Isaiah 10:11

KJV

Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

KJV (with Strong's)

Shall I not, as I have done {H6213} unto Samaria {H8111} and her idols {H457}, so do {H6213} to Jerusalem {H3389} and her idols {H6091}?

Complete Jewish Bible

so won't I do to Yerushalayim and her non-gods what I did to Shomron and her idols?'"

Berean Standard Bible

and as I have done to Samaria and its idols, will I not also do to Jerusalem and her idols?”

American Standard Version

shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Isaiah 10:11 captures the arrogant rhetorical question of the Assyrian king, who, having successfully subjugated Samaria and its impotent deities, confidently declares his intention to inflict the same fate upon Jerusalem and its "idols." This boast, born of human pride and perceived invincibility, ironically sets the stage for God's dramatic intervention, exposing the monarch's profound ignorance of the true God of Israel and His unique, covenantal relationship with His holy city.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Isaiah 10:11 is deeply embedded within a significant prophetic oracle (Isaiah 10:5-19) where the Lord, the sovereign God of Israel, articulates His intention to use the formidable Assyrian Empire as a divinely appointed instrument of judgment against His rebellious people, both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. While Assyria is explicitly identified as God's "rod" and "staff" (as detailed in [Isaiah 10:5](/isaiah/10-5 "Isaiah 10:5 - Assyria as God's Instrument")), the subsequent verses (Isaiah 10:7-11) pivot to reveal the Assyrian king's profound hubris and self-aggrandizement. He fails to perceive himself as a mere tool in the hands of the Almighty, instead attributing his sweeping conquests solely to his own strength, wisdom, and military prowess. Verse 11 serves as the climactic expression of this boastful arrogance, immediately preceding God's definitive declaration of judgment against Assyria's pride (as found in [Isaiah 10:12-19](/isaiah/10-12-19 "Isaiah 10:12-19 - God's Judgment on Assyrian Pride")), thereby highlighting the profound and dramatic irony inherent in the situation. The broader prophetic context of [Isaiah 7-12](/isaiah/7-12 "Isaiah 7-12 - The Book of Immanuel") consistently grapples with the looming Assyrian threat, contrasting it with God's steadfast promise of ultimate deliverance for Judah and culminating in the glorious anticipation of messianic hope.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The historical setting for Isaiah 10 is the tumultuous late 8th century BCE, a period unequivocally dominated by the relentless expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Under a succession of powerful monarchs, including Tiglath-Pileser III, Shalmaneser V, Sargon II, and Sennacherib, Assyria systematically conquered vast swathes of territory across the Near East, notably including the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Samaria, the capital city of Israel, famously fell to Assyrian forces in 722 BCE, an event meticulously documented in [2 Kings 17:6](/2_kings/17-6 "2 Kings 17:6 - The Fall of Samaria and Deportation"), which led to the widespread deportation of its inhabitants. At the precise time of this prophecy, Judah, the Southern Kingdom, with its sacred capital Jerusalem, managed to maintain a precarious independence but faced an imminent and overwhelming threat from the formidable Assyrian war machine. Assyrian military strategy was not merely about conquest; it routinely involved the systematic desecration and removal of conquered nations' deities, reflecting their deeply held belief that their own gods, particularly Ashur, were demonstrably superior and the true source of their military triumphs. The Assyrian king's boast in [Isaiah 10:11](/isaiah/10-11 "Isaiah 10:11 - Assyria's Boast Against Jerusalem") powerfully encapsulates this worldview, where the perceived power of a nation's gods was directly measured by its military success and ability to resist Assyrian might.

* **Key Themes:** This pivotal verse significantly contributes to several profound theological and narrative themes woven throughout the book of Isaiah and the broader prophetic corpus. A paramount theme is **Divine Sovereignty vs. Human Arrogance**. While the Assyrian king audaciously boasts of his own might and strategic wisdom, the preceding verses (e.g., [Isaiah 10:5](/isaiah/10-5 "Isaiah 10:5 - Assyria as God's Rod")) unequivocally declare that he is nothing more than an unwitting instrument in the hands of the Almighty. His prideful comparison of Jerusalem's impending fate to Samaria's already sealed doom starkly underscores his profound spiritual blindness and ultimately sets the stage for God's inevitable and decisive judgment against his hubris, a theme powerfully articulated in [Isaiah 10:12](/isaiah/10-12 "Isaiah 10:12 - God's Judgment on Assyrian Pride"). Another crucial theme brought to the forefront is the **Consequences of Idolatry**. Both Samaria and Jerusalem are implicated in the widespread worship of "idols," highlighting the spiritual unfaithfulness that historically led to divine judgment and vulnerability. The Assyrian king's casual dismissal of their gods vividly underscores the **Powerlessness of False Gods** when confronted by the true divine power, contrasting sharply with the unique and unparalleled power of the God of Israel, who alone possesses the authority to deliver or to judge. Finally, the verse implicitly introduces the profound theme of **Jerusalem's Special Status**, as it foreshadows that Jerusalem, unlike Samaria, will ultimately be miraculously protected by God, not due to its own inherent righteousness, but solely due to God's unwavering covenant faithfulness and His ultimate redemptive plan for His chosen people.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **do (Hebrew, _ʻâsâh'_):** This primitive root (H6213) is exceptionally broad and versatile in its meaning, encompassing actions such as "to do or make," "accomplish," "perform," or "execute." In the context of [Isaiah 10:11](/isaiah/10-11 "Isaiah 10:11 - Assyria's Boast Against Jerusalem"), the Assyrian king employs this verb to describe his past military conquest and subjugation of Samaria and his intended future dominion over Jerusalem. It speaks directly to his perceived ability to act decisively, effectively, and with absolute authority, believing his power is unchallengeable and his will irresistible.
* **idols (Hebrew, _ʼĕlîyl'_):** This specific term (H457), used in reference to Samaria's idols, derives from a root suggesting "good for nothing," "vain," or "thing of nought." It emphatically conveys the utter worthlessness, impotence, and non-existence of the false gods worshipped by the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The Assyrian king's boast implies that these deities offered no protection whatsoever to Samaria, and by extension, he arrogantly assumes Jerusalem's idols (though a different Hebrew word is used for Jerusalem's, H6091) are equally useless and incapable of defense.
* **Jerusalem (Hebrew, _Yᵉrûwshâlaim'_):** This word (H3389) refers to the capital city of Judah, often interpreted as meaning "founded peaceful." In this verse, Jerusalem represents the Southern Kingdom and the remaining remnant of God's covenant people. The Assyrian king's targeting of Jerusalem is a direct and audacious challenge to the God of Israel, whose unique presence and covenant promises were intimately associated with the Temple in Jerusalem. His assumption that Jerusalem would fall as easily as Samaria demonstrates his profound ignorance of God's special covenant and protective hand over His holy city.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Shall I not,"**: This opening phrase is a powerful rhetorical question, serving not as a genuine inquiry but as an arrogant boast. It conveys an undeniable certainty and an expectation of an immediate affirmative answer, reflecting the Assyrian king's absolute confidence in his own overwhelming power and the perceived inevitability of his conquest. It is a defiant challenge, asserting his unassailable might.
* **"as I have done unto Samaria and her idols,"**: This clause directly references the historical and devastating conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, whose capital was Samaria. The inclusion of the phrase "and her idols" (using the Hebrew word _ʼĕlîyl_, H457, emphasizing worthlessness) highlights the Assyrian worldview, where military victory over a nation was seen as a definitive defeat of its gods. The king perceives no qualitative distinction between the true God of Israel and the powerless idols of other nations he has conquered, or even the syncretistic, false worship practices prevalent within Samaria.
* **"so do to Jerusalem and her idols?"**: This is the core of the Assyrian king's audacious boast, applying his past, proven success to his future, intended target. He confidently presumes that Jerusalem will fall with the same ease as Samaria, and that her deities (here using the Hebrew word _ʻâtsâb_, H6091, which refers to an "image" or "painful thing," implying a constructed, lifeless object) are no more capable of defending her than Samaria's. This statement is a direct affront to the true, living God of Israel, setting up the dramatic confrontation between human pride and divine sovereignty that powerfully unfolds in the subsequent chapters of Isaiah.

#### Literary Devices
[Isaiah 10:11](/isaiah/10-11 "Isaiah 10:11 - Assyria's Boast Against Jerusalem") masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message. The most prominent is **Rhetorical Question**, which the Assyrian king utilizes not to elicit information but to assert his unchallengeable power and the absolute inevitability of Jerusalem's capitulation. This device powerfully underscores his immense pride, self-exaltation, and perceived omnipotence. Closely intertwined with this is **Parallelism**, as the king draws a direct and explicit comparison between his past, successful conquest of Samaria and his intended, future conquest of Jerusalem. This structural parallelism highlights his conviction in a predictable and repeatable pattern of military victory, suggesting that what happened to one capital will assuredly happen to the other. Finally, the entire verse is steeped in profound **Irony**. The Assyrian king's boast, intended to convey his absolute control and irresistible might, is deeply ironic because, within the larger divine narrative of [Isaiah 10](/isaiah/10 "Isaiah 10 - Assyria as God's Instrument and Its Judgment"), he is, in reality, merely an unconscious and unwitting tool in the hands of the very God he implicitly defies and dismisses. His unbridled confidence in his own strength is, in fact, a dramatic prelude to his ultimate and divinely orchestrated downfall.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
[Isaiah 10:11](/isaiah/10-11 "Isaiah 10:11 - Assyria's Boast Against Jerusalem") stands as a profound theological declaration on the inherent nature of God's absolute sovereignty contrasted with the fleeting vanity of human pride and the utter futility of idolatry. The Assyrian king's boast, while seemingly formidable in its earthly power, is ultimately revealed as hollow and impotent in the face of the one true God. This passage powerfully underscores that no earthly power, no matter how vast or militarily superior, can ultimately thwart God's divine plans or overcome His omnipotent might. It sharply delineates the critical distinction between the impotent "idols" of human creation—mere constructs of wood, stone, or metal—and the living, active, and transcendent God who judges nations, orchestrates history, and steadfastly protects His covenant people according to His righteous will. The king's unbridled arrogance serves as a stark and timeless reminder that attributing success solely to human strength, wisdom, or strategic genius is a grave spiritual error, one that inevitably invites divine judgment.

* [Proverbs 16:18](/proverbs/16-18 "Proverbs 16:18 - Pride Goes Before Destruction")
* [Psalm 115:3-8](/psalm/115-3-8 "Psalm 115:3-8 - Our God is in the Heavens")
* [Daniel 4:34-35](/daniel/4-34-35 "Daniel 4:34-35 - God's Dominion Endures Forever")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The Assyrian king's arrogant question in [Isaiah 10:11](/isaiah/10-11 "Isaiah 10:11 - Assyria's Boast Against Jerusalem") serves as a timeless and potent warning against the insidious dangers of human pride and the seductive power of idolatry, even in its most subtle and contemporary forms. In our own lives, we are perpetually susceptible to the trap of believing that our accomplishments, successes, or even our very security are solely the result of our own strength, wisdom, or accumulated resources, rather than humbly acknowledging God's providential hand and sustaining grace. This dangerous inclination can manifest as an over-reliance on self, a stubborn refusal to seek divine guidance, or a dismissive and arrogant attitude towards spiritual principles and God's commands. Furthermore, anything that subtly or overtly replaces God as the ultimate source of our security, identity, purpose, or joy—be it a burgeoning career, substantial financial stability, elevated social status, or even deeply cherished personal relationships—can, in essence, become a modern "idol" that competes for the rightful throne of our hearts. This verse profoundly calls us to cultivate a posture of genuine humility, reminding us that true security, lasting peace, and ultimate fulfillment are found exclusively in trusting the sovereign God who holds all nations, all power, and all of history firmly within His hands. It challenges us to honestly examine the deepest recesses of our hearts for any lingering idols and to surrender our perceived control and self-sufficiency to the One who truly reigns supreme.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **Where in my life do I tend to rely more on my own strength, intellect, or resources than on God's unwavering sovereignty and provision?**
* **What are the "idols" in my contemporary culture or within my personal life that subtly or overtly compete for God's rightful, exclusive place in my heart?**
* **How does the ultimate, dramatic outcome for Assyria (as revealed later in the book of Isaiah) encourage and strengthen my faith to trust God's perfect plan, even when facing seemingly overwhelming threats or insurmountable challenges?**
* **In what practical and tangible ways can I cultivate a deeper, more consistent sense of humility and absolute dependence on God in my daily walk and decision-making?**

### FAQ

**Who is speaking in Isaiah 10:11?**

Answer: The speaker in [Isaiah 10:11](/isaiah/10-11 "Isaiah 10:11 - Assyria's Boast Against Jerusalem") is the arrogant king of Assyria, most likely Sennacherib, who is boasting about his overwhelming military might and his past conquests. He is not speaking on behalf of God, but rather from his own prideful and self-exalting perspective, presuming that his success against Samaria will be effortlessly replicated against Jerusalem. This self-aggrandizement is made abundantly clear by the preceding verses, which vividly describe his hubris and ambitious intentions (e.g., [Isaiah 10:7-8](/isaiah/10-7-8 "Isaiah 10:7-8 - The Assyrian King's Arrogant Intentions")).

**What is the significance of the Assyrian king comparing Jerusalem to Samaria?**

Answer: The comparison is profoundly significant because Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, had already fallen decisively to Assyria (around 722 BCE). By equating Jerusalem's fate with Samaria's, the Assyrian king is asserting his deeply flawed belief that the God of Jerusalem is no more powerful, capable, or protective than the defeated gods or impotent idols of Samaria and other conquered nations. He perceives no unique power, covenantal protection, or divine distinction for Jerusalem, thereby highlighting his profound spiritual blindness to the true, living God of Israel, who had a special and enduring covenant with Judah and Jerusalem. This arrogant comparison sets up the dramatic and ultimate contrast with God's miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem, as vividly recounted in later chapters (e.g., [Isaiah 37](/isaiah/37 "Isaiah 37 - Sennacherib's Defeat and Jerusalem's Deliverance")).

**Did Assyria actually conquer Jerusalem as the king boasted?**

Answer: No, Assyria did not conquer Jerusalem. While the formidable Assyrian army, under the command of King Sennacherib, did indeed besiege Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah (around 701 BCE), God miraculously intervened and supernaturally destroyed a vast portion of the Assyrian army, forcing Sennacherib to retreat in shame and defeat. This dramatic and divine deliverance is meticulously recorded in [2 Kings 19:35-36](/2_kings/19-35-36 "2 Kings 19:35-36 - Angel of the Lord Strikes the Assyrian Army") and powerfully reiterated in [Isaiah 37:36-37](/isaiah/37-36-37 "Isaiah 37:36-37 - The Angel of the Lord Destroys Assyrian Army"). The Assyrian king's boast in [Isaiah 10:11](/isaiah/10-11 "Isaiah 10:11 - Assyria's Boast Against Jerusalem"), therefore, proved to be utterly empty and false, serving as a powerful testament to God's ultimate and unchallengeable sovereignty over even the most powerful earthly empires and their arrogant rulers.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
[Isaiah 10:11](/isaiah/10-11 "Isaiah 10:11 - Assyria's Boast Against Jerusalem"), with its striking depiction of a proud earthly king challenging the true God through his audacious boasts against Jerusalem and its perceived "idols," finds its ultimate and profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the triumph of God's eternal kingdom over all forms of human arrogance, false worship, and spiritual opposition. The Assyrian king's unbridled confidence in his own power and his dismissive attitude towards Israel's God powerfully foreshadows the myriad earthly powers and spiritual forces that would later rise in opposition to God's redemptive plan, culminating in the ultimate confrontation with Christ Himself. Just as God miraculously protected Jerusalem from the Assyrian onslaught, thereby demonstrating His absolute sovereignty and covenant faithfulness, so too Christ, the true King of Jerusalem and the incarnate Son of God, definitively triumphed over all the "idols" of sin, death, and worldly power. His decisive victory on the cross (as described in [Colossians 2:15](/colossians/2-15 "Colossians 2:15 - Christ's Triumph Over Principalities and Powers")) utterly disarmed the spiritual principalities and powers that hold humanity captive to false gods, empty philosophies, and the dominion of darkness. Furthermore, Christ's zealous cleansing of the temple (e.g., [John 2:13-17](/john/2-13-17 "John 2:13-17 - Jesus Cleanses the Temple")), a sacred space that had tragically become a "den of thieves" and a site of ritualistic idolatry, profoundly signifies His divine authority to purify true worship and establish a spiritual kingdom not built on fleeting earthly might or vain religious rituals, but solely on the efficacy of His own perfect sacrifice and glorious resurrection. Ultimately, the boast of every earthly power and the emptiness of every idol are swallowed up and rendered meaningless in the glorious and eternal reign of Christ, who alone is truly worthy of all worship, honor, and dominion, and whose kingdom will have no end ([Revelation 11:15](/revelation/11-15 "Revelation 11:15 - The Kingdom of the World Becomes the Kingdom of Our Lord")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Isaiah 37:10

Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Isaiah 37:13

Where [is] the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

Isaiah 2:8

Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:

Isaiah 36:19

Where [are] the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where [are] the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

Isaiah 36:20

Who [are they] among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?