Isaías 31:3

3 ¡Pues estos egipcios son simples seres humanos, no son Dios!
Sus caballos son solo carne, no espíritus poderosos.
Cuando el Señor
levante el puño contra ellos,
quienes los ayudan tropezarán,
y aquellos que reciben ayuda caerán;
todos caerán y morirán juntos.

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 Es inútil confiar en Egipto
¡Qué aflicción les espera a los que buscan ayuda en Egipto!
Al confiar en sus caballos, en sus carros de guerra y en sus conductores;
y al depender de la fuerza de ejércitos humanos
en lugar de buscar ayuda en el Señor
,
el Santo de Israel.

2 En su sabiduría, el Señor
enviará una gran calamidad;
no cambiará de parecer.
Se levantará contra los malvados
y contra quienes los ayudan.

3 ¡Pues estos egipcios son simples seres humanos, no son Dios!
Sus caballos son solo carne, no espíritus poderosos.
Cuando el Señor
levante el puño contra ellos,
quienes los ayudan tropezarán,
y aquellos que reciben ayuda caerán;
todos caerán y morirán juntos.

4 Pero el Señor
me ha dicho:
«Cuando un león joven y fuerte
ruge sobre la oveja que ha matado,
no lo asustan los gritos ni los ruidos
de toda una multitud de pastores.
De la misma manera, el Señor
de los Ejércitos Celestiales
descenderá para pelear en el monte Sión.

5 El Señor
de los Ejércitos Celestiales se moverá en el aire sobre Jerusalén
y la protegerá como un ave protege su nido.
Defenderá y salvará la ciudad;
pasará sobre ella y la rescatará».