John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 28:2

"Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, will he cast down to the earth with the hand." — Isaiah 28:2 (ASV)

Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one. This may refer to the Assyrians, as if he were saying that they will be ready at God’s command to fight under his authority as soon as they are called. Yet I prefer to interpret it without a noun, to mean either “a staff” or some other instrument by which the Lord will cast them down from this lofty pride.

As a deluge of hail. He compares it to “a deluge” or to “hail,” by which both herbs and flowers are thrown down, and all the beauty of the earth is marred. Thus he continues the metaphor of the “fading flower,” which he had introduced at the beginning of the chapter, for nothing can be more destructive to flowers than a heavy shower or “hail.” He uses the demonstrative particle הנה (hinnēh), behold, because wicked men are not moved by any threats; therefore, he shows that he is not speaking of what is doubtful or conjecturing randomly, but foretells those things that will immediately take place.

Casting them down with the hand to the earth. ביד (bĕyād), which I translated “with the hand,” is translated by Jerome as “a spacious country,” which does not agree with the words. Others interpret it as “strength,” meaning a violent casting down. But the plain meaning appears to me to be that the glory and splendor of the Israelites will be laid low, as if one threw down a drunken man “with the hand.” The same statement is confirmed by him in the third verse.