shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her images?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is a powerful rhetorical question from the Assyrian king, highlighting his arrogant belief that conquering Jerusalem and its idols would be as easy as his conquest of Samaria. He utterly dismisses the unique relationship between God and Jerusalem, viewing all nations and their deities as essentially the same, and thus failing to grasp that his actions against God's chosen people carried divine implications far beyond mere military might.
shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her images?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Assyrian king, filled with arrogance after conquering other nations and their idols, boasts that he will surely do the same to Jerusalem and its God. He sees no difference between the idols of other kingdoms and the God of Israel, believing his own power and wisdom are the cause of his success. This declaration comes as the Assyrian empire is threatening Jerusalem, following its earlier conquest of Samaria.
The Assyrian king, puffed up with pride, issues a challenge. He's already crushed Samaria and its gods, so why would Jerusalem be any different? This isn't just a military threat; it's a theological one.
The Assyrian king viewed his conquests as proof of his gods' superiority over the gods of the nations he defeated. He saw Samaria's fall not as a divine judgment on their sin, but as a demonstration of his own power and the weakness of their deities.
The Assyrian boasts about his own might and wisdom, but God sees things differently. This powerful king, who thinks he's acting solely on his own ambition, is actually an instrument in God's hand.
The passage makes it clear that while the Assyrian king acted out of his own pride and desire for conquest, God ordained his actions as a means of judgment.
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Understand the original words
Yerushalayim · Hebrew Proper Noun
A term used for the capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, often representing the place of God's presence, His covenant people, and the future Messianic kingdom. It is a central focus of divine judgment and restoration in prophetic literature.
elil · Hebrew Noun
Objects of worship that are not the true God; they are often described as lifeless, deceptive, and a source of provocation to the Lord, representing spiritual rebellion and unfaithfulness.
Shomron · Hebrew Proper Noun
The capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which fell to Assyria due to its persistent apostasy and rejection of the covenant; its destruction serves as a warning of divine judgment.
This verse captures the arrogant boast of the Assyrian king, comparing his past conquest of Samaria and its idols to his intended conquest of Jerusalem and its idols. It highlights the Assyrian perspective of conquering nations and their gods, failing to recognize the sovereign power of the LORD over all.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Samaria, falls to the Assyrian Empire. This event marks the end of the Northern Kingdom and serves as a stark warning to Judah.
c. 705-701 BC— this verse
Sennacherib's Invasion of Judah
Assyrian king Sennacherib invades Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. This invasion is the direct context for Isaiah's prophecy in this passage.
c. 701 BC
Siege of Jerusalem
Sennacherib's army surrounds Jerusalem. The city is ultimately spared direct conquest, but the threat and the Assyrian army's presence are devastating.
This passage describes the fall of Samaria and its exile by the Assyrians, providing the historical context for the Assyrian king's boast in Isaiah 10:11. It highlights that Samaria's idols were powerless to save them.
Jeremiah 50:17This verse speaks of Israel being scattered by its oppressors, likening them to sheep being devoured. It parallels the Assyrian king's arrogant disregard for the people of God, viewing them merely as prey to be plundered.
Psalm 115:4-8This Psalm directly mocks the futility of idols, stating they are made of silver and gold and have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see. It underscores Isaiah's point about the powerlessness of Jerusalem's idols against the Assyrian threat.
Isaiah 31:1This verse condemns those who rely on Egypt for help, seeing their horses and chariots as a source of strength rather than God. It reflects the same underlying issue in Isaiah 10:11: misplaced trust in human power and material things instead of divine protection.
1 Corinthians 1:18-20Paul speaks of the 'foolishness' of the cross and how God uses the weak to shame the strong. This contrasts with the Assyrian king's pride in his military might, highlighting God's sovereign, often unexpected, ways of working through perceived weakness to bring judgment and salvation.
barnesIsaiah 10:11: "Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?"
Shall I not ... - 'Shall I not meet with the same success at Jerusalem that I have elsewhere? As I have overcome all others and as Jerusalem has no particular advantages; as the gods of other nations were more in number, and mightier than those of Jerusalem, and yet were unable to resist me; what is there in Jerusalem that can stay my progress?'
pulpitIsaiah 10:11: "Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?"
Verse 11. - Shall I not... so do to Jerusalem and her idols? The speaker ignores the fact of any difference in kind between the religion of Judaea and that of the neighboring countries. He speaks as if he knew nothing of any religion without idols. No doubt Assyrian ideas on the subject of the religion of the Jews were at this time, as they were even later (2 Kings 18:22), exceedingly vague…
This verse is a powerful rhetorical question from the Assyrian king, highlighting his arrogant belief that conquering Jerusalem and its idols would be as easy as his conquest of Samaria. He utterly dismisses the unique relationship between God and Jerusalem, viewing all nations and their deities as essentially the same, and thus failing to grasp that his actions against God's chosen people carried divine implications far beyond mere military might.
The Assyrian king, filled with arrogance after conquering other nations and their idols, boasts that he will surely do the same to Jerusalem and its God. He sees no difference between the idols of other kingdoms and the God of Israel, believing his own power and wisdom are the cause of his success. This declaration comes as the Assyrian empire is threatening Jerusalem, following its earlier conquest of Samaria.
The Assyrian king, filled with arrogance after conquering other nations and their idols, boasts that he will surely do the same to Jerusalem and its God. He sees no difference between the idols of other kingdoms and the God of Israel, believing his own power and wisdom are the cause of his success. This declaration comes as the Assyrian empire is threatening Jerusalem, following its earlier conquest of Samaria.
"shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her images?”" — This verse is a powerful rhetorical question from the Assyrian king, highlighting his arrogant belief that conquering Jerusalem and its idols would be as easy as his conquest of Samaria. He utterly d…
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Last reviewed October 2026