Isaiah 10:3

And what wil ye doe in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from farre? To whom wil ye flee for helpe? And where will yee leaue your glory? Isaiah 10:3 (KJV)

The surrounding context of Isaiah 10:1‑4 shows the prophet warning the corrupt leaders of Judah about their unjust decrees and oppression of the poor. The phrase “day of visitation” denotes a time when God comes to examine or judge a nation or people. In this passage it signals the moment when God will hold Judah accountable for its actions. The “desolation which shall come from far” refers to the destruction that will be brought upon Judah by a distant land—Assyria—which God uses as an instrument of judgment against Judah’s wickedness.

Isaiah asks the leaders, “to whom will ye flee for help?” highlighting that, despite their position of power, they will find no refuge or assistance when God’s judgment is unleashed. Their reliance on human strength, military might, or foreign alliances will prove futile. The question “where will ye leave your glory?” challenges the proud and exalted position the leaders have built through unjust means, reminding them that earthly power and prestige cannot save them from the consequences of their actions.

A similar declaration appears earlier in Isaiah 9:16: “For the day of visitation is come, and the Lord is angry with us.” Though that verse belongs to a different chapter, it reinforces the theme that the approaching divine judgment is accompanied by divine anger toward complacency and false confidence.

Both passages stress that when judgment arrives, reliance on human resources will be empty, and the glory that the nation or its leaders have amassed will have nowhere to stand.

Thus the study of Isaiah 10:3 calls the audience to recognize the futility of trusting in earthly power alone. It urges a turn toward God, whose righteous judgment cannot be avoided, and whose mercy is the only true source of lasting security and glory.