I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
I will send him against a nation of hypocrites, and I will command him to attack the people who have made me angry. He will take their wealth as plunder, capture what he wants, and trample them down like mud in the streets.
God is saying He will use a foreign ruler as His instrument of judgment against His own people because of their hypocrisy and sin.
📚 Historical Context
This verse refers to God's plan to use the Assyrian king as His tool of judgment against Israel and Judah around 722-701 BC. The 'hypocritical nation' refers to God's own people who maintained religious rituals while living in disobedience and injustice. Isaiah prophesied this during a time when both kingdoms were spiritually corrupt despite their outward religious practices.
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