By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel. (2 Kings 19:23)
Isaiah here expresses the thoughts that were in Sennacherib’s heart. The Assyrian king was extremely self-confident that with his numerous chariots he would be able to conquer any region he chose and that his armies could trample down all opposition and overcome all obstacles that might stand in the way.
The tall cedar trees.
This phrase may be applied both literally and figuratively. The Assyrians planned to cut down the beautiful cedars of Lebanon for their own use. Figuratively, the phrase means the complete devastation of the entire country, with the ruin of the nation’s stately palaces and proud inhabitants (see Isa. 2:12-17; 10:33, 34).