King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Then Ashur will fall by a sword not of mortals, a sword, not of humans, will devour him; he will flee before the sword, and his young men will be put to forced labor.
Berean Standard Bible:
“Then Assyria will fall, but not by the sword of man; a sword will devour them, but not one made by mortals. They will flee before the sword, and their young men will be put to forced labor.
American Standard Version:
And the Assyrian shall fall by the sword, not of man; and the sword, not of men, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall become subject to taskwork.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Then shall the Assyrian{H804} fall{H5307} with the sword{H2719}, not of a mighty man{H376}; and the sword{H2719}, not of a mean man{H120}, shall devour{H398} him: but he shall flee{H5127} from{H6440} the sword{H2719}, and his young men{H970} shall be discomfited{H4522}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Isaiah 14:25
- That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.
Genesis 49:15
- And he saw that rest [was] good, and the land that [it was] pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.
Isaiah 10:16
- Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
Isaiah 10:19
- And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.
2 Kings 19:34
- For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
2 Kings 19:37
- And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.
Isaiah 37:35
- For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Isaiah 31:8
Isaiah 31:8 is a prophetic verse set within the broader context of the eighth-century BCE, a time when the Kingdom of Judah was facing the threat of Assyrian domination. The Assyrian Empire was known for its ruthless military tactics and had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. In this verse, the prophet Isaiah delivers a message of divine assurance to Judah, promising that their enemy, the Assyrians, will not be victorious through their own might or by the hand of any human warrior, whether strong or weak.
The verse speaks to the theme of God's sovereignty over all nations and their leaders, emphasizing that it is ultimately the Lord who determines the outcome of battles, not the strength or strategy of human armies. The "sword" mentioned in the verse symbolizes divine judgment, indicating that the Assyrian Empire will fall not by human hands but by an act of God. The phrase "he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited" suggests a rout and utter defeat, where even the most vigorous and capable soldiers will be thrown into disarray and confusion.
Historically, this prophecy aligns with the eventual decline of the Assyrian Empire, which, despite its military prowess, eventually succumbed to a coalition of forces, including the Babylonians and Medes. The verse serves as a reminder to the people of Judah, and by extension to all readers, that their trust should be in God rather than in military alliances or human strength. It reinforces the message found throughout the book of Isaiah that reliance on God is the true source of security and salvation.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H804
There are 340 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַשּׁוּר
Transliteration: ʼAshshûwr
Pronunciation: ash-shoor'
Description: or אַשֻּׁר; apparently from אָשַׁר (in the sense of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its empire; Asshur, Assur, Assyria, Assyrians. See אָשֻׁר. - Strong's Number: H5307
There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָפַל
Transliteration: nâphal
Pronunciation: naw-fal'
Description: a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative); be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for פָּלַל), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be ([idiom] hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, [idiom] surely, throw down. - Strong's Number: H2719
There are 372 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חֶרֶב
Transliteration: chereb
Pronunciation: kheh'-reb
Description: from חָרַב; drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement; axe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool. - Strong's Number: H376
There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִישׁ
Transliteration: ʼîysh
Pronunciation: eesh
Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה. - Strong's Number: H120
There are 581 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָדָם
Transliteration: ʼâdâm
Pronunciation: aw-dawm'
Description: from אָדַם; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.); [idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person. - Strong's Number: H398
There are 825 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָכַל
Transliteration: ʼâkal
Pronunciation: aw-kal'
Description: a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively); [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite. - Strong's Number: H5127
There are 143 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נוּס
Transliteration: nûwç
Pronunciation: noos
Description: a primitive root; to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver); [idiom] abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, [idiom] hide, lift up a standard. - Strong's Number: H6440
There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּנִים
Transliteration: pânîym
Pronunciation: paw-neem'
Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you. - Strong's Number: H970
There are 44 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּחוּר
Transliteration: bâchûwr
Pronunciation: baw-khoor'
Description: or בָּחֻר; participle passive of בָּחַר; properly, selected, i.e. a youth (often collective); (choice) young (man), chosen, [idiom] hole. - Strong's Number: H4522
There are 22 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מַס
Transliteration: maç
Pronunciation: mas
Description: or מִס; from מָסַס; properly, a burden (as causing to faint), i.e. a tax in the form of forced labor; discomfited, levy, task(-master), tribute(-tary).