C¹. Israel’s Victory and Deliverance (10:5-11:3)

The prophet continues for the moment to address his present circumstances. In the preceding paragraph he denounced the unscrupulous and unprincipled leaders of Judah. Now he strengthens the people and prepares them for victory. Judah and Joseph represent the southern and northern kingdoms respectively. Having addressed the problem of leadership in Judah, the prophet concerns himself with the return of Ephraim’s exiles (vv.8-9). In the remainder of the unit he deals with nations affected by the Lord’s restoration of Israel. Egypt and Assyria stand for those nations who are forced to release the exiles, the latter especially symbolizing also Babylonia and Persia. Gilead and Lebanon are regions that will have to relinquish territory to God’s people who will have outgrown their borders.

The poetic section ends (to be resumed briefly in 11:17 and 13:7-9) with a taunting song against Israel’s enemies (Dentan, 1101; Mitchell, 295). The pride of Lebanon and Bashan is graphically symbolized in the cedar and oak, which will be reduced to nothing by ax and fire.