The sword will fall on their cities, And will consume their gate bars, And will put an end to their plans.
And devour them, because of their own counsels - Their counsels, wise after this world’s wisdom, were without God, against the counsels of God. Their destruction then should come from their own wisdom, as it is said, “Let them fall by their own counsels” Psalms 5:10, and Job saith, “He taketh the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong” Job 5:13, i. e., it is the clean contrary of what they intend or plan; they purpose, as they think, warily; an unseen power whirls their scheme on and precipitates it. “And his own counsel shall cast him down” Job 18:7; and above; “Israel shall be ashamed through his own counsels” Job 10:6. Hoshea’s conspiracy with So, which was to have been his support against Assyria, brought Assyria against him, and his people into captivity.