Ésaïe 19:15

15 Et il n'y aura rien qui serve à l'Égypte, de tout ce que feront la tête et la queue, la palme et le jonc.

Ésaïe 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.

Ésaïe 19:15 In-Context

13 Les princes de Tsoan ont perdu le sens; les princes de Noph sont abusés; l'Égypte est égarée par les chefs de ses tribus.
14 L'Éternel a répandu au milieu d'elle un esprit de vertige, et ils égarent l'Égypte dans toutes ses entreprises, comme un homme ivre qui chancelle en vomissant.
15 Et il n'y aura rien qui serve à l'Égypte, de tout ce que feront la tête et la queue, la palme et le jonc.
16 En ce jour-là, l'Égypte sera comme des femmes; elle sera éperdue et épouvantée, en voyant s'agiter la main de l'Éternel des armées, qu'il agitera contre elle.
17 Alors la terre de Juda sera la terreur de l'Égypte; tous ceux à qui l'on en parlera seront épouvantés, à cause du dessein que l'Éternel des armées, va former contre elle.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.