Isaiah 31:4-5

4 This is what the LORD says to me: “As a lion growls, a great lion over its prey— and though a whole band of shepherds is called together against it, it is not frightened by their shouts or disturbed by their clamor— so the LORD Almighty will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
5 Like birds hovering overhead, the LORD Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.”

Isaiah 31:4-5 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.

Cross References 8

  • 1. Numbers 24:9; S 1 Samuel 17:34; Hosea 11:10; Amos 3:8
  • 2. Jeremiah 3:15; Jeremiah 23:4; Ezekiel 34:23; Nahum 3:18
  • 3. Psalms 74:23
  • 4. Isaiah 42:13
  • 5. S Genesis 1:2; S Matthew 23:37
  • 6. S Psalms 91:4; S Isaiah 5:2; S Zechariah 9:15
  • 7. S Psalms 34:7; Isaiah 37:35; Isaiah 38:6
  • 8. S Exodus 12:23
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