Assyria has entered AiathThis phrase indicates the movement of the Assyrian army into the region of Aiath, which is likely a reference to Ai, a city near Bethel. Historically, Ai was a significant location during the conquest of Canaan under Joshua (Joshua 7-8). The mention of Assyria entering Aiath suggests a strategic military advance, as Ai was situated on a route leading to Jerusalem. This movement signifies the threat posed by Assyria to the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
and passed through Migron
Migron is a location mentioned in the context of Saul's reign (1 Samuel 14:2), indicating its historical significance. The passage of the Assyrian army through Migron highlights their relentless advance towards Jerusalem. This movement underscores the impending danger and the swift progression of the Assyrian forces, emphasizing the urgency of the situation for the inhabitants of Judah.
storing their supplies at Michmash
Michmash was a strategic location in the tribal territory of Benjamin, known for its rugged terrain and narrow passes (1 Samuel 13:23). The storing of supplies here suggests a preparation for a prolonged campaign, indicating the Assyrians' intent to establish a stronghold. This action reflects the military strategy of securing resources and ensuring logistical support for their operations. Michmash's mention also connects to the earlier biblical narrative where Jonathan, Saul's son, achieved a significant victory over the Philistines (1 Samuel 14), highlighting the area's historical military importance.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
AiathA location mentioned in the context of the Assyrian invasion. It is believed to be the same as Ai, a city near Bethel, known from earlier biblical accounts.
2.
MigronAnother location on the path of the Assyrian army. It is mentioned in the context of King Saul's reign as a strategic point.
3.
MichmashA significant site where the Assyrian army stored supplies. It is also known from the account of Jonathan's victory over the Philistines during King Saul's reign.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in JudgmentThe passage illustrates God's control over nations and events. The Assyrian advance is not outside God's plan but serves His purposes of judgment and eventual restoration.
Historical Context and Prophetic FulfillmentUnderstanding the historical and geographical context of biblical events enriches our comprehension of prophecy and its fulfillment. It reminds us of the reliability of God's Word.
Trust in God's DeliveranceDespite the threat of powerful enemies, God's people are called to trust in His deliverance. The historical victories at places like Michmash serve as reminders of God's faithfulness.
The Consequences of DisobedienceThe Assyrian invasion is a direct consequence of Israel's disobedience. This serves as a warning to remain faithful to God's commands to avoid similar judgments.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Isaiah 10:28?
2.How does Isaiah 10:28 illustrate God's judgment against Assyria's prideful advance?
3.What lessons can we learn from Assyria's approach to Jerusalem in Isaiah 10:28?
4.How does Isaiah 10:28 connect with God's sovereignty in Isaiah 10:12?
5.How can we apply the warning in Isaiah 10:28 to modern-day pride?
6.What does Isaiah 10:28 teach about trusting God amidst threatening circumstances?
7.What historical events does Isaiah 10:28 describe, and are they supported by archaeological evidence?
8.How does Isaiah 10:28 fit into the broader narrative of Assyrian invasion in the Bible?
9.What is the significance of the locations mentioned in Isaiah 10:28?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Isaiah 10?
11.What does 'believes in Him will not be shamed' mean?
12.Why does Ezekiel 28 present Tyre's prince or king with traits that mirror those of Adam or Satan, yet no clear explanation is given for this blending of identities?
13.What does being Christ's ambassador entail?
14.Does God communicate with people through visions today?What Does Isaiah 10:28 Mean
Assyria has entered Aiath“Assyria has entered Aiath” (Isaiah 10:28a)
• Aiath (also called Ai, cf.Joshua 7:2) sits just north of Jerusalem. Mentioning it first places the Assyrian armies alarmingly close to Judah’s heartland.
• The march fulfills God’s declaration that He would use Assyria as “the rod of My anger” (Isaiah 10:5-6) to discipline a rebellious people.
• Just as the LORD earlier allowed enemies to approach His own city inJudges 6:1-6 and2 Kings 18:13, so here He permits Assyria to reach Aiath—yet always on a leash He controls (Isaiah 37:26-29).
and passed through Migron“…and passed through Migron” (Isaiah 10:28b)
• Migron lies only a handful of miles farther south (1 Samuel 14:2). The narrative pace quickens: the enemy surges unopposed.
• The prophet’s present-tense description makes the advance feel immediate, underscoring Judah’s helplessness apart from the LORD (Psalm 20:7-8).
• This step echoes previous warnings that judgment would sweep “like a mighty river” through the land (Isaiah 8:7-8), sparing nothing until God Himself intervenes.
storing their supplies at Michmash“…storing their supplies at Michmash.” (Isaiah 10:28c)
• Michmash was a strategic highland town (1 Samuel 13:5-23). Stockpiling supplies here signals Assyria’s confidence in a long siege against Jerusalem.
• The detail confirms a literal, historical march—God wanted His people to grasp that the threat was real, not symbolic (Isaiah 36:1-2).
• Yet even as the invader digs in, the LORD already has a timetable for their downfall: “Yet today they will halt at Nob” (Isaiah 10:32) and soon be broken (Isaiah 10:33-34), just as He later shattered Sennacherib overnight (2 Kings 19:32-35).
summaryIsaiah 10:28 paints three rapid brushstrokes—entry at Aiath, passage through Migron, provisioning at Michmash—to show Assyria’s relentless advance toward Jerusalem. Each geographic marker heightens tension while simultaneously spotlighting God’s sovereign purpose: He allows the enemy to march for discipline, yet He sets clear boundaries and guarantees deliverance. The verse invites us to trust that, even when threats loom at the doorstep, the LORD remains firmly in control and will ultimately defend His people.
(28)
He is come to Aiath . . .--There is an obvious break between this and the preceding verse, and a new section begins, connected with the former by unity of subject, both referring to Sargon's invasion of Judah. That such an invasion took place at or about the time of that king's attack on Ashdod (
Isaiah 20:1) the inscriptions leave no doubt. The Koujunyik cylinder names the king of Judah as having joined with the king of Ashdod; and in another, Sargon speaks of himself as "the subduer of the lands of Judah" (Layard,
Inscriptions,xxxiii. 8). There is nothing in the passage itself to determine whether
Isaiah 10:28-32 are predictive or historical, or when they were first uttered. Assuming that the Messianic prophecy of chap 11 is in close connection with them, it seems most probable that now, as in the earlier attack of Pekah and Rezin (Isaiah 7), as in the later invasion of Sennacherib (Isaiah 37), the bright vision of the future came to sustain the people when they were at their lowest point of depression. This would obviously be when Sargon's armies were actually encamped round the city, when they had reached the last halting-place of the itinerary which Isaiah traces out. We may infer accordingly that the Assyrian armies were then at or near Nob, and that the prophet, supplied, either by human agency or supernaturally, with a knowledge of the movements of the Assyrian armies, describes their progress to a terrified and expectant people, and fixes the final goal. That progress we now have to trace. (1) Aiath is probably identical with the Ai of
Joshua 7:2, the Aija of
Nehemiah 11:31, in the tribe of Benjamin, not far from Bethel. (2) Migron. The route taken was not the usual one, but passed over three valleys, probably with a view to surprise Jerusalem by an unexpected attack. The modern name,
Bure Magrun,survives, a short distance from Bethel. (3) Michmash. Now
Muchmas,on the east side of the Migron valley. Here the carriages,
i.e.,the
baggage(
Acts 21:15;
1Samuel 17:22), the
impedimenta,of the Assyrian army was left behind that the host might advance with greater rapidity to immediate action. (4) Geba, in the tribe of Benjamin (
1Chronicles 6:60). Here, after defiling through the "passages," probably the gorge of
Wady Suweinitmemorable for Jonathan s adventure (
1Samuel 14:4-5), the army halted and encamped. (5) The panic spread rapidly to Ramah, memorable as the chief residence of Samuel (
1Samuel 7:17). (6) The inhabitants of Gibeah, still retaining in its name its old association with the hero-king of Israel (
1Samuel 11:4), left their town deserted and undefended. (7) Gallim, not now identifiable, but mentioned in
1Samuel 25:44. (8) Laieh, not the northern city of that name (
Judges 18:29), but near Jerusalem. Read,
Listen, O Laish,as if to the tramp of the armies as they passed. (9) Anathoth; about four miles north of Jerusalem, the birth-place of Jeremiah (
Jeremiah 1:1). There is a special pathos in the prophet's accents, a
niyah Anathoth.A various reading adopted by many critics gives,
Answer, O Anathoth.(10) Madmenah, or Madmen, appears in
Jeremiah 48:2, as a Moabite city. The name ("dung-hill") was, however, not an uncommon one. It is named (
Joshua 15:31) as one of the south-eastern cities of Judah. (11) The people of Gebim ("water-pits;" locality not identified)
gather their goods for flight.(12) At last the army reaches Nob, memorable as having been one of the resting-places of the Tabernacle in the time of Saul (
1Samuel 21:1). The site has not been identified with certainty, but it was obviously a position that commanded Jerusalem, between it and Anathoth, probably not far from the hill
Scopos("watch-tower") where Titus and his troops encamped during the siege of Jerusalem. The prophet's narrative leaves the invader there shaking his hand, as with defiant menace, against the holy city. For "that day," read
this very day,fixing, as it were, the very hour at which Isaiah spoke. . . .
Verses 28-32. - This graphic portraiture of the march of an Assyrian army on Jerusalem is probably not historic, but prophetic. Isaiah sees it in vision (
Isaiah 1:1), and describes it like an eye-witness. There are at present no sufficient means of deciding to what particular attack it refers, or indeed whether the march is one conducted by Sennacherib or Sargon. Sargon calls himself in one inscription "
conqueror of the land of Judah" (Layard, 'Inscriptions,' 33:8), and the details of the present prophecy, especially ver. 9, suit the reign of Sargon rather than that of his son, so that on the whole it is perhaps most probable that some expedition of Sargon's is portrayed.
Verse 28. -
He is come to Aiath. "Aiath" is probably Ai (
Joshua 8:1-28), with a feminine termination. It lay about three miles south of Bethel, which had become Assyrian with the conquest of Samaria. If an Assyrian army mustered at Bethel, it would naturally enter Judaean territory at Ai.
He is passed to Migron; rather,
he has passed through Migron. "Migron" is mentioned as a village in the territory of Gibeah of Benjamin (
1 Samuel 14:2); but the Migron of this passage must have been further to the north.
He hath laid up his carriages;
i.e. "has left his baggage-train." Michmash was about seven miles nearly due north of Jerusalem. The heavy baggage might conveniently be left there, especially as it was difficult of attack (
1 Samuel 14:4-13), while a lightly equipped body of troops made a dash at Jerusalem.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
[Assyria] has enteredבָּ֥א(bā)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935:To come in, come, go in, goAiathעַיַּ֖ת(‘ay·yaṯ)Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5857:Ai -- a Canaanite cityand passed throughעָבַ֣ר(‘ā·ḇar)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5674:To pass over, through, or by, pass onMigron,בְּמִגְר֑וֹן(bə·miḡ·rō·wn)Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4051:Migron -- an area near Gibeah, also a place North of Michmashstoringיַפְקִ֥יד(yap̄·qîḏ)Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6485:To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, depositsuppliesכֵּלָֽיו׃(kê·lāw)Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3627:Something prepared, any apparatusat Michmash.לְמִכְמָ֖שׂ(lə·miḵ·māś)Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4363:Michmash -- a city in Benjamin
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OT Prophets: Isaiah 10:28 He has come to Aiath (Isa Isi Is) 
