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.
against
Isaiah 9:17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
Isaiah 19:17 And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it.
Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
will I give
Isaiah 10:13,14 For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: …
Isaiah 37:26,27 Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps…
Isaiah 41:25 I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.
tread them.
Isaiah 22:5 For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.
Isaiah 63:3,6 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment…
2 Samuel 22:43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.
I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage,
Here, "dispatch" indicates God's sovereign control over the events, emphasizing His authority over nations. The "people destined for My rage" refers to Israel, who, due to their persistent disobedience, were subject to divine wrath. This aligns with Deuteronomy 28:15-68, where God outlines the curses for disobedience, including conquest by foreign powers. The concept of divine rage underscores God's holiness and justice, as seen in Nahum 1:2-3.
to take spoils and seize plunder,
This phrase describes the Assyrian invasion's material consequences, where the conquerors would strip the land of its wealth. Historically, Assyrian campaigns were known for their brutality and thoroughness in plundering conquered territories, as evidenced by archaeological findings and Assyrian records. This action fulfills the warnings given in Deuteronomy 28:49-52 about foreign nations consuming Israel's resources.
and to trample them down like clay in the streets.
The imagery of trampling "like clay in the streets" conveys utter defeat and humiliation. Clay, being easily crushed, symbolizes the vulnerability and helplessness of Israel before the Assyrian might. This metaphor is consistent with the prophetic language used in Isaiah 41:25 and Daniel 2:34-35, where nations are depicted as fragile before God's purposes. The trampling also foreshadows the ultimate judgment and restoration themes found in the prophetic literature, pointing to the eventual triumph of God's kingdom, as seen in Revelation 19:15.
God explicitly identifies Himself as the One initiating Assyria’s march. Isaiah 10:5 has already called Assyria “the rod of My anger”, so verse 6 simply continues the thought:
• The “sending” underscores that world events are not random; the Lord raises up and directs kingdoms (Daniel 2:21; Proverbs 21:1).
• The target is “a godless nation.” Though Judah still observed outward forms of worship, Isaiah 1:13-15 reveals their sacrifices were empty ritual. Their practical atheism made them, in God’s sight, “godless.”
• Similar language appears in Habakkuk 1:6 where God says, “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans…”. He has done this before and will do it again—always with a redemptive purpose for His covenant people.
The verse intensifies: Assyria is “dispatched,” a military term conveying swift, purposeful deployment.
• “Destined for My rage” points back to Isaiah 9:19, “By the wrath of the LORD of Hosts the land is scorched”. Judah’s persistent sin brought them to a tipping point.
• Jeremiah 25:8-9 parallels this: “Because you have not obeyed My words … I will send for all the families of the north … and Nebuchadnezzar … and I will devote them to destruction”.
• God’s wrath is never capricious; it is judicial, measured, and always consistent with His holiness (Psalm 7:11).
Here God states the immediate objectives of the invading force.
• 2 Kings 18:14-16 records Assyria stripping Judah’s treasury, literally fulfilling this phrase.
• Plunder is a covenant curse foretold in Deuteronomy 28:49-52; obedience brings blessing, disobedience invites foreign invasion and economic ruin.
• The detail reminds us that sin is costly. What Judah refused to surrender to God in worship would be ripped away by enemies (Malachi 3:8-10 versus Haggai 1:6).
The picture is ruthless, total subjugation.
• Isaiah 41:25 uses the same metaphor: “He will come … he will trample governors as the clay”.
• Micah 7:10 shows enemies gloating, “Then my enemy will see and shame will cover her … she will be trampled underfoot like mud in the streets”.
• Clay has no resistance; once people reject the Rock of salvation (Isaiah 8:14), they become as fragile as dust before iron (Daniel 2:40).
Isaiah 10:6 reveals God’s sovereign, righteous use of Assyria to chastise a covenant people grown “godless.” He sends, dispatches, and defines the invader’s mission—plunder and trampling—because Judah’s persistent sin has provoked divine wrath. Yet even this severe judgment is tempered by God’s larger plan: later verses (Isaiah 10:12, 20-21) promise that once His purpose is accomplished, Assyria will face judgment and a remnant of Israel will return. The verse therefore calls readers to take both sin and sovereignty seriously, trusting that the Lord disciplines to restore and ultimately to save.
(6) I will send him against an hypocritical nation.--Better, impious. The verb admits of the various renderings, "I will send," "I did send," and "I am wont to send." The last seems to give the best meaning--not a mere fact in history, nor an isolated prediction, but a law of the Divine government.To take the spoil.--The series of words, though general in meaning, contains probably a special reference to the recent destruction of Samaria, walls pulled down, houses and palaces turned into heaps of rubbish, the soldiers trampling on flower and fruit gardens, this was what the Assyrian army left behind it. Judah had probably suffered in the same way in the hands of Sargon.
Verse 6. - I will send him against an hypocritical nation; or, against a corrupt nation. Israel in the wider sense, inclusive of Judah, seems to be intended. The people of my wrath; i.e. "the people who are the object of my wrath." Will I give him a charge. In 2 Kings 18:25 Sennacherib nays, "Am I come up without the Lord (Jehovah) against thin, lace, to destroy it? The Lord (Jehovah) said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it" (compare below, Isaiah 36:10). It has been usual to consider Sennacherib's words a vain boast; but if God instructed Nebuchadnezzar through dreams, may he not also by the same means have "given charges" to Assyrian monarchs? To take the spoil, and to take the prey; rather, to gather spoil, and seize prey. The terms used carry the thoughts back to Isaiah 8:1-4, and to the symbolic name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz. And to tread them down; literally, to make it a trampling. "It" refers to "nation" in the first clause.