Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 8:7

"now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the River, strong and many, [even] the king of Assyria and all his glory: and it shall come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks;" — Isaiah 8:7 (ASV)

The waters of the river - In Scripture, "the river" commonly refers to the Euphrates. This is because it was, preeminently, the largest river with which they were acquainted and also because it was distinguished by the fact that Abraham had lived beyond it and crossed it (see the note on Isaiah 7:20). In this verse, the imagery introduced in Isaiah 8:6 is continued. The Jews rejected the gentle waters of Siloah and sought an alliance with a foreign king whose kingdom stretched along and extended beyond the Euphrates.

It was natural, therefore, to compare the invasion of the land to the overflowing of mighty waters that would sweep everything away. A similar comparison is found in Juvenal, who, when describing the introduction of Eastern customs into Rome, represents the Orontes as flowing into the Tiber: Jampridem Syrus in Tiberim defluxit Orontes. The comparison of an invading army with an overflowing stream, or an inundation, is not uncommon (see Lucan’s Pharsalia 6.272; Horace, Odes 4.14.15 and following).

Strong and many - Violent and numerous waves. It means that a mighty host would come up upon the land.

Even the king of Assyria - Many have supposed that this is a gloss, or explanation, that has crept into the text. There is no doubt that it expresses the true meaning of the passage, but it is remarkable that Isaiah himself would provide a literal explanation in the midst of a figurative description.

And all his glory - Eastern kings marched in great splendor. They moved with all the magnificence of the court and were usually attended by their princes and nobles, with a splendid retinue, and with all the insignia of royalty. This was the case with Xerxes when he invaded Greece, and also with Darius and with most of the Oriental conquerors.

And he shall come up ... - The imagery of overflowing waters is retained here. To understand this, it is necessary to note that the Euphrates annually overflows its banks to a very considerable extent.

It rises in the mountains of Armenia. Flowing for a considerable distance through a region where the mountains are covered with snow, it then enters the level region of Mesopotamia or Syria and flows through that area, almost parallel with the Tigris, toward the Persian Gulf.

From its banks, vast numbers of canals were made, similar to those in Egypt, to receive the water and to make the country fertile. Due to the melting of the snows in Armenia in the summer, the stream becomes greatly enlarged and overflows vast portions of the adjacent country, much like the Nile. Usually, the river is not very large.

Otho says that on March 12, when he crossed the Euphrates, it was not more than 200 paces wide, but at its flood stage, it extends 500 or 600 paces into the plains on the right. Thevenot observes that near Bir, the Euphrates seemed no larger than the Seine in Paris but was very large when swollen. At Babylon, it is said to be about four hundred feet in breadth. That it overflows its banks is abundantly attested by ancient as well as modern travelers (see Rosenmüller and Gesenius on this verse).

Its channels - This word can mean brooks, valleys, canals, or channels of a river. The Euphrates flowed through a level region, and it is not improbable that it had, at various times, created many channels for itself. Additionally, many canals were cut in various directions to convey its waters to gardens, farms, etc. The prophet says all these would be full, and the water would extend even far beyond them.