Literature: Because Judah refuses Yahweh’s “gentle waters,” they will be flooded with the “strong and many” Assyrian waters. Isaiah’s metaphor is a powerful statement in both literature and theology. Water is an essential element of life. The “gentle waters” of Shiloah provide water for the physical salvation of thirsty Jerusalem. The “strong and many” waters of the Assyrians are also life-giving in that the Assyrians quell the belligerent intentions of Syria and Israel. However, the main connotation of the Assyrian waters is of destruction. The Assyrians, temporarily heroes for delivering Jerusalem from Syria and Israel, will become deadly. They bring Jerusalem proximate salvation, but ultimate destruction.