10:5 Assyrian. As in many of the prophecies, there is to be both a precursive fulfillment (in this case the coming invasion of Israel and Judah by the unspeakably cruel and wicked Assyrians) and a final fulfillment (the northern invaders of Israel in the last days, as described particularly in Ezekiel 38). The term “Assyrian” seems, in fact, to be a title of the coming Antichrist (e.g., Micah 5:5,6).

10:5 rod of mine anger. God does, on occasion, use wicked men and nations to punish even His own people when they fall into sin and idolatry. When this is completed, however, those evil kingdoms or individuals inevitably meet even more severe judgments (note Isaiah 10:12).