Isaiah 19:1-10

A Prophecy Against Egypt

1 A prophecy against Egypt: See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.
2 “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian— brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.
3 The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.
4 I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them,” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
5 The waters of the river will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and dry.
6 The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up. The reeds and rushes will wither,
7 also the plants along the Nile, at the mouth of the river. Every sown field along the Nile will become parched, will blow away and be no more.
8 The fishermen will groan and lament, all who cast hooks into the Nile; those who throw nets on the water will pine away.
9 Those who work with combed flax will despair, the weavers of fine linen will lose hope.
10 The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.

Isaiah 19:1-10 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.

Cross References 25

  • 1. Isaiah 13:1; Jeremiah 43:12
  • 2. Isaiah 20:3; Joel 3:19
  • 3. S Exodus 12:12; S Jeremiah 44:3
  • 4. S Deuteronomy 10:14; S 2 Samuel 22:10; Psalms 18:10; Psalms 104:3; S Revelation 1:7
  • 5. S Joshua 2:11
  • 6. S Judges 7:22; S Judges 12:4; Matthew 10:21,36
  • 7. S 2 Chronicles 15:6; 2 Chronicles 20:23; Matthew 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:10
  • 8. Psalms 18:45
  • 9. ver 11; S Job 5:12
  • 10. 1 Chronicles 10:13
  • 11. S Leviticus 19:31; Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 47:13; Daniel 2:2,10; Daniel 3:8; Daniel 5:7
  • 12. Isaiah 20:4; Jeremiah 46:26; Ezekiel 29:19; Ezekiel 32:11
  • 13. Isaiah 44:27; Isaiah 50:2; Jeremiah 50:38; Jeremiah 51:36
  • 14. S 2 Samuel 14:14
  • 15. Exodus 7:18
  • 16. Isaiah 37:25; Ezekiel 30:12
  • 17. S Genesis 41:2; S Job 8:11
  • 18. Isaiah 15:6
  • 19. Numbers 11:5
  • 20. Deuteronomy 29:23; Isaiah 23:3
  • 21. Zechariah 10:11
  • 22. Numbers 11:5; Ezekiel 47:10
  • 23. Amos 4:2; Habakkuk 1:15
  • 24. S Joshua 2:6
  • 25. Proverbs 7:16; Ezekiel 16:10; Ezekiel 27:7
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