All the commentators agree that the central message is that Assyria's defeat will not be at the hands of any human army. The 'sword' that defeats them is not wielded by a 'mighty man' or a 'mean man' (a common person), but is the sword of God's own judgment, which several scholars identify as the destroying angel mentioned in 2 Kings 19:35. This emphasizes that ultimate victory and deliverance belong to God alone.