people come against them, and remove them out of their own land into another land, because of the sins which were in their hands;''
see ( Isaiah 8:7 ) .

Isaiah 28:2 In-Context

1 Wo [to] the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim. And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory, That [is] on the head of the fat valley of the broken down of wine.
2 Lo, a mighty and strong one [is] to the Lord, As a storm of hail -- a destructive shower, As an inundation of mighty waters overflowing, He cast down to the earth with the hand.
3 By feet trodden down is the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,
4 And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory That [is] on the head of the fat valley, Hath been as its first-fruit before summer, That its beholder seeth, While it [is] yet in his hand he swalloweth it.
5 In that day is Jehovah of Hosts For a crown of beauty, and for a diadem of glory, To the remnant of His people.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.