The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The imagery of "chaff on the mountains" and "whirling dust" highlights how easily God can scatter even the most imposing human forces, portraying their utter powerlessness against His might.
The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage follows a lament over the coming destruction of Damascus and Syria, and the subsequent decline of Israel. It then pivots to describe a massive, terrifying invasion by many nations, characterized as a roaring flood. However, this powerful enemy, despite its overwhelming force, will be suddenly and utterly defeated by God's intervention, scattering like worthless chaff.
Nations roar like 'many waters,' a force that seems unstoppable. But Isaiah reveals a divine power that can silence even the loudest threats.
When nations rage and advance like overwhelming floods, it's easy to feel powerless. Isaiah uses the imagery of 'many waters' to capture this immense, chaotic force.
A Divine Word of Authority
However, the verse pivots dramatically: 'but he will rebuke them.' This isn't a gentle suggestion; it's a powerful, authoritative word from God. The commentaries highlight that the original Hebrew often implies 'He rebukes,' without explicitly naming 'God.' This emphasizes that the power to stop these nations comes directly from the divine authority of Jehovah Himself.
More Than Just Words
This 'rebuke' isn't merely a spoken command. It signifies God's active intervention that disrupts plans, halts advances, and defeats purposes. It's a demonstration that human might, however overwhelming, is ultimately subject to divine sovereignty. The historical context often points to events like the miraculous destruction of Sennacherib's army, showing how God can dismantle a mighty force with what seems like a simple act of divine displeasure.
The invaders are described as fleeing, but not in an orderly retreat. They are chased away like insignificant debris.
The imagery of scattering as 'chaff,' 'whirling dust,' and 'rolling things' powerfully illustrates the utter disarray and powerlessness of these nations when God turns against them.
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The Threshing Floor on the Mountain
Threshing floors were often located in elevated, open areas where the wind could easily separate the valuable grain from the worthless chaff. Isaiah uses this familiar agricultural scene to show how God easily blows away His enemies. They are not merely defeated; they are dispersed, utterly insignificant in the face of divine power.
Helpless Against the Storm
The 'rolling thing' and 'whirling dust' further emphasize this helplessness. These are elements easily caught up and driven by winds and storms, with no control over their direction. This isn't a dignified defeat; it's a chaotic, undignified scattering, highlighting that when God decides to act, even the most formidable human armies become as inconsequential as dust before a storm.
Understand the original words
ga'ar · Hebrew Verb
A formal expression of disapproval or authoritative command, specifically used to describe God’s sovereign power to halt, silence, or judge opposing forces.
mots · Hebrew Noun
The outer husk of grain, used throughout the Bible as a symbol of the worthless, transient, and unstable nature of the ungodly when confronted by God's judgment.
This prophecy vividly describes the overwhelming power of invading nations, likening them to a destructive flood. However, it pivots dramatically to God's sovereign power, able to rebuke and scatter these mighty forces as easily as wind disperses chaff. The imagery points most directly to the sudden and miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib's Assyrian army in 701 BC, a turning point that demonstrates God's might against seemingly unstoppable human power.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The northern kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire under King Shalmaneser V and later Sargon II, leading to the deportation of many Israelites.
701 BC— this verse
Sennacherib's Invasion of Judah
Assyrian king Sennacherib invades Judah, capturing many fortified cities but ultimately failing to take Jerusalem.
Night before Jerusalem's fall
Angel of Death devastates Assyrian army
According to the biblical account, an angel of the Lord strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their camp outside Jerusalem, forcing Sennacherib to retreat.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar II, begins deporting Judeans to Babylon, including members of the royal family and educated elite.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, leading to a final, large-scale deportation of Judeans to Babylon.
This Psalm describes God's power over the sea, likening His deliverance of Israel to a 'rebuke' of the waters, mirroring the forceful imagery of Isaiah 17:13 where God's rebuke scatters nations like water.
Isaiah 29:5This passage uses a similar image of 'chaff before the wind' and 'whirling dust' to describe the sudden and complete destruction of enemies, reinforcing the imagery of ephemeral scattering found in Isaiah 17:13.
Matthew 8:26-27Jesus' calming of the storm by rebuking the wind and waves directly parallels God's 'rebuke' of the nations in Isaiah 17:13, highlighting the divine power that can instantly quell overwhelming forces.
Psalm 1:4This verse compares the wicked to 'chaff that the wind drives away,' echoing the imagery in Isaiah 17:13 and emphasizing the ultimate, powerless end of those who oppose God.
Nahum 1:3-4Nahum describes God's power over destructive forces, comparing Him to someone who rebukes the sea and dries it up, and who can turn mountains into dust, resonating with the immense power displayed in Isaiah 17:13.
barnesIsaiah 17:13: "The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind."
God shall rebuke them - The word 'God' is not here in the original, but is evidently to be supplied. The word 'rebuke' means that he would disarrange their plans, prevent their success, and defeat their purposes. It shows the great power of God, that he can…
cambridgeIsaiah 17:13: "The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind."
13 . The Assyrians shall perish at the rebuke of jehovah. The first clause of the verse is almost identical with the last words of Isaiah 17:12 , and is wanting in the Peshito and a few Hebr. MSS. It may have arisen through dittography, although some think…
The imagery of "chaff on the mountains" and "whirling dust" highlights how easily God can scatter even the most imposing human forces, portraying their utter powerlessness against His might.
This passage follows a lament over the coming destruction of Damascus and Syria, and the subsequent decline of Israel. It then pivots to describe a massive, terrifying invasion by many nations, characterized as a roaring flood. However, this powerful enemy, despite its overwhelming force, will be suddenly and utterly defeated by God's intervention, scattering like worthless chaff.
This passage follows a lament over the coming destruction of Damascus and Syria, and the subsequent decline of Israel. It then pivots to describe a massive, terrifying invasion by many nations, characterized as a roaring flood. However, this powerful enemy, despite its overwhelming force, will be suddenly and utterly defeated by God's intervention, scattering like worthless chaff.
"The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm." — The imagery of "chaff on the mountains" and "whirling dust" highlights how easily God can scatter even the most imposing human forces, portraying their utter powerlessness against His might.
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Last reviewed October 2026