Yeshayah 19

1 9 The massa (burden) of Mitzrayim. Hinei, Hashem rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Mitzrayim; and the elilim (idols) of Mitzrayim shall tremble at His presence, and the levav Mitzrayim shall melt within him.

2 And I will set the Mitzrayim against the Mitzrayim; and they shall fight every ish against his brother, and every ish against his neighbor; ir against ir, and mamlachah against mamlachah.

3 And the ruach Mitzrayim shall be disheartened within him; and I will frustrate the etzah thereof; and they shall consult the elilim (idols, false g-ds), and to the ittim (sorcerers, necromancers), and to the ovot (mediums with familiar spirits), and to the wizards.

4 And the Mitzrayim will I give over into the yad adonim kasheh (power of hard taskmasters); and a fierce melech shall rule over them, saith HaAdon Hashem Tzva’os.

5 And the mayim shall roll back from the yam, and the Nile shall be parched and dried up.

6 And the neharot (streams, canals) shall turn foul; and the moats shall be emptied and dried up; the reeds and rushes shall wither.

7 The bare places by the Nile, by the mouth of the Nile, and everything sown by the Nile, shall wither, be blown away, v’einenu (and be no more).

8 The dayagim (fishermen) also shall mourn, and all they that cast hooks into the Nile shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the mayim shall languish.

9 Moreover they that work in pishtan (flax), and they that weave fine linen, shall be in despair.

10 And its foundations shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sachir (wages) shall be agmei nefesh (grieved).

11 Surely the sarim of Tzoan are fools, the etzah (advice) of the wise counselors of Pharaoh is become senseless; how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the Ben Chachamim, the Ben Malchei Kedem?

12 Where are they? Where are thy chachamim? And let them tell thee now, and let them know what Hashem Tzva’os hath planned against Mitzrayim.

13 The sarim of Tzoan are become fools, the sarim of Noph are deceived; they have also led Mitzrayim astray, even they that are the mainstay of the tribes thereof.

14 Hashem hath poured a ruach iv’im (spirit of dizziness) in the midst thereof, causing Mitzrayim to go astray in every ma’aseh thereof, as a shikkor staggereth in his vomit.

15 Neither shall there be any ma’aseh for Mitzrayim, which the head or tail, branch or stalk, may do.

16 In that day shall Mitzrayim be like nashim; and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the yad Hashem Tzva’os, which He shaketh against it.

17 And Admat Yehudah shall be a terror unto Mitzrayim, every one that maketh mention of Yehudah shall be afraid in himself, because of the etzah (plan) of Hashem Tzva’os, which He hath determined against it.

18 In that day shall five cities in Eretz Mitzrayim speak the sefat (language) of Kena’an, and swear allegiance to Hashem Tzva’os; one shall be called, Ir HaHeres (The City of the Sun).

19 In that day shall there be a mizbe’ach to Hashem in the midst of Eretz Mitzrayim, and a matzevah at the border thereof to Hashem.

20 And it shall be for an ot (sign) and for an ed (witness) unto Hashem Tzva’os in Eretz Mitzrayim; for they shall cry out unto Hashem because of the oppressors, and He shall send them a Moshi’a, and a Rav (leader), and he shall save them.

21 And Hashem shall make Himself known to Mitzrayim, and Mitzrayim shall know Hashem in that day, and shall worship and make zevach and minchah; indeed, they shall vow a neder unto Hashem, and perform it.

22 And Hashem shall strike Mitzrayim; He shall strike and heal it; and they shall make teshuvah even to Hashem, and He shall be entreated of them and shall heal them.

23 In that day shall there be a mesillah (highway) out of Mitzrayim to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Mitzrayim, and the Mitzrayim into Assyria, and the Mitzrayim shall worship with the Assyrians.

24 In that day shall Yisroel be the third with Mitzrayim and with Assyria, even a brocha in the midst of ha’aretz;

25 Whom Hashem Tzva’os shall bless, saying, Baruch Ami Mitzrayim, Ma’aseh Yadai Assyria, and Yisroel Mine nachalah.

Yeshayah 19 Commentary

Chapter 19

Judgments upon Egypt. (1-17) Its deliverance, and the conversion of the people. (18-25)

Verses 1-17 God shall come into Egypt with his judgments. He will raise up the causes of their destruction from among themselves. When ungodly men escape danger, they are apt to think themselves secure; but evil pursues sinners, and will speedily overtake them, except they repent. The Egyptians will be given over into the hand of one who shall rule them with rigour, as was shortly after fulfilled. The Egyptians were renowned for wisdom and science; yet the Lord would give them up to their own perverse schemes, and to quarrel, till their land would be brought by their contests to become an object of contempt and pity. He renders sinners afraid of those whom they have despised and oppressed; and the Lord of hosts will make the workers of iniquity a terror to themselves, and to each other; and every object around a terror to them.

Verses 18-25 The words, "In that day," do not always refer to the passage just before. At a time which was to come, the Egyptians shall speak the holy language, the Scripture language; not only understand it, but use it. Converting grace, by changing the heart, changes the language; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So many Jews shall come to Egypt, that they shall soon fill five cities. Where the sun was worshipped, a place infamous for idolatry, even there shall be a wonderful reformation. Christ, the great Altar, who sanctifies every gift, shall be owned, and the gospel sacrifices of prayer and praise shall be offered up. Let the broken-hearted and afflicted, whom the Lord has wounded, and thus taught to return to, and call upon him, take courage; for He will heal their souls, and turn their sorrowing supplications into joyful praises. The Gentile nations shall not only unite with each other in the gospel fold under Christ, the great Shepherd, but they shall all be united with the Jews. They shall be owned together by him; they shall all share in one and the same blessing. Meeting at the same throne of grace, and serving with each other in the same business of religion, should end all disputes, and unite the hearts of believers to each other in holy love.

Chapter Summary

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.