Isaiah 31:1-6

Doom to those going to Egypt

1 Doom to those going down to Egypt for help! They rely on horses, trust in chariots because they are many, and on riders because they are very strong. But they don't look to the holy one of Israel; they don't seek the LORD.
2 But God also knows how to bring disaster; he has not taken back his words. God will rise up against the house of evildoers and against the help of those who do wrong.
3 Egypt is human and not divine; their horses are flesh and not spirit. The LORD will extend his hand; the helper will stumble, those helped will fall, and they will all die together.
4 The LORD has said to me: When the lion growls, the young lion, over its prey, though a band of shepherds is summoned against it, isn't scared off by their noise or frightened by their roar. So the LORD of heavenly forces will go down to fight on Mount Zion and on her hill.
5 Like birds flying aloft, so the LORD of heavenly forces will shield Jerusalem: shielding and saving, sparing and rescuing.
6 People of Israel, return to the one whom you have deeply betrayed!

Isaiah 31:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 31

This chapter denounces woe to those that trusted in the Egyptians; assures the Jews of God's care and protection of them; calls them to repentance, and foretells the destruction of the Assyrian army. The sin of those that trusted in Egypt, with the reasons of their trust, and not looking to the Lord, and seeking him, is declared in Isa 31:1 and their folly exposed in so doing; since the Lord is wise, powerful, and unchangeable, and the Egyptians frail and weak; so that the helper and the helped must fall before him, Isa 31:2,3 whereas protection might be expected from the Lord, as is promised, whose power is like that of the lion, and whose tender care is like that of birds to defend their young, Isa 31:4,5 wherefore the Jews are called upon to return to the Lord by repentance, from whom they had revolted; which would be shown by their detestation of idolatry, the sin they had been guilty of, Isa 31:6,7 and the chapter is closed with a prophecy of the ruin of the Assyrian army, and the flight of their king, Isa 31:8,9.

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