Isaiah 10:3
And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?
Original Language Analysis
וּמַֽה
H4100
וּמַֽה
Strong's:
H4100
Word #:
1 of 14
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and
תַּעֲשׂוּ֙
And what will ye do
H6213
תַּעֲשׂוּ֙
And what will ye do
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
2 of 14
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
לְי֣וֹם
in the day
H3117
לְי֣וֹם
in the day
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
3 of 14
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
פְּקֻדָּ֔ה
of visitation
H6486
פְּקֻדָּ֔ה
of visitation
Strong's:
H6486
Word #:
4 of 14
visitation (in many senses, chiefly official)
וּלְשׁוֹאָ֖ה
and in the desolation
H7722
וּלְשׁוֹאָ֖ה
and in the desolation
Strong's:
H7722
Word #:
5 of 14
a tempest; by implication, devastation
מִמֶּרְחָ֣ק
from far
H4801
מִמֶּרְחָ֣ק
from far
Strong's:
H4801
Word #:
6 of 14
remoteness, i.e., (concretely) a distant place; often (adverbially) from afar
תָּב֑וֹא
which shall come
H935
תָּב֑וֹא
which shall come
Strong's:
H935
Word #:
7 of 14
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
8 of 14
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
מִי֙
H4310
מִי֙
Strong's:
H4310
Word #:
9 of 14
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
תָּנ֣וּסוּ
to whom will ye flee
H5127
תָּנ֣וּסוּ
to whom will ye flee
Strong's:
H5127
Word #:
10 of 14
to flit, i.e., vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)
וְאָ֥נָה
H575
Cross References
Luke 19:44And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.Hosea 9:7The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.Job 31:14What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?Isaiah 20:6And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?Isaiah 5:26And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:Isaiah 26:21For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.Proverbs 11:4Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.1 Peter 2:12Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.Zephaniah 1:18Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.Deuteronomy 28:49The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;
Historical Context
Fulfilled when Assyria invaded (722 BC for Israel, 701 BC for Judah). The wealthy and powerful who had accumulated unjust gain found it all worthless when armies came. They couldn't bribe Assyrian soldiers or flee to safety. Their 'glory' (wealth, status, power) was plundered or left behind. The 'visitation from far' was Assyria, God's instrument coming from Mesopotamia to execute judgment.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the certainty of future judgment expose the folly of present injustice and greed?
- What false securities do we tend to trust in that will prove worthless on judgment day?
- How should awareness of coming judgment shape our present ethical decisions?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Rhetorical questions expose the foolishness of the unjust. 'What will ye do in the day of visitation?' asks how they'll respond when judgment comes. 'In the desolation which shall come from far' references the Assyrian invasion. 'To whom will ye flee for help?' and 'where will ye leave your glory?' highlight the futility of trusting in wealth and power when God judges. The questions imply obvious answers: nowhere to run, no help available, glory lost. This demonstrates sin's shortsightedness—it ignores future judgment.