Isaías 31:3

3 Pues los egipcios son hombres, y no Dios, y sus caballos son carne, y no espíritu; el SEÑOR, pues, extenderá su mano, y el que ayuda tropezará, y el que recibe ayuda caerá; todos ellos a una perecerán.

Isaías 31:3 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 31:3

Now the Egyptians [are] men, and not God
Be it that they are mighty, they are not mighty, as God is; and indeed they are but frail, feeble, mortal, and mutable men, and therefore not to be trusted in, and depended on; or to be put upon an equality with God, and even to be preferred to him, as they were by the Jews; and of what use and service could they be unto them, seeing God was against them?

and their horses flesh, and not spirit;
only flesh, without an immortal soul or spirit, which man has; and therefore a foolish thing in man to trust in them, who must be entirely guided and directed by them; and much less angelic spirits, or like them, which are incorporeal, invisible, and exceedingly mighty and powerful, which excel all creatures in strength, and are called the mighty angels; these are God's cavalry, his horses and chariots; see ( Psalms 68:17 ) ( Habakkuk 3:8 Habakkuk 3:15 ) and what mighty things have been done by them, even by a single one? Witness the destruction of the Assyrian army, in one night, by one of them; wherefore the Egyptian cavalry was not to be named with them ^F17:

When the Lord shall stretch out his hand;
as soon as he does it, before he strikes, and when he does this in order to it:

both he that helpeth shall fall;
or "stumble", take a false step; meaning the Egyptians, sent for and come forth to help the Jews; but, stumbling and falling themselves, would be but poor assistants to them. Aben Ezra interprets this of the king of Assyria destroying the Egyptians, when he came to Jerusalem:

and he that is holpen shall fall down;
the Jews, helped by the Egyptians, who should fall, and be destroyed, though not now; yet hereafter by the Chaldeans, as they were:

and they all shall fail together;
both the Egyptians and the Jews.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 So Ben Melech interprets "spirit" of an angel, as he does the word "God" in the preceding clause.

Isaías 31:3 In-Context

1 ¡Ay de los que descienden a Egipto por ayuda! En los caballos buscan apoyo, y confían en los carros porque son muchos, y en los jinetes porque son muy fuertes, pero no miran al Santo de Israel, ni buscan al SEÑOR.

2 Pero El también es sabio y traerá el mal, y no se retractará de sus palabras; sino que se levantará contra la casa de los malhechores y contra la ayuda de los que obran iniquidad.

3 Pues los egipcios son hombres, y no Dios, y sus caballos son carne, y no espíritu; el SEÑOR, pues, extenderá su mano, y el que ayuda tropezará, y el que recibe ayuda caerá; todos ellos a una perecerán.

4 Porque así me dice el SEÑOR: Tal como gruñe el león o el leoncillo sobre su presa, contra el que se reúne una multitud de pastores, y no se atemoriza de sus voces ni se acobarda por su multitud, así descenderá el SEÑOR de los ejércitos para combatir sobre el monte Sion y sobre su collado.

5 Como aves que vuelan, así protegerá el SEÑOR de los ejércitos a Jerusalén; la protegerá y la librará, la perdonará y la rescatará.