John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 33:12

"And the peoples shall be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire." — Isaiah 33:12 (ASV)

And the peoples shall be the burnings of lime. He compares them to “the burning of lime,” because their hardness will be bruised, as fire softens stones, so that they will easily be reduced to powder; and, undoubtedly, the more powerfully wicked men are inflamed with a desire to commit injury, the more they bruise themselves by their own insolence.

As thorns cut up. This metaphor is no less appropriate; for although they hinder people from touching them by the painful wounds which they inflict on the hands, yet there is no kind of wood that burns more violently or is more quickly consumed. Something of the same kind, we have said, may be observed in “lime,” which at first is hard but is softened by the fire. The Prophet declares that the same thing will happen to the Babylonians, whom the Lord will easily destroy, though at first they appear formidable, and though it may be supposed unlikely that they will be consumed by any conflagration. Whenever, therefore, we observe the enemies of the Church collecting all sorts of wealth and forces, and military preparations, to destroy us and set fire to the whole world, let us know that they are kindling a fire that will miserably destroy them.

We know that this was fulfilled in Sennacherib, for the event proved the truth of these predictions, though they appeared altogether incredible. Let us hope that the same thing will happen to all others who will imitate the actions of this tyrant, and let us comfort ourselves with that example, and innumerable others, amid our distresses and afflictions, which will be followed by certain deliverance and dreadful vengeance on our enemies.