Please read the passage before reading the commentary
Assyria lies north of Jerusalem, much as Russia lies north of the United States of America, although geographic positions mean less now than in the days of Ezekiel, since attacks by air can come from a variety of places. Assyria, the scourge and nemesis of Jerusalem, would come from the north and attack and destroy the temple and city.
Only those were to be spared who had remained faithful to the Lord’s covenant. Old men, youths, maidens, women and children would be wiped out. In those days, war was not a game, and the only rule was to win at any cost. Warriors and average citizens were considered together. While we have tried to make war less terrifying by conventions, some nations still fight all-out wars against other nations and consider all the citizens of the other nation as fair game in battle.
We tend to judge negatively those who fight under the old rules, but even the “nobler” nations of the world have violated today’s standards by torturing prisoners and mistreating them in other ways.
The prophet considered the Assyrians as God’s agents for punishing. The prophet would rebuke nations and leaders who went beyond God’s idea of punishment. If God has made us, either as a nation or as individuals, agents for God’s justice, we ought not go beyond God’s mercy and the mandate of God to us. To the sinner, the prophet always preaches repentance; to the repentant, the prophet proclaims God’s mercy and forgiveness.