Charles Ellicott Commentary Isaiah 32:2

"And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a weary land." — Isaiah 32:2 (ASV)

A man shall be ... —The word is that used in Isaiah 31:8 for mighty man, in Isaiah 2:9 for great man, and probably retains that meaning here. The nobles of Judah, who had been tyrannous and oppressive (Isaiah 1:23), should become a true aristocracy, beneficent and protecting. Of both the king and the man it is true that they find their fulfilment in the true servant of the Lord, who is also the ideal king.

As rivers of water ... —The words paint the picture of the two great blessings of an Eastern landscape: the streams that turn the desert into an oasis, the rock throwing its dark shadow as a shelter from the noontide heat. The word for rock is the same as that used for Assyria in Isaiah 31:9, and is obviously chosen to emphasise the contrast.