The connector Therefore presents verses 16-19 as the result of the previous prophecies, especially those in verses 13-14. Verse 15 forms a conclusion to verses 13-14 as well as a bridge to verses 16-19. It prepares for the description of Assyria’s punishments rather than providing a motive for it. In other words, Therefore does not mean that God will punish Assyria because of what the questions and the hypothetical statements in verse 15 describe. It may be better to do as New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has done and start a new paragraph introduced by the word “Assuredly.” Good News Translation also begins a new paragraph here, but omits the connector, so that verses 16-19 are a general conclusion to the whole section.
The Lord, the LORD of hosts is a complex divine title; see the comments on 1.24. This expression is peculiar to Isaiah and is used mostly in this present chapter (verses 16, 23-24, 33).
Will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors: This first punishment is expressed in terms of sickness. The Assyrian armies will all fall ill with what is called a wasting sickness. This apparently refers to a kind of disease that causes a person to waste away or become thin. In contrast to this disease are the stout warriors, which translates a Hebrew term that could mean “fat people.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “will send A wasting away in its fatness.” The pronoun his refers to the Assyrian nation, even though the NJPSV footnote|prj:NJPS.Isa 10.16 says it “presumably” refers to Israel. Revised English Bible sees it as referring to the Assyrian king himself. We recognize that there is a slight difficulty in identifying who is referred to by the third person pronoun his in verses 16-19. However, here it seems correct to identify his stout warriors as the Assyrians. So it may be helpful for readers if translators make this clear. Bible en français courant and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch make “Assyria” explicit in their renderings, but rather than referring to fat people (or stout warriors), they speak of the land of Assyria; for example, Bible en français courant has “will make the rich [or, fertile] regions of Assyria lose their fat.” Translators have the option of referring to stout warriors (Good News Translation “those who are now well-fed”) becoming thin through illness, or to rich farmlands becoming infertile.
And under his glory a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire: These two lines use a new metaphor, that of fire and burning. The theme is emphasized in Hebrew by three uses of the root for “burn.” The repetition may seem unnatural in some languages. If so, translators may combine some of the expressions.
The phrase under his glory is difficult to understand. The Hebrew preposition for under can also mean “in place of” or “instead of,” so New American Bible says “instead of his glory.” Good News Translation gives an alternative rendering for this phrase, saying “In their bodies” (similarly Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The Hebrew word rendered glory may refer to “bodies/carcasses” in some contexts, but it more likely points to “wealth” here as a parallel to “fat people.”
The simile like the burning of fire suggests that the burning mentioned in the previous clause is of a different kind—though similar. However, translators may use the same word for both expressions or combine them. What is clearly implied by the image of fire is the complete destruction of the Assyria’s wealth.
Consider the following translation examples for this verse:
• Since Assyria has thus boasted, the Master, Yahweh of hosts, will cause Assyria’s fat ones to waste away, and instead of its glory there will be a consuming like a fire.
• The Master, Yahweh of hosts, will cause a wasting disease to afflict Assyria’s stout warriors, and there will be a fire to burn it’s wealth.
Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .