John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 10:6

"I will send him against a profane 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." — Isaiah 10:6 (ASV)

To a hypocritical nation. He proceeds with the former statement, by which he called the Assyrian the rod of God’s indignation; for as the father does not in vain take up the rod, but has this object in view, to chastise his son, so he declares that the Lord’s rod has no uncertain destination, but is appointed for the chastisement of the unthankful and wicked.

He calls it a hypocritical or wicked nation because it has no uprightness or sincerity. Uprightness is contrasted with hypocritical conduct, because uprightness is the chief of all the virtues; in like manner, hypocrisy is the mother of all the vices. It is therefore no light accusation which he brings against the Israelites; but he charges them with what is most of all to be abhorred. Therefore, immediately afterwards, he calls them the people of his indignation, just as he elsewhere calls the Edomites the people of his curse (Isaiah 34:5).

Though he means that he is displeased with the Jews, the Hebrew phraseology is much more emphatic. It conveys the idea that this nation is devoted to destruction because nothing is to be found in it but grounds for anger. Indeed, God is never angry with us unless we have provoked Him by our sins. But when wickedness has reached its greatest height, His indignation is kindled and cannot be appeased. Thus, He cuts off the hope of reconciliation from hypocrites and wicked men, who did not cease continually to add sin to sin.

I will command him to take the spoil and to take the prey. He says that He has given a loose rein to the fierceness of enemies, so that they may indulge without control in every kind of violence and injustice. Now, this must not be understood as if the Assyrians had a command from God by which they could excuse themselves. There are two ways in which God commands: by His secret decree, of which men are not conscious, and by His law, in which He demands from us voluntary obedience.

This distinction must be carefully observed, so that we may reply to fanatics who argue irreligiously about God's decree when they wish to excuse their own wickedness and that of others. It is important, I say, to make a judicious distinction between these two ways of commanding. When the Lord reveals His will in the law, I must not try to ascend to His secret decree, which He intended should not be known to me, but I must yield implicit obedience.

Now, if anyone alleges that he obeys God when he complies with his sinful passions, he is guilty of falsehood. He vainly attempts to involve God in the guilt of his crimes, knowing that he is led to them by the failings of his own heart. For on this point, no other witness or judge is needed than a person’s own conscience.

God does indeed make use of the agency of a wicked man, but the man has no such intention. It is therefore accidental, as far as men are concerned, that He acts through the wicked and reprobate, for they neither know that they serve God, nor wish to do so.

Accordingly, if they seize on this pretext, it is easy to prove that when they yield to their own sinful passion, they are as far as possible from obeying God. They have the will of God declared in His law, so it is in vain for them to seek it anywhere else. So far as they are concerned, they do not perform the work of God, but the work of the devil, for they serve their own lusts (Ephesians 2:2).

Nothing certainly was further from the intention of the Assyrians than to give their services to God; instead, they were hurried along by their lust, ambition, and covetousness. Yet the Lord directed their exertions and plans to an object that was totally different and unknown to them.

This passage may be summarized as follows: “It will be an uncommon and extraordinary instance of God’s vengeance when the Assyrians will attack them with unrestrained liberty of action; for they will be sent by God, not to treat them with gentleness and moderation, but to plunder them in the manner of an invading army.” He likewise adds, to tread them down. Nothing can go beyond this, for it means that the vanquished are not spared, but that every possible species of abuse has been heaped upon them.