Isaiah 7:20
razor—The Assyrians are to be God's instrument of devastating Judea, just as a razor sweeps away all hair before it (Isaiah 10:5; Ezekiel 29:19-20).
hired—alluding to Ahaz' hiring (II Kings 16:7-8) Tiglath-pileser against Syria and Israel; namely,
by them beyond the river—namely, the Euphrates; the eastern boundary of Jewish geographical knowledge (Psalms 72:8); the river which Abram crossed; the Nile also may be included (Isaiah 7:18) [G. V. SMITH]. GESENIUS translates, "With a razor hired in the parts beyond the river."
head . . . feet—the whole body, including the most honored parts. To cut the "beard" is the greatest indignity to an Easterner (Isaiah 50:6; II Samuel 10:4-5; Ezekiel 5:1).
