But the multitude of your foreign foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the ruthless like passing chaff. And in an instant, suddenly,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse emphasizes that this sudden defeat will be incredibly swift and complete, portraying the enemies as mere dust and chaff that vanish in an instant. It’s not just a military setback, but a profound, almost supernatural evaporation of power, highlighting God's ultimate control.
But the multitude of your foreign foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the ruthless like passing chaff. And in an instant, suddenly,
English Standard Version (ESV)
In the preceding verses, God announces a coming judgment against Jerusalem, calling it "Ariel" (meaning "lion of God"), highlighting both its strength and its vulnerability. This verse shifts focus from the internal judgment to the sudden, overwhelming defeat of the foreign armies that have besieged the city. God declares that these mighty invaders will be utterly scattered in an instant, like dust and chaff blown away by the wind.
When you're facing overwhelming odds, it's easy to feel crushed. But what if your fearsome enemies are nothing to God?
The prophet Isaiah uses vivid imagery to describe how God deals with powerful, terrifying enemies. He compares the vast numbers of these foreign invaders and cruel oppressors to:
These images aren't just poetic; they speak to the ultimate powerlessness of any force that stands against God. What appears mighty and formidable to us can be utterly insignificant and easily swept aside by divine intervention.
Oppressors often seem unstoppable, their plans unfolding methodically. But God's intervention can be swift, unexpected, and absolute.
The end of Isaiah 29:5 is crucial: 'And in an instant, suddenly.' This phrase underscores the divine capability to act with incredible speed and decisiveness.
This isn't about a slow, drawn-out process; it's about God bringing about a complete turn of events in the blink of an eye.
Throughout Scripture, we see God acting with sudden power:
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This suddenness serves to magnify God's power and sovereignty, demonstrating that He is not limited by human timelines or strategies. It offers hope that even in the darkest, most entrenched situations, God can bring immediate and complete relief.
Understand the original words
zar · Hebrew Adjective
Those who are strangers to the covenant of God, often representing enemies who oppose the people of God and bring them under judgment.
arits · Hebrew Adjective
People who act with cruel, violent, or unyielding harshness, often representing those who have abandoned the fear of God and behave with total disregard for the vulnerable.
mots · Hebrew Noun
The outer husk of grain separated from the kernel; in Scripture, it serves as a common metaphor for the transitory, worthless, and easily scattered nature of the wicked when exposed to God's judgment.
This prophecy vividly describes the sudden, miraculous destruction of the Assyrian army besieging Jerusalem, highlighting God's power to protect His people from overwhelming foreign threats.
705–681 BC
Reign of Sennacherib of Assyria
Sennacherib's aggressive military campaigns expanded the Assyrian Empire, including campaigns in the Levant. His reign was marked by significant conflict and the subjugation of many nations.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Sennacherib's Campaign Against Judah
Sennacherib invaded Judah, capturing many fortified cities and besieging Jerusalem. This event is a primary context for Isaiah's prophecy.
c. 701 BC
Destruction of Sennacherib's Army
According to biblical accounts, a divine intervention miraculously destroyed a large part of Sennacherib's army during the siege of Jerusalem, forcing the Assyrians to withdraw.
689 BC
Sennacherib Destroys Babylon
Later in his reign, Sennacherib brutally destroyed the city of Babylon. This act contributed to his assassination by his own sons.
681 BC
Assassination of Sennacherib
Sennacherib was assassinated by two of his sons, possibly due to his violent policies and the destruction of Babylon.
This passage shows the 'strangers' and 'terrible ones'—the Egyptian army—being utterly destroyed by God's power, vanishing like dust and chaff in an instant as the Red Sea covered them.
Psalm 1:4It vividly portrays wicked enemies as chaff, emphasizing their worthlessness and how easily they will be swept away by divine judgment, much like the 'small dust' and 'chaff' in Isaiah.
Isaiah 10:16-19This passage describes a similar scattering and destruction of a mighty invading force, comparing them to 'leanness among the fat' that will waste away, paralleling the swift and complete demise of Isaiah's enemies.
Isaiah 30:28This verse directly links God's breath to the destruction of enemy nations, likening the enemy's oppressive force to a flood that is suddenly stopped, mirroring the instantaneous and overwhelming judgment described.
Daniel 2:34-35The imagery of a stone striking a statue and grinding it to dust and chaff shows how a divinely appointed force will suddenly and completely annihilate earthly powers, just as Isaiah describes the enemies' swift disappearance.
bensonIsaiah 29:5: "Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly."
Isaiah 29:5-7 . Moreover — Or, rather, But, the multitude of thy strangers — Of the strangers that encamp and fight against thee; shall be like small dust — Dispersed by the least breath of air; and the multitude of the terrible ones — Of the Assyrian army, terrible for courage and ferocity; shall be…
cambridgeIsaiah 29:5: "Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly."
5 . thy strangers ] the barbarians who assail thee. the terrible ones ] or the tyrants . 5–8 . The discomfiture and dispersion of Zion’s enemies in the hour of their triumph.
The verse emphasizes that this sudden defeat will be incredibly swift and complete, portraying the enemies as mere dust and chaff that vanish in an instant. It’s not just a military setback, but a profound, almost supernatural evaporation of power, highlighting God's ultimate control.
In the preceding verses, God announces a coming judgment against Jerusalem, calling it "Ariel" (meaning "lion of God"), highlighting both its strength and its vulnerability. This verse shifts focus from the internal judgment to the sudden, overwhelming defeat of the foreign armies that have besieged the city. God declares that these mighty invaders will be utterly scattered in an instant, like dust and chaff blown away by the wind.
In the preceding verses, God announces a coming judgment against Jerusalem, calling it "Ariel" (meaning "lion of God"), highlighting both its strength and its vulnerability. This verse shifts focus from the internal judgment to the sudden, overwhelming defeat of the foreign armies that have besieged the city. God declares that these mighty invaders will be utterly scattered in an instant, like dust and chaff blown away by the wind.
"But the multitude of your foreign foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the ruthless like passing chaff. And in an instant, suddenly," — The verse emphasizes that this sudden defeat will be incredibly swift and complete, portraying the enemies as mere dust and chaff that vanish in an instant. It’s not just a military setback, but a pr…
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Last reviewed October 2026