Isaiah 31:2-9

2 Forsooth he that is wise, hath brought evil, and took not away his words; and he shall rise altogether against the house of worst men, and against the help of them that work wickedness. (For the Lord is wise, and he hath brought evil, or trouble, and did not take back his words; he shall rise up against the house of evil people, and against the help of those who work wickedness.)

3 Egypt is a man, and not God; and the horses of them be flesh, and not spirit; and the Lord shall bow down his hand, and (both) the helper shall fall down, and (also) he shall fall, to whom help is given, and (they) all shall be wasted together,

4 For why the Lord saith these things to me, If a lion roareth, and a whelp of a lion on his prey, when the multitude of shepherds cometh against him, he shall not dread of the voice of them, and he shall not dread of the multitude of them; so the Lord of hosts shall come down, for to fight on the mountain of Zion, and on the little hill thereof. (For the Lord saith these things to me, Like a lion, or the whelp of a lion, roareth over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds cometh against him, and he shall not fear their voice, and he shall not fear their multitude, so the Lord of hosts shall come down, to fight for Mount Zion, and for its hill, or for its summit.)

5 As birds flying (over their nests), so the Lord of hosts shall defend Jerusalem; he defending and delivering, passing forth and saving (he defending it, shall rescue it, and hovering over it, he shall save it).

6 Ye sons of Israel, be converted, as ye had gone away into depth. (Ye Israelites, turn back to me, ye who have gone so far away from me.)

7 Forsooth in that day a man shall cast away the idols of his silver, and the idols of his gold, which your hands made to you into sin. (For on that day everyone shall throw away their idols of silver, and their idols of gold, which your hands made for you to sin with.)

8 And Assur shall fall by sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee, not from the face of sword, and his young men shall be tributaries; (And the Assyrian shall fall by the sword, but not by the sword of a man; yea, a sword, but not a man's sword, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the face of the sword, and his young men shall be slaves, or shall be put to forced labour;)

9 and the strength of him shall pass from fearedfulness, and his princes fleeing shall dread. The Lord said, whose fire is in Zion, and his chimney is in Jerusalem. (and his strength shall pass away because of fearfulness, and his fleeing leaders shall have great fear. Thus saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace is in Jerusalem.)

Isaiah 31:2-9 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.