Isaiah 30:4

4 For though his power extends to Zoan and his officials have arrived in Hanes,

Isaiah 30:4 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 30:4

For his princes were at Zoan
That is, the princes of the king of Judah, or of the people of Judah; though it can hardly be thought that princes should be sent ambassadors into Egypt, to enter into an alliance, or request help, without the knowledge, leave, and consent, and indeed order, of the king, under which character they went, as appears from the following clause: and his ambassadors came to Hanes;
these are the same with the princes, for such were sent on this embassy, both for the honour of the kingdom, and for the more easy obtaining of their end; the two places mentioned, to which they went, were two principal cities in Egypt, where probably the king of Egypt was, and his court kept, sometimes at one place, and sometimes at another. Zoan is the same with Tanis, the metropolis of one of the nomes or provinces of Egypt, called from it the Tanitic nome; and so the Targum here renders it, "Tanes": and the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, "Tanis"; (See Gill on Isaiah 19:11). The Jews ^F7 say there is not a more excellent place in all Egypt than Zoan, because kings were brought up in it, as it is here said, "his princes were at Zoan"; the other, here called "Hanes", is the same with Tahapanes in ( Jeremiah 2:16 ) and Tahpanhes, ( Jeremiah 43:7-9 ) and so the Targum here calls it; it is thought to be the same with Daphnae Pelusiae; here Pharaoh had a house or palace; see ( Jeremiah 43:9 ) and this is the reason of the ambassadors going thither.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 112. 1. & Sota, fol. 34. 2.

Isaiah 30:4 In-Context

2 For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade.

3 But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated, and by depending on him, you will be disgraced.

4 For though his power extends to Zoan and his officials have arrived in Hanes,

5 all who trust in him will be ashamed. He will not help you. Instead, he will disgrace you.”

6 This message came to me concerning the animals in the Negev: The caravan moves slowly across the terrible desert to Egypt— donkeys weighed down with riches and camels loaded with treasure— all to pay for Egypt’s protection. They travel through the wilderness, a place of lionesses and lions, a place where vipers and poisonous snakes live. All this, and Egypt will give you nothing in return.