Isaiah 10:34

“And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, &c.] The multitude of the common soldiers, the whole body of the army, by means of one of his angels, that excel in strength, for which he is compared to “iron”; and which is explained in the next clause: and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one; the Assyrian army is compared to the forest of Lebanon, for the multitude of trees in it, and the tallness of its cedars, it abounding not only with common soldiers, but with great men; so it is compared to a forest, and to Carmel, or a fruitful field, in (<231018>Isaiah 10:18) and the Assyrian monarch is said to be a cedar in Lebanon, (<263103>Ezekiel 31:3) which fell by the hands of one of…”

“This verse and Isa 10:33 describe the sudden arrest and overthrow of Sennacherib in the height of his success; Isa 10:18-19; Eze 31:3, Eze 31:14, &c., contain the same image; "Lebanon" and its forest are the Assyrian army; the "iron" axe that fells the forest refers to the stroke which destroyed the one hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians (Kg2 19:35). The "Mighty One" is Jehovah (Isa 10:21; Isa 9:6). From the local and temporary national deliverance the prophet passes by the law of suggestion in an easy transition to the end of all prophecy--the everlasting deliverance under Messiah's reign, not merely His first coming, but chiefly His second coming. The language and illustrations are…”

“And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest - The army of the Assyrians, described here as a thick, dense forest; compare Isaiah 10:18-19. With iron - As a forest is cut down with an axe, so the prophet uses this phrase here, to keep up and carry out the figure. The army was destroyed with the pestilence 2 Kings 19:35; but it fell as certainly as a forest falls before the axe. And Lebanon - Lebanon is here evidently descriptive of the army of the Assyrian, retaining the idea of a beautiful and magnificent forest. Thus, in Ezekiel 31:3, it is said, ‘the king of the Assyrians was a cedar of Lebanon with fair branches.’ Lebanon is usually applied to the Jews as descriptive of them…”

“Iron - Or, as with iron, as the trees of the forest are cut down with instruments of iron. Lebanon - Or, his Lebanon, the Assyrian army, which being before compared to a forest, and being called his Carmel in the Hebrew text, Isa 10:18, may very fitly upon the same ground, be called his Lebanon here. Next: Isaiah Chapter 11”

“cut down: Isa 10:18, Isa 37:24; Jer 22:7, Jer 46:22, Jer 46:23, Jer 48:2; Nah 1:12 Lebanon: Zac 11:1, Zac 11:2 by a mighty one: or, mightily, Isa 31:8, Isa 37:36; Psa 103:20; Dan 4:13, Dan 4:14, Dan 4:23; Th2 1:7; Pe2 2:11; Rev 10:1; Rev 18:21 Next: Isaiah Chapter 11”