The Meaning of Isaiah 10:6 Explained

Isaiah 10:6

KJV: 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.

YLT: Against a profane nation I send him, And concerning a people of My wrath I charge him, To spoil spoil, and to seize prey, And to make it a treading-place as the clay of out places.

Darby: I will send him against a hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge; to take the spoil, and to seize the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

ASV: I will send him against a profane 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 10:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 10:5-19 - The Mighty Laid Low
This question is addressed to the Assyrian invader, described as God's staff and rod. He was the means of inflicting deserved penalty on the world of that age, and especially on the Chosen People. He had no thought of this, but considered himself free to wreak his will without reference to that Higher Power whose agent he was. But the ruthless manner in which he carried out his work was destined to come under the divine judgment, Isaiah 10:12-15.
The capture of Jerusalem seemed as sure as the taking of a nest of eggs. The strongest barriers that the nations could oppose to his arms had fallen before the Assyrian king; and surely the Hebrew city should not escape. But God had yet to be reckoned with, Isaiah 10:16-19. The conception here is borrowed from a forest fire, which begins among the brushwood and presently consumes the loftiest and stoutest trees; so would the fire of destruction be kindled during the attack on the Holy City, which finally would involve the whole Assyrian empire. Let us not fear the wrath of man. God makes some portion of it to praise Him, and He restrains the remainder. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 10

1  The woe of tyrants
5  Assyria, the rod of hypocrites, for its pride shall be broken
20  A remnant of Israel shall be saved
23  Judah is comforted with promise of deliverance from Assyria

What do the individual words in Isaiah 10:6 mean?

Against nation a hypocritical I will send him and against the people of My wrath I will give him charge to seize the spoil and to take the prey - and to them tread down like the mire of the streets
בְּג֤וֹי חָנֵף֙ אֲשַׁלְּחֶ֔נּוּ וְעַל־ עַ֥ם עֶבְרָתִ֖י אֲצַוֶּ֑נּוּ לִשְׁלֹ֤ל שָׁלָל֙ וְלָבֹ֣ז בַּ֔ז [ולשימו] (וּלְשׂוּמ֥וֹ) מִרְמָ֖ס כְּחֹ֥מֶר חוּצֽוֹת

בְּג֤וֹי  Against  nation 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
חָנֵף֙  a  hypocritical 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָנֵף 
Sense: hypocritical, godless, profane, hypocrite, irreligious.
אֲשַׁלְּחֶ֔נּוּ  I  will  send  him 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
וְעַל־  and  against 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
עַ֥ם  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
עֶבְרָתִ֖י  of  My  wrath 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עֶבְרָה  
Sense: outpouring, overflow, excess, fury, wrath, arrogance.
אֲצַוֶּ֑נּוּ  I  will  give  him  charge 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
לִשְׁלֹ֤ל  to  seize 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁלַל 
Sense: (Qal) to draw out.
שָׁלָל֙  the  spoil 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
וְלָבֹ֣ז  and  to  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּזַז  
Sense: to spoil, plunder, prey upon, seize.
בַּ֔ז  the  prey 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּז  
Sense: spoil, booty, robbery, spoiling.
[ולשימו]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
(וּלְשׂוּמ֥וֹ)  and  to  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
מִרְמָ֖ס  tread  down 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִרְמָס  
Sense: trampling place, trampling.
כְּחֹ֥מֶר  like  the  mire 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֹמֶר 
Sense: cement, mortar, clay.
חוּצֽוֹת  of  the  streets 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חוּץ  
Sense: outside, outward, street, the outside.