There are obvious parallels between this verse and verse 24.

If these parallels are similar in meaning, then the terms rod and lift in both verses are threatening gestures. In verse 24 they belong to Assyria, threatening Israel; in verse 26 they belong to the LORD, threatening Assyria. For some commentators, however, some of the terms in verse 26 have a positive meaning, pointing to the protection of Israel rather than to the defeat of Assyria (see the comments below).

And the LORD of hosts will wield against them a scourge: Yahweh will use a scourge (Good News Translation “whip”) against the Assyrians. Will wield against them a scourge may be rendered simply “will whip them.” This is clearly a figure for punishment, so if “whip them” is unclear or does not quite fit the context in the receptor language, translators may say “punish them.” The Hebrew verb rendered wield is a participle, so it refers to something that is about to happen. It emphasizes that the punishment will happen soon.

As when he smote Midian at the rock of Oreb: This comparison refers to Israel’s victory over the Midianites mentioned in Jdg 7.24-25. The Midianites attacked Israel, but Gideon, with God’s help, defeated them. One of the Midianite captains was called Oreb. The place where he was killed was then called the rock of Oreb (Good News Translation “Oreb Rock”). Although the victory was won by the Israelites under Gideon’s leadership, they acknowledge that it was really Yahweh who gave it to them. So here Isaiah speaks of “smiting Midian” as Yahweh’s action.

And his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt is a difficult sentence. It refers to the Exodus event and the crossing of the Reed Sea (or, Red Sea). There, Moses held out his rod over the sea and the waters parted, allowing the Israelites to cross to the other side. But it is God’s hand in that event which is the focus of Isaiah’s words here. Yahweh’s rod will protect the people just as he protected them, through Moses’ rod, in the past. He will lift it as he did in Egypt may be parallel to the previous clause with a different event in view. In Exo 10.13 and 19 the same Hebrew verb root for lift is used to describe the wind lifting up and blowing away the plague of locusts from the land of Egypt. So there is a probable double sense in this sentence: God lifts his stick to protect and also to blow away the troubles faced by the people of Israel. However, many translations see this sentence as referring to the same event, that is, the passage through the Reed Sea. New International Version has “and he will raise his staff over the waters, as he did in Egypt.” However, the “lifting” could be seen as a threatening gesture, as it was in verse 24. Bible en français courant (1997) brings this meaning out with “he will raise his staff as he did once over the sea against Egypt.” Revised English Bible says “he will lift his staff against the Euphrates as he did against Egypt.” It understands the sea as a reference to the Euphrates River in Assyria.

The historical event that is hinted at through these references (namely, the defeat of Assyria) may be mentioned in a footnote, so that readers know the deeper meaning of Isaiah’s words. For many readers a literal translation without notes may be meaningless. On the other hand, it is not advisable to go as far as Good News Translation has done and simply say “I will punish Assyria as I punished Egypt.” A great deal is lost by abbreviating the text to that extent.

There is one minor issue in the last clause of the verse since the Hebrew text is literally “he will raise it on the road of Egypt.” New Jerusalem Bible takes this into account with its rendering: “he raised it on the way from Egypt” (see also the second example below).

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Yahweh of hosts will whip them just as he defeated the Midianites at the Rock of Oreb; he will hold out his rod over the waters as he did in Egypt.

• I, Yahweh of hosts, will beat them with a whip just as I did when I beat the Midianites at Oreb Rock. I will hold out my rod over the sea as I did on the road from Egypt.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .