Isaiah 17:13

Isa 17:13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but [God] shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

Ver. 13. The nations shall rush.] Or, Rustle. The Assyrians did so when they brake in. {Isa 36:1-20}

But God shall rebuke them,] i.e., Chide them, smite them, and so set it on, as none shall be able to take it off.

And they shall flee far off.] Heb., He shall flee, viz., Sennacherib, who, was frightened with the slaughter of his soldiers by the angel, shall flee his utmost.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17:13 God will silence them: The Lord is sovereign over the nations, as he is over the sea (Ps 65:7).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He addeth this for the consolation of the faithful which were in Israel.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

shall . . . shall--rather, "God rebuketh (Psa 9:5) them, and they flee--are chased"; the event is set before the eyes as actually present, not future.

chaff of . . . mountains--Threshing floors in the East are in the open air on elevated places, so as to catch the wind which separates the chaff from the wheat (Psa 88:13; Hos 13:3).

rolling thing--anything that rolls: stubble.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(13) But God shall rebuke them.—Better, He shall rebuke. The insertion of the word “God” weakens the force of the sublime indefiniteness of the Hebrew.

Like a rolling thing.—The Hebrew word is the same as the “wheel” of Psa_83:13, and probably refers, like the “chaff of the mountains,” to the whirling dust-clouds driven from an elevated threshing-floor before the wind (Psa_1:4; Psa_35:5). There is no sufficient authority for the “thistle-down” of the margin.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. The Assyrians shall perish at the rebuke of jehovah. The first clause of the verse is almost identical with the last words of Isa_17:12, and is wanting in the Peshito and a few Hebr. MSS. It may have arisen through dittography, although some think the repetition is rhetorically effective, contrasting the long-drawn-out terror of the invasion with the sharp and sudden visitation described in what follows.

but God shall rebuke them] Better: but he (Jehovah) rebuketh it (the tumult of nations). The following verbs should also be rendered as presents and in the singular number: it fleeth … is chased. The “rebuke” of Jehovah is His voice of thunder (Psa_104:7).

chaff of the mountains] Threshing-floors were chosen by preference on elevated situations, free to the wind, which carried away the stubble without any artificial winnowing process.

a rolling thing] R.V. the whirling dust, as in Psa_83:13. The translation “stubble,” however, is supported by the analogy of Aramaic and Arabic words.

For the figure, comp. ch. Isa_29:5; Psa_1:4; Psa_35:5, &c.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters,.... With great force and noise, and run over the whole land, as the Assyrian army did, until it came to Jerusalem, and there it stopped; see Isa 8:7,

but God shall rebuke them; as he did the waters of the Red Sea, Psa 106:9 and as Christ rebuked the winds and sea, and made a calm, Mat 8:26. The word "God" is not in the text, but rightly supplied; for as none but he can rebuke the mighty waters of the sea, so none but he could have destroyed such an army in the manner it was, and wrought such a salvation for his people. The phrase, is expressive both of his wrath and power.

And they shall flee afar off; from Jerusalem to Nineveh, reckoned to be six hundred and eighty four miles from thence: or, "he shall flee afar off" (x); that is, Sennacherib, and the few that escaped with him, for, his army was destroyed; see Kg2 19:36,

and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind; chaff upon the floor is easily chased away with the fan, and much more easily chaff upon the mountains with the wind; it was usual with the Jews to thresh their corn, and winnow it on hills and mountains, to which the allusion is; see Ch2 3:1 or "the dust of the mountains", as some (y) render it, which is more exposed to the wind than that in the valleys. Kings and great men of the earth are but as dust with God; and the higher they are, or they exalt themselves, the more they are exposed to the power of his wrath, and as easily cast down as the dust is scattered by the wind:

and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind; or "like a wheel" (z), as the word is sometimes rendered; or any round thing, as a round wisp of straw or stubble, which is easily and swiftly moved and rolled along, especially by a strong wind. Jarchi interprets it of the flower of thorns; that is, the down of the thistle, which, when blown off, rolls up, and, being exceeding light, is carried away at once; see Psa 83:13 all which shows what poor light things the greatest of men are in the hands of God, and with what ease he can chase them from place to place, and out of the world, when it is his pleasure.

(x) "fugiet de procul", Vatablus. (y) "velut, pulvis montium", Tigurine version. (z) "sicut rota". Junius & Tremellius; "tanquam glomus stipularum", Piscator.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

God shall rebuke them - The word ‘God’ is not here in the original, but is evidently to be supplied. The word ‘rebuke’ means that he would disarrange their plans, prevent their success, and defeat their purposes. It shows the great power of God, that he can thus by a “rebuke” - a word - arrest mighty nations, and discomfit thom when they are tumultuously hastening onward in the confidence of victory. This discomfiture refers, doubtless, to the overthrow of Sennacherib and his army by the pestilence (2Ki 19:35; see the notes at Isa 37:36).

And they shall flee far off - The whole army of Sennacherib was not destroyed, but a part with himself returned to Assyria 2Ki 19:36.

And shall be chased as the chaff ... - Denoting the case with which God would do it, and the certain and entire discomfiture of the army. The figure is one that is very striking in describing an army that is routed, and that flees in disorder (compare Job 21:18; Psa 1:4; Psa 35:5; Isa 29:5; Hos 13:3).

And like a rolling thing - Margin, ‘Thistle-down.’ It means, literally, anything that “rolls” (גלגל galgal, from גלל gâlal, to roll). It is applied to chaff, stubble, or anything that is driven about by a whirlwind Psa 83:14.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Shall rebuke them; not in words, but deeds; shall discomfit and overthrow them.

Like a rolling thing, which is easily moved by every slight touch, and much more by a violent wind. Or, like a wisp, to wit, of straw, which is sometimes rolled together.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

God shall rebuke them; literally, he shall rebuke them he who alone can do so. There is no need to mention his name. They shall flee far off. The destruction of the great bulk of Sennacherib"s army in the night was followed, as soon as morning came, by the hasty flight of the survivors. (2Ki_19:36 Isa_37:37) And shall be chased. Herodotus says that the Egyptians pursued the army of Sennacherib and slew vast numbers (2:141). As the chaff of the mountains. (comp. Hos_13:3) Threshing-floors were ordinarily placed upon eminences, (2Sa_24:18 2Ch_3:1) where the wind had freer course and consequently greater power. Like a rolling thing; or, like whirling dust (Kay). The word used commonly means "a wheel."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

“Nations, like the rush of many waters, rush; and He rebukes it, and it flees from afar, and is chased like the chaff of hills before a wind, and like a rolling thing before a whirlwind.” While there seems to be an obvious allusion to the flight of Sennacherib and the remnant of his host (Isa 37:36-37) the terms are so selected as to admit of a wider application to all Jehovah’s enemies, and thus prepare the way for the general declaration in the following verse.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

and He shall rebuke them [lit.] him i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He, [shall rebuke] that rushing [or throng].

like the chaff of the mountains He likens the wicked to the most inferior of all species and the most inferior of that species. The chaff of the mountains is drier than that of the valleys.

and like the thistle blossoms Heb. וּכְגַלְגַל. That is from the blossom of the thistles called kardouns in O.F. [chardons in modern French] similar to those with which they pull woolen garments, and they are not hard. When the end of the summer arrives, they burst open by themselves and the wind scatters them. Now that bursting is made like a round wheel (גַלְגַּל) [var. like a wagon wheel], like a sort of eye in the center with five spokes around it.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

But He shall rebuke him. God will rebuke the king of Assyria.

From far off. That is, far from his own land.

And shall be chased. The part of the army that will be left will be pursued.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.