Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 10:4

"They shall only bow down under the prisoners, and shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." — Isaiah 10:4 (ASV)

Without me - בלתי biltı̂y. There has been a great variety of interpretation given to this expression. Our translators evidently understood it to mean that they would be forsaken by God, and as a result, they would bow down as captives or among the slain.

The Vulgate and the Septuagint, however, and many interpreters understand this word as a simple negative. "Where will you flee for refuge? Where will you deposit your wealth so as not to bow down under a chain?" The Vulgate translates it Ne incurvemini sub vinculo; the Septuagint, Τοῦ μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς ἀπαγωνήν tou mē empesein eis apagōnēn—"Not to fall into captivity." The Hebrew will bear either interpretation.

Vitringa and Lowth understand it as our translators did, meaning that God would forsake them, and that without Him—that is, deprived of His aid—they would be destroyed.

They shall bow down - They will be subdued, like armies that are taken captive.

Under the prisoners - That is, under the condition of prisoners, or as prisoners. Some understand it to mean that they would be brought down in the place of prisoners—that is, in prison. But it evidently means, simply, that they would be captives.

They shall fall under the slain - This means they will be slain. Gesenius renders it, "Among the prisoners, and among the slain." The Chaldee reads it, "You will be cast into chains out of your own land, and beyond your own cities you will be cast out slain."

Vitringa supposes that the prophet, in this verse, refers to the ancient custom of placing prisoners of war under a wooden yoke to indicate their captivity. That such a custom existed, there can be no doubt, but it is not probable that Isaiah refers to it here.

The simple idea is that many of them would be taken captive, and many of them slain. This prediction was fulfilled in the invasion of Tiglath-pileser (2 Kings 15; 2 Kings 16).

For all this - Despite these calamities. The cup of punishment is not filled by these calamities, but divine judgment will still be poured out further on the nation. The anger of God will not be fully expressed by these lesser inflictions of His wrath; His hand will continue to be stretched out until the whole nation is overwhelmed and ruined (see the note at Isaiah 10:12).