609 B
609 B
Woe
This word marks the beginning of God's announcement about a severe punishment against Assyria.
the Assyrian
This refers to the king of Assyria.
the rod of my anger, the staff by whom I wield my fury
Both of these phrases mean basically the same thing. Yahweh compares the king of Assyria to a weapon a person holds in his hand and hits other people with. It emphasizes that the king of Assyria and his army are a tool that Yahweh uses to punish Israel. Alternate translation: "who will be like a weapon in my hands that I will use to show my anger" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)