And I will camp against thee - That is, I will cause an army to pitch their tents there for a siege. God regards the armies which he would employ as under his control, and speaks of them as if he would do it himself (see the note at Isaiah 10:5).

Round about - (כדוּר kadûr). As in a circle; that is, he would encompass or encircle the city. The word used here דור dûr in Isaiah 22:18, means a ball, but here it evidently means a circle; and the sense is, that the army of the besiegers would encompass the city. A similar form of expression occurs in regard to Jerusalem in Luke 19:43 : 'For the days shall come upon thee, than thine enemies shall cast a trench (χάρακα charaka - "a rampart," a "mound") about thee σοί soi "against thee"), and "compass thee round" περικυκλώτονσί σε perikuklōsousi se, "encircle thee").' So also Luke 21:20. The Septuagint renders this, 'I will encompass thee as David did;' evidently reading it as if it were כדוּד kadûd; and Lowth observes that two manuscripts thus read it, and he himself adopts it. But the authority for correcting the Hebrew text in this way is not sufficient, nor is it necessary. The idea in the present reading is a clear one, and evidently means that the armies of Sennacherib would encompass the city.

With a mount - A rampart; a fortification. Or, rather, perhaps, the word מצב mutsâb means a post, a military station, from יצב yâtsab, "to place, to station." The word in this form occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures, but the word מצב matsâb occurs in 1 Samuel 13:23; 1 Samuel 14:1, 1 Samuel 14:4; 2 Samuel 23:14, in the sense of a military post, or garrison.

I will rise forts - That is, ramparts, such as were usually thrown up against a besieged city, meaning that it should be subjected to the regular process of a siege. The Septuagint reads, Πύργου Purgou; 'Towers;' and so also two manuscripts by changing the Hebrew letter ד (d) into the Hebrew letter ר (r). But there is no necessity for altering the Hebrew text. Lowth prefers the reading of the Septuagint.

And I will camp against thee round about "And I will encamp against thee like David" - For כדור caddur, some kind of military engine, כדוד kedavid, like David, is the reading of the Septuagint, two MSS. of Kennicott's, if not two more: but though Bishop Lowth adopts this reading, I think it harsh and unnecessary.

Forts "Towers" - For מצרת metsuroth, read מצדות metsudoth: so the Septuagint and five MSS. of Dr. Kennicott's, one of them ancient, and four of De Rossi's.

And I will camp against thee round about,.... Or as a "ball" or "globe" (o); a camp all around; the Lord is said to do that which the enemy should do, because it was by his will, and according to his order, and which he would succeed and prosper, and therefore the prophecy of it is the more terrible; and it might be concluded that it would certainly be fulfilled, as it was; see Luke 19:43,

and will lay siege against thee with a mount: raised up for soldiers to get up upon, and cast their arrows into the city from, and scale the walls; Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it a wooden tower. This cannot be understood of Sennacherib's siege, for he was not suffered to raise a bank against the city, nor shoot an arrow into it, Isaiah 37:33 but well agrees with the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans, as related by Josephus (p):

and I will raise forts against thee; from whence to batter the city; the Romans had their battering rams.

(o) "quasi pila", Piscator; "instar globi", Gataker. (p) Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 1. & c. 12. sect. 1, 2.

And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.

[1] And I will camp

Here, as often in prophecy, and especially in Isaiah, the near and far horizons blend. The near view is of Sennacherib's invasion and the destruction of the Assyrian host by the angel of the Lord (Isa. 36., 37.); the far view is that of the final gathering of the Gentile hosts against Jerusalem at the end of the great tribulation Ps 2:5 Rev 7:14 when a still greater deliverance will be wrought. (See "Times of the Gentiles," Lk 21:24 Rev 16:14. The same remark applies also to Isa 28:14-18 where there is a near reference to the Egyptian alliance ("we have made a covenant," etc.), while the reference to the stone Isa 29:16 carries the meaning forward to the end-time, and the covenant of unbelieving Israel with the Beast. Dan 9:27.

3. I-Jehovah, acting through the Assyrian, &c., His instruments (Isa 10:5).

mount-an artificial mound formed to out-top high walls (Isa 37:33); else a station, namely, of warriors, for the siege.

round about-not fully realized under Sennacherib, but in the Roman siege (Lu 19:43; 21:20).

forts-siege-towers (De 20:20).

29:1-8 Ariel may signify the altar of burnt-offerings. Let Jerusalem know that outward religious services will not make men free from judgements. Hypocrites never can please God, nor make their peace with him. God had often and long, by a host of angels, encamped round about Jerusalem for protection and deliverance; but now he fought against it. Proud looks and proud language shall be brought down by humbling providences. The destruction of Jerusalem's enemies is foretold. The army of Sennacherib went as a dream; and thus the multitudes, that through successive ages fight against God's altar and worship, shall fall. Speedily will sinners awake from their soothing dreams in the pains of hell.