2 Nephi 20

MDC Contents			2 Ne. 20:5 5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is their indignation. Once again the change between chapters should have been between verses 4 and 5 here rather than where currently broken. Not only do the first 4 verses fit better into the poetic structure set up in the previous chapter but this verse sees a change in subject. The prophecy moves from pronouncements against Israel and Judah to a condemnation of Assyria. It is in that context that Assyria is the "rod of mine anger." As noted earlier, the rod is a symbol of a weapon of attack. 2 Ne. 20:6 6 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 take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. The Lord sends Assyria against "a hypocritical nation." As is clear in the text of this prophecy, Isaiah is now speaking about Jerusalem. After Assyria’s conquest of Jerusalem’s neighbors, the army turns towards Jerusalem (see verse 10). The destruction of their attack is no doubt accurate, and the purpose here it to note that it comes with not only the Lord's approval, but by his direction. Assyria is only the tool of the Lord's vengeance. 2 Ne. 20:7 7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but in his heart it is to destroy and cut off nations not a few. While Assyria may be only the tool of the Lord, they do not understand that it is the Lord's purpose behind them. The personified country, "he," understands only his own motives, which are to conquer nations and territories. Historical Information: "By 732 B.C., as a result of this rebellion against the Assyrians, Israel was smashed to the ground, decimated by deportation, and beaten back into the southern corner of her kingdom. With the exception of Samaria, all her major cities were annexed by Assyria, and the countryside was divided into provinces over which Assyrian governors and officials exercised strict control. The Assyrians controlled the whole of the Fertile Crescent from the Persian mountains to Asia Minor, and from the Mesopotamian plain through Lebanon to Palestine. Only Judah and a few other states remained independent, although they had to pay tribute or risk conquest. Samaria retained only a few square miles of farmland, and even though she was reduced to barely a city with her surrounding mountains and valleys." (Ludlow, 1982, p. 158-9.) 2 Ne. 20:8 8 For he saith: Are not my princes altogether kings? The king of Assyria notes his power over other nations. His "princes" are those political leaders who are under his command. Many of those are conquered nations, and thus they were kings of their own lands before they were conquered. This is Assyria boasting in its power, that it is so great that its princes are kings to others. 2 Ne. 20:9 9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus? To the Assyrian king, all of these conquered lands are the same. Regardless of what they were before, they are now his vassals, his territories. 2 Ne. 20:10 10 As my hand hath founded the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; 2 Ne. 20:11 11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and to her idols? This is still the personified Assyria speaking. He notes that he has been successful in conquering nations. He has founded nations whose "gods" were more powerful that those of Jerusalem and Samaria. We should remember that this king would not know the power of the true God, and so he is using the gods of those nations as representatives of the nations. These are nations of political and economic influence that are greater than Jerusalem or Samaria, and it is on that basis that the comparison is made. Because he has been successful against more powerful nations, Assyria presumes success against Jerusalem. In this, he is trusting in his own power, and is completely ignorant of the Lord who wields him as a weapon. 2 Ne. 20:12 12 Wherefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. After the Lord has used Assyria for his own purposes against Jerusalem, he will bring down the haughty ruler of Assyria. 2 Ne. 20:13 13 For he saith: By the strength of my hand and by my wisdom I have done these things; for I am prudent; and I have moved the borders of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man; 2 Ne. 20:14 14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people; and as one gathereth eggs that are left have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. This is the boast of the king. This is the attitude with which the Lord is unhappy. It might certainly appear to this king that he is responsible for all that he has accomplished, just as we might think that our accomplishments come of our own hand, and from our own effort. Just as with the king of Assyria, the Lord will be displeased with us if we do not acknowledge his hand in our lives, and the benefits that have come from his care. 2 Ne. 20:15 15 Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood! This is the Lord speaking. He is exclaiming against the king's presumption in his own power. When the Lord asks "shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith?" the Lord refers very specifically to the fact that Assyria is but a tool for him. Just as the ax is the tool of the woodsman, so Assyria is only the tool, and has no right to boast. Likewise the image is of the rod (seen as a weapon) that cannot use itself or the staff that can raise itself up "as if it were no wood," meaning that the staff, being an inanimate object, cannot act as though it were animate, with life and will of its own. These events occur because the Lord is behind them. 2 Ne. 20:16 16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, send among his fat ones, leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. Literary analysis: As a consequence of the pride of Assyria the Lord will bring destruction upon them. This is presented with two parallel reversals. The first element represents the good that Assyria believes to be due to its own hand, and the second element contrasts that with an opposite that is related to the nature of the first element. Thus: fat:lean glory:burning The fat:lean pair is easy to understand. The fatness of economic prosperity is contrasted with the coming leanness of economic failure. The glory:burning pair contrasts the glory with the destructiveness of fire. 2 Ne. 20:17 17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame, and shall burn and shall devour his thorns and his briers in one day; Literary analysis: The glory:burning mage from he previous verse is now pulled into this verse. The image is reversed to burning:glory (with the glory appearing in the next verse), with the fire being equated with the Lord. The correlation between the light and flame of Israel being the Lord evokes the image of the pillar of fire that lead God's people out of Egypt. This very clearly becomes an image of deliverance, a them that will be picked up in verse 20. 2 Ne. 20:18 18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth. Literary analysis: This verse is the "glory" half of the burning:glory reversal begun in the previous verse. In is the fire of the Lord (the true glory) that consumes the glory of Assyria's worldly wealth. What is burned is the "forest and fruitful field." While this is an image of the destruction of land, the addition of "body and soul" indicates that the land is also metaphorically the people on it. The feinting of the standard-bearer refers not to feinting, but dying. the symbol of the nation lay in the standard bearer, and the defeat of a nation was symbolized by the standard coming down. Much of this feeling and imagery has been sustained in modern military lore, where tremendous valor has been exerted in maintaining the presence of the standard (or flag). It was even more so in the ancient world. The image here is of a standard falling, and therefore the nation falling before a more powerful force. 2 Ne. 20:19 19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them. The diminishing of the glory of Assyria will be such that little will remain of their "forest," or their peoples. There would be so few that a child would be able to count them. The image is that of a child less able in the art of writing. The child might not be able to count very high, and certainly would not have the skill to write larger (and therefore unfamiliar and unpracticed) numbers. While we might wonder at this, it should be remembered that in the Hebrew system, there were no numbers. As with Greek (and to an extent, Roman) numerical system, letters served to mark the numbers. Our numerical system is take from the Arabic system, with which these cultures were unfamiliar. Thus larger numbers were not simple cases of the addition of more zeroes, but different letters and conventions. 2 Ne. 20:20 20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 2 Ne. 20:21 21 The remnant shall return, yea, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. Here again is the redemptive theme of Isaiah. After the destruction of Israel there will come a time for the return of a portion of the house of Jacob. Because this is directed at time period where the carrying away of the ten tribes is occurring, this gathering must also come at the same future time as the final triumph of the Messiah. This is a prophecy for the last days. When these lost of the house of Jacob turn away from the arm of flesh (upon which they have relied, or "stayed") and toward their God, they will be returned not only to their God, but to their community of God's chosen people. Ludlow notes: "The concept of a remnant returning is a key theme in Isaiah's writings. It goes back to his initial vision (Isa. 6:13) and remains a thread of hope weaving throughout his darkest pronouncements of doom. Isaiah uses the term remnant to describe two distinct groups of Israelites: he talks about a remnant that remains in the land after the Assyrian destruction and promises the return of a future righteous remnant. The two groups are called the historical remnant and the eschatological remnant respectively. The historical remnant is the group present from a past event (such as the Assyrian invasions), while the eschatological remnant is the group that will emerge from a future action of God and have the qualifications of a latter-day, millennial society. Isaiah's urgent hope is that the historical remnant of the eighth century BC will return to the Lord and become the community from which the eschatological remnant will emerge. (Ludlow, 1982 p. 164.) This continues the duality of meanings noted for the Messianic passages of the last chapter. It is completely within the normal mode of Isaiah's prophecy to refer to an immediate remnant returning, and yet look forward to the more complete and final reunion of the remnant into the house of Jacob that will come before the Messiah's triumphal return. 2 Ne. 20:22 22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return; the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. Literary analysis: Once again Isaiah presents paired images. The first is the contrast between the sands of the sea and a "remnant." The second is the contrast between the "consumption decreed" and "overflow with righteousness." Each of the two members of each paired set fit into a conceptual unit. In the first, the contrast is between numbers, with a very large number contrasted to a "remnant" which is necessarily not only smaller, but by implication, much smaller. In the second set, the consumption or destruction is contrasted with righteousness. One again however, we have not a simple contrast, but one of a destruction to a righteousness that is "overflowing." By reading the paired images both separately and together, the sense of the passage is that just as the large number will have only a small remnant. so will this small (in the Lord's perspective) destruction have an abundant compensation in righteousness. 2 Ne. 20:23 23 For the Lord God of Hosts shall make a consumption, even determined in all the land. The warning upon Israel is clear. This destruction is coming. 2 Ne. 20:24 24 Therefore, thus saith the Lord God of Hosts: O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian; he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. 2 Ne. 20:25 25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. Even though destruction is coming around them, and will approach Jerusalem (as first prophesied in verse 12) yet Jerusalem (referred to here as the land of Zion) need not fear. The Lord warns Jerusalem that Assyria will certainly threaten them (lift up his staff, as did the Egyptians before) but that Jerusalem will be saved. The threat will only be for a short while (verse 25.) The Lord notes that his anger will be abated when the destruction turns on Assyria. It should be remembered, however, that this text also has an eschatological focus. In the context of the end of time, it is not specifically Assyria the historical nation, but Assyria the symbol for the enemies of God that will be beaten down. As with the other dualistic prophecies of Isaiah, these have applicability to two time periods, a historical defeat of Assyria, and the promise of the like fate to the symbolic Assyria when the Messiah comes in his triumphal entry. 2 Ne. 20:26 26 And the Lord of Hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and as his rod was upon the sea so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt. The Lord will be their protection, as he was with Gideon and his three hundred who slaughtered the Midianites. The Lord informs Jerusalem that their salvation will be miraculous, analogous to the miracle at Midian, and the miracle of their deliverance from Egypt when they walked on dry land through the sea. Historical information: "In verse 12, Isaiah gives the first hint that Jerusalem will actually be attacked by Assyria as was Samaria. The Assyrian invasion no doubt fulfilled a purpose the Lord had in mind; he wanted to humble the Jews and awaken them to an awareness of him. The invasion referred to took place under Sennacherib in the year 701 B.C. During this invasion, many cities in Judah were destroyed, but Jerusalem miraculously held out against the Assyrian siege because the Lord sent a terrible sickness throughout the Assyrian camps, which caused many deaths. (2 Kgs. 19:35, 37; Isa. 36-37.) (Ludlow, 1982, p. 163.) 2 Ne. 20:27 27 And it shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. The pact between Ahaz and Assyria required the payment of tribute, and the vassalship of Judah to Assyria. The Lord informs Judah that this burden or yoke will be removed. The phrase "because of the anointing" may push this ultimate liberation into the far future, the eschatological future as Ludlow noted. The Messiah is the anointed one, and this reference may be to the liberation through the anointed one, or the Messiah. This is a final condition of the last days, as have been the other eschatological references in Isaiah's Messianic passages. 2 Ne. 20:28 28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages. This verse begins a "blow by blow" description of the invasion of the Assyrians. A number of cities are listed, each coming closer and closer to Jerusalem. 2 Ne. 20:29 29 They are gone over the passage; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramath is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled. The progress of the Assyrians is one of successful conquest. Each of these cities is conquered. 2 Ne. 20:30 30 Lift up the voice, O daughter of Gallim; cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. 2 Ne. 20:31 31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. 2 Ne. 20:32 32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day; he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. The progress of the Assyrian armies will come to the land of Nob, which is sufficiently close to Jerusalem to be directly threatening (shake is hand against. . . the hill of Jerusalem." The Lord will stop the advance. The phrase "yet shall he remain at Nob" indicates that it will be the last of the Assyrians' successful conquests. Jerusalem might be next for the attack, but shall not fall. Indeed, siege was laid to the land of Jerusalem, but the promised miracle from the Lord (the devastating sickness) halted the siege and turned the threat away. 2 Ne. 20:33 33 Behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts shall lop the bough with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down; and the haughty shall be humbled. 2 Ne. 20:34 34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forests with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. This is a return to the prediction of the Lord turning his wrath upon the Assyrians. After halting their progress, the Lord will begin their destruction, he will begin the humiliation of the haughty Assyria. In the end of time, the triumphant Messiah will similarly subdue his enemies and plant his will upon all nations.
			by Brant Gardner. Copyright 1998