Isaiah 10:13
in Isaiah 10For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, for I am clever. I have removed the boundaries of nations and plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their rulers.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding: and I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and like a valiant man I have brought down them that sit on thrones:
KJV
For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:
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This verse in Isaiah 10
Commentary
14 notes on this verseBy his removing the border of the people Mr. White understands his arbitrarily transplanting colonies from place to place, which was the constant practice of the Assyrians in all their conquests; and this is a probable interpretation. [5.] He had enriched himself with their wealth, and brought it into his own exchequer: I have robbed their treasures.
This site's exposition
So when the Lord has completed
on Isaiah 10:12-14
He will punish Assyria "for the fruit of his arrogant heart" once He has finished His work against Mount Zion. The king credits nothing to heaven, claiming as skill a commission he never knew he carried. He gathered the earth's wealth "Like one gathering abandoned eggs," conquest as effortless plunder.
This site's exposition
I have removed the boundaries of nations
Matthew Henry, following White, read the moved boundaries as the Assyrian practice of moving whole peoples from land to land. 2 Kings 17:6 and 17:24 record it for Samaria. The king credits his own hand and wisdom, and verse 15 answers him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
These are the words of God's antagonist, boasting in the strength of his wickedness, as he threatens to steal and obliterate the divisions of the nations delivered by the Most High to the angels. And loudly [he] cries that he will spoil the earth, and shake the whole human race, and change them from their former good order.
And by the prophet, "the enemy said, I will pursue and overtake," and again by another, "I will grasp the whole world in my hand as a nest, and take it up as eggs that have been left." Such, in a word, are their boasts and professions that they may deceive the godly. But not even then ought we, the faithful, to fear his appearance or give heed to his words. For he is a liar and speaks of truth never a word.
All sins must be avoided, to be sure, because all sins are contrary to God, but they vary in degree. The proud, for example, are God's enemies. "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble." The devil is the prince of the proud. "Lest he be puffed up with pride," says holy Scripture, "and incur the condemnation passed on the devil," for everyone who glorifies himself in his heart is partner to the devil, who used to say, "By my own power I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am shrewd. I have moved the boundaries of peoples." … All other failings deserve the mercy of the Lord because, in humility, they are submitted to the tribunal of God; pride alone, because it honors itself beyond its power, resists God. The adulterer or the fornicator does not dare to raise his eyes to heaven; in defection of soul, he looks for God's mercy; yet this one whom conscience bows down and humbles to the ground, it also elevates to heaven. When pride and inordinate desire for glory raise up a person, they at the same time abase him, for by his sin they make him an enemy of God.
"For he said, 'By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom I have understood it. I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have plundered their princes. I have brought down the inhabitants as if they were mighty.'" They have interpreted the LXX for profit, meaning, or great understanding. For the Assyrian, boasting with swelling pride, said that with the strength of his hands he has conquered all nations and has possessed the borders with incredible wisdom.
The Medieval Church1 voice
For he has said. Here he sets out the occasion of his glory from the great things which he had done, and first, as to the condition of the doer; second, as to the greatness of the deed: and I have removed; third, as to …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): " By the strength of my hand, for I am valiant; and by my wisdom, for I am prudent; " not by the permission of Providence and the blessing of God. He knows not that it is God that makes him what he is, and puts the staff into his hand, but sacrifices to his own net, Hab. i. "This wealth is all gotten by my might and the power of my hand, " Deut. viii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
For he saith, by the strength of my hand I have done it,....
A promise of grace to the people of God, to enable them to bear up under the affliction, and to get good by it,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The Hebrew for "He that abideth," is He that sitteth on a throne); otherwise, "I have brought down (as captives into Assyria, which lay lower than Judea; therefore 'brought down,' compare Isa 36:1, 10), the inhabitants" [MAURER].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Like a valiant man “Strongly seated” - Twelve MSS. agree with the Keri in reading כביר kabbir, without the א aleph. And Sal. ben Melec and Kimchi thus explain it:” them who dwelled in a great and strong place I have brought down to the ground.”
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For he saith - The king of Assyria saith. This verse and the following are designed to show the reason why the king of Assyria should be thus punished. It was on account of his pride, and wicked plans. He sought not the glory of God, but purposed to do evil. For I am prudent - I am wise; attributing his success to his own understanding, rather than to God.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
For he said, With the strength of my hand I accomplished this None of my might is from the Holy One, blessed be He.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אָמַ֗ר | ʾamar | he has said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בְּכֹ֤חַ | bekhoach | by [the] strength of | H3581 → | 126 times |
| יָדִי֙ | yadi | hand my | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| עָשִׂ֔יתִי | ʾasiti | I have acted | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וּבְחָכְמָתִ֖י | uvechakhemati | and by skill my | H2451 → | 153 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נְבֻנ֑וֹתִי | nevunoti | I have understanding | H995 → | 170 times |
| וְאָסִ֣יר׀ | veasir | and I may remove | H5493 → | 299 times |
| גְּבוּלֹ֣ת | gevulot | [the] boundaries of | H1367 → | |
| עַמִּ֗ים | ʾamim | peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַעֲתוּדֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ | vaatidoteihem | and provisions their | H6259 → | |
| שׁוֹשֵׂ֔תִי | shoseti | I have plundered | H8154 → | 11 times |
| וְאוֹרִ֥יד | veorid | and I may bring down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| כַּאבִּ֖יר | kabir | like a mighty [man] | H47 → | 17 times |
| יוֹשְׁבִֽים׃ | yoshevim | inhabitants | H3427 → | 1079 times |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אָמַ֗רhe has said
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
בְּכֹ֤חַby [the] strength of
bekhoachH3581 →126 times
יָדִי֙hand my
yadiH3027 →1618 times
עָשִׂ֔יתִיI have acted
ʾasitiH6213 →2628 times
וּבְחָכְמָתִ֖יand by skill my
uvechakhematiH2451 →153 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
נְבֻנ֑וֹתִיI have understanding
nevunotiH995 →170 times
וְאָסִ֣יר׀and I may remove
veasirH5493 →299 times
גְּבוּלֹ֣ת[the] boundaries of
gevulotH1367 →
עַמִּ֗יםpeoples
ʾamimH5971 →1873 times
וַעֲתוּדֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙and provisions their
vaatidoteihemH6259 →
שׁוֹשֵׂ֔תִיI have plundered
shosetiH8154 →11 times
וְאוֹרִ֥ידand I may bring down
veoridH3381 →381 times
כַּאבִּ֖ירlike a mighty [man]
kabirH47 →17 times
יוֹשְׁבִֽים׃inhabitants
yoshevimH3427 →1079 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 8:17You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 9:4
When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD…
- 1 Corinthians 4:7
For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
- Daniel 4:30
the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
- Isaiah 10:8–14
“Are not all my commanders kings?” he says.
- Hosea 12:8
And Ephraim boasts: “How rich I have become! I have found wealth for myself. In all my labors, they can find in me no iniquity that is sinful.”
- Deuteronomy 9:4
Through
Daniel 4:30the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
- Proverbs 16:18
Through
Ezekiel 25:3Tell the Ammonites to hear the word of the Lord GOD, for this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you exclaimed, “Aha!” when My sanctuary was profaned, when the land of Israel was…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 36:2
This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,’
- Psalms 70:2–3
May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated.
- Ezekiel 36:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Athanasius of Alexandria, Life of St. Anthony 24; Eusebius of Caesarea, PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 4:9; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS, ALTERNATE SERIES, PSALM 93; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.