Isaiah 19:1-15

Oracle of Judgment on Egypt

1 An oracle of Egypt: Look! Yahweh [is] riding on a swift cloud and [is] coming [to] Egypt. And the idols of Egypt will tremble in front of him, and the heart of Egypt melts in his inner parts.
2 "And I will stir up {Egyptians} against {Egyptians}, and each one will fight against his brother and each one against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.
3 And the spirit of {the Egyptians} will be disturbed in his midst, and I will {confuse} his plans, and they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, and the ghosts and the spiritists.
4 And I will hand over {the Egyptians} into [the] hand of a hard master, and a powerful king will rule over them," {declares} the Lord Yahweh of hosts.
5 And [the] waters will be dried up from the sea, and [the] river will be parched and dry.
6 And [the] rivers will become foul-smelling; the branches of the Nile of Egypt will become little and dry up; reed and rush will wither.
7 Bare places by [the] Nile will be dried up, by the edge of [the] Nile and all the sown land of [the] Nile; it will be driven about, and {it will be no more}.
8 And the fishers will mourn, and all of those who cast fishhooks in the Nile will lament, and those who spread out fishing nets on [the] {surface} of [the] water will languish.
9 And [the] workers of combed flax will be ashamed, and those who weave white linen.
10 And her weavers will be crushed; all [the] {hired workers} [will be] grieved of heart.
11 Surely the princes of Zoan [are] foolish; the wise of the counselors of Pharaoh [give] senseless counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I myself [am] a son of sages, a {descendant} of ancient kings"?
12 Where [are] your sages then? Now, let them tell you, and let them know what Yahweh of hosts has planned against Egypt.
13 The princes of Zoan have become foolish; the princes of Memphis are deceived; the leaders of her tribes have led Egypt astray.
14 Yahweh has mixed a spirit of confusion into her midst, and they have caused Egypt to stagger in all of its doings, as {when a drunkard staggers} in his vomit.
15 And {there will be nothing for Egypt to do}, head or tail, palm branch or reed.

Isaiah 19:1-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 19

This chapter contains prophecies of various calamities that should come upon Egypt in a short time, and of the conversion of many of them to Christ in Gospel times. The calamities are many; the Lord's coming unto them, which their gods cannot prevent, nor stand before, nor save them, and at which the hearts of the Egyptians are dispirited, Isa 19:1 civil wars among themselves, Isa 19:2 want of counsel, which sends them to idols and wizards, but in vain, Isa 19:3 subjection to a cruel lord, Isa 19:4 drying up of their rivers and waters, so that the paper reeds wither, and fishes die; and hence no business for fishermen, nor for workers in flax, or weavers of nets, Isa 19:5-10,15 the stupidity of their princes and wise counsellors, given up by the Lord to a perverse spirit, so that they concerted wrong measures, and deceived the people, Isa 19:11-14 a general consternation among them, because of the hand and counsel of the Lord; and because of the Lord's people, the Jews, who were a terror to them, Isa 19:16,17 and then follows the prophecy of their conversion in later times, which is signified by their speaking the language of Canaan, and swearing to the Lord, Isa 19:18 by their erecting an altar, and a pillar to the Lord, which should be a sign and witness to him; and by their crying to him, and his sending them a Saviour, and a great one, Isa 19:19,20 by his being known unto them, by their offering sacrifice to him, and by his smiting and healing them Isa 19:21,22 and the chapter is concluded with a prophecy of that harmony, and agreement, and fellowship, that shall be between Jew and Gentile, between Egypt, Assyria, and Israel; and that the blessing of God should be upon them all, Isa 19:23-25.

Footnotes 15

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.