Isaiah 19:15

15 And {there will be nothing for Egypt to do}, head or tail, palm branch or reed.

Isaiah 19:15 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 19:15

Neither shall there be [any] work for Egypt
No trade or business to carry on; their rivers being dried up, there was no flax to work with, and fine linen was a principal commodity of Egypt; nor any fish to catch, or rushes to make paper of, as before observed: or it would not be in the power of their hands to deliver themselves from the Assyrians that should come against them; and that they should be deprived of wisdom and counsel, and be at their wits' end, not knowing what to do, or what step to take:

which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do:
high or low, strong or weak, all ranks and orders of men shall have nothing to do; all shall be weak and dispirited, and void of counsel. By the "head" and "branch" may be meant the king and his nobles; and by the "tail" and "rush" the common people; see ( Isaiah 9:14 Isaiah 9:15 ) . The Targum interprets the whole of their chief men thus,

``and the Egyptians shall have no king to reign, nor prince, noble, governor, or ruler.''

Jarchi explains it of the magicians, astrologers, and stargazers of Egypt, who, with all their boasted knowledge and wisdom, should not be able either to foresee or prevent the evil coming upon them.

Isaiah 19:15 In-Context

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.

16 On that day, Egypt will be like women, and will tremble and be afraid before the waving hand of Yahweh of hosts that he [is] waving against it.

17 And the land of Judah will become a terror to Egypt, everyone [to] whom one mentions it will be afraid in himself because of the plan of Yahweh of hosts that he [is] planning against him.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "not it will be for Egypt a deed which he can do"