Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
English Standard Version (ESV)
The rhetorical questions here aren't just listing conquered cities; they're a chilling boast of utter annihilation. The Assyrian king isn't just saying he defeated these places; he's implying they've been erased, their significance completely swallowed up by his power, just as he intends to do to Judah.
Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
English Standard Version (ESV)
The king of Assyria, puffed up with pride and arrogance, boasts of his military successes. He lists several cities and kingdoms that have fallen before him, comparing them in pairs to emphasize that none could withstand his might. This declaration highlights his utter disregard for any power, including God, and sets the stage for God's response that he is merely a tool of divine judgment.
The Assyrian king lists city after city he has conquered, each one a testament to his growing power. But what is he really saying, and why does it matter?
In Isaiah 10:9, the Assyrian king, speaking through Isaiah, lists a series of conquered cities and kingdoms: Calno, Carchemish, Hamath, Arpad, Samaria, and Damascus. This isn't just a historical record; it's a boastful declaration of his military might and an arrogant challenge to Judah.
A String of Victories
This rapid-fire list is meant to instill fear and despair. It paints a picture of an unstoppable force that has systematically dismantled powerful neighbors. The king's pride swells with each name, believing his success is solely due to his own strength.
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The Assyrian king sees his conquests as proof of his own greatness. But the prophet Isaiah reveals a hidden truth: these victories are not just about human power.
While the Assyrian king boasts of his personal achievements and the prowess of his armies, Isaiah reframes these conquests as instruments of God's judgment. The cities mentioned weren't just conquered; they were punished.
The Divine Hand at Work
The prophet Isaiah quotes the Assyrian king's boast, comparing his conquests to showcase his power. By listing these fallen cities, the Assyrian implies that Judah and Jerusalem will inevitably suffer the same fate.
c. 740 BC
Tiglath-Pileser III conquers Arpad
The Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III captures the city of Arpad after a lengthy siege, a significant step in his expansion into Syria.
738 BC
Tiglath-Pileser III conquers Hamath and Calno
As part of his campaigns, Tiglath-Pileser III subjugates the city of Hamath and the city of Calno (Kullani), further extending Assyrian influence.
c. 732 BC
Assyrians conquer Damascus
The powerful Neo-Assyrian Empire, under Tiglath-Pileser III, conquers Damascus, the capital of Aram (Syria), a major regional power.
722 BC— this verse
Fall of Samaria
The Neo-Assyrian Empire under Sargon II conquers Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants.
717 BC
Sargon II incorporates Carchemish
Carchemish, an important Hittite city on the Euphrates, is fully incorporated into the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
This passage uses the same rhetorical question structure and lists cities like Arpad and Hamath, highlighting the Assyrian boast of conquest over well-known kingdoms.
Jeremiah 49:23This verse connects Hamath and Damascus with other Syrian cities falling to an invader, echoing Isaiah's theme of powerful empires conquering these very regions.
Amos 6:2Amos also mentions Calneh (likely the same as Calno) alongside other significant cities, indicating a pattern of listing prominent places that faced destruction or subjugation.
Isaiah 36:19This is the parallel account in Isaiah where the Rabshakeh uses the same rhetorical questions to intimidate Hezekiah and Jerusalem, directly quoting or alluding to the same Assyrian boast found in chapter 10.
Isaiah 10:10-11Immediately following this verse, Isaiah directly addresses the Assyrian king's mindset, showing how he intends to treat Jerusalem just as he has treated these conquered cities, demonstrating the direct threat posed by his conquests.
barnesIsaiah 10:9: "Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?"
Is not Calno as Carchemish? - The meaning of this confident boasting is, that none of the cities and nations against which be had directed his arms, had been able to resist him. All had fallen before him; and all were alike prostrate at his feet. Carchemish had been unable to resist him, and Calno had shared the same fate. Arpad had fallen before him, and Hamath in like manner had been subdued. The wo…
jfbIsaiah 10:5-34: "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation."
Isa 10:5-34 and Isa 11:12. Destruction of the Assyrians; Coming of Messiah; Hymn of Praise.Isa 10:9, 11 show that Samaria was destroyed before this prophecy. It was written when Assyria proposed (a design which it soon after tried to carry out under Sennacherib) to destroy Judah and Jerusalem, as it had destroyed Samaria. This is the first part of Isaiah's prophecies under Hezekiah. Probably be…
The rhetorical questions here aren't just listing conquered cities; they're a chilling boast of utter annihilation. The Assyrian king isn't just saying he defeated these places; he's implying they've been erased, their significance completely swallowed up by his power, just as he intends to do to Judah.
The king of Assyria, puffed up with pride and arrogance, boasts of his military successes. He lists several cities and kingdoms that have fallen before him, comparing them in pairs to emphasize that none could withstand his might. This declaration highlights his utter disregard for any power, including God, and sets the stage for God's response that he is merely a tool of divine judgment.
The king of Assyria, puffed up with pride and arrogance, boasts of his military successes. He lists several cities and kingdoms that have fallen before him, comparing them in pairs to emphasize that none could withstand his might. This declaration highlights his utter disregard for any power, including God, and sets the stage for God's response that he is merely a tool of divine judgment.
"Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?" — The rhetorical questions here aren't just listing conquered cities; they're a chilling boast of utter annihilation. The Assyrian king isn't just saying he defeated these places; he's implying they've…
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Last reviewed October 2026