Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
However, that's not what he intends, and that's not what he's thinking in his heart. Instead, his heart is set on destroying and wiping out many nations.
This verse reveals that while God may use someone as His instrument of judgment, that person's own evil motivations and destructive ambitions are completely different from God's purposes.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of Isaiah's prophecy about the Assyrian king who would be used by God to discipline Israel for their disobedience. While God intended to use Assyria as a tool of correction for His people, the Assyrian ruler had his own cruel agenda of conquest and destruction. The prophet is explaining that God's purposes and human motivations can be vastly different, even when they intersect in historical events.
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