God will intervene against arrogance and oppression, just as He has done before.
“The LORD of hosts will arouse a scourge against him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His staff will be over the sea and He will lift it up the way He did in Egypt.” (v.26). In this verse, the prophet Isaiah proclaims that the same God who delivered Israel from powerful foes in the past will again take action against the nation’s oppressors. The reference to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb recalls the days of Gideon, a judge in Israel around the 12th century BC, whom God empowered to defeat the vast Midianite army with just three hundred men (Judges 7). By invoking this event, Isaiah reassures the people that the LORD’s sovereignty extends over history and that He can vanquish even the mightiest of adversaries. This promise is especially relevant in the context of “the Assyrian” threat described earlier (Isaiah 10:24), when the Assyrian Empire exiled the northern kingdom and threatened to overrun Judah.
The verse also describes how His staff will be over the sea, alluding to the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea under Moses during the Exodus, which took place around the 15th-13th century BC (Exodus 14). By lifting his staff, Moses followed God’s command and parted the waters, enabling Israel to walk safely on dry ground. Here in Isaiah 10:26, repeating this imagery underscores God’s unwavering ability to protect and guide His people, no matter how overwhelming their troubles may seem. Egypt, located in the northeastern corner of Africa, was once Israel’s place of bondage, and this reference demonstrates how God’s redemptive power proven in Egypt remains consistent throughout generations.
This prophecy reflects divine salvation for Israel and divine judgment against Israel’s enemies. The God who triumphed at the rock of Oreb and at the Red Sea has not changed; His might and faithfulness remain the same. Isaiah’s message reminds the faithful to look back at God’s past deliverances as evidence that He will again arise and rescue His people from looming threats, bringing hope and assurance that He is both willing and able to act on their behalf.
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Isaiah 10:26 meaning
“The LORD of hosts will arouse a scourge against him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His staff will be over the sea and He will lift it up the way He did in Egypt.” (v.26). In this verse, the prophet Isaiah proclaims that the same God who delivered Israel from powerful foes in the past will again take action against the nation’s oppressors. The reference to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb recalls the days of Gideon, a judge in Israel around the 12th century BC, whom God empowered to defeat the vast Midianite army with just three hundred men (Judges 7). By invoking this event, Isaiah reassures the people that the LORD’s sovereignty extends over history and that He can vanquish even the mightiest of adversaries. This promise is especially relevant in the context of “the Assyrian” threat described earlier (Isaiah 10:24), when the Assyrian Empire exiled the northern kingdom and threatened to overrun Judah.
The verse also describes how His staff will be over the sea, alluding to the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea under Moses during the Exodus, which took place around the 15th-13th century BC (Exodus 14). By lifting his staff, Moses followed God’s command and parted the waters, enabling Israel to walk safely on dry ground. Here in Isaiah 10:26, repeating this imagery underscores God’s unwavering ability to protect and guide His people, no matter how overwhelming their troubles may seem. Egypt, located in the northeastern corner of Africa, was once Israel’s place of bondage, and this reference demonstrates how God’s redemptive power proven in Egypt remains consistent throughout generations.
This prophecy reflects divine salvation for Israel and divine judgment against Israel’s enemies. The God who triumphed at the rock of Oreb and at the Red Sea has not changed; His might and faithfulness remain the same. Isaiah’s message reminds the faithful to look back at God’s past deliverances as evidence that He will again arise and rescue His people from looming threats, bringing hope and assurance that He is both willing and able to act on their behalf.