Isaiah 19
Isaiah 19 is part of “Oracles Against Nations” (13–23) in the outline of Isaiah.
Isaiah 19 summary
As Assyria was a breaking rod to Judah, with which it was smitten, so Egypt was a broken reed, with which it was cheated; and therefore God had a quarrel with them both. We have before read the doom of the Assyrians; now here we have the burden of Egypt, a prophecy concerning that nation, I. That it should be greatly weakened and brought low, and should be as contemptible among the nations as now it was considerable, rendered so by a complication of judgments which God would bring upon them (v. 1-17). II.
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As Assyria was a breaking rod to Judah, with which it was smitten, so Egypt was a broken reed, with which it was cheated; and therefore God had a quarrel with them both. We have before read the doom of the Assyrians; now here we have the burden of Egypt, a prophecy concerning that nation, I. That it should be greatly weakened and brought low, and should be as contemptible among the nations as now it was considerable, rendered so by a complication of judgments which God would bring upon them (v. 1-17). II. That at length God's holy religion should be brought into Egypt, and set up there, in part by the Jews that should flee thither for refuge, but more fully by the preachers of the gospel of Christ, through whose ministry churches should be planted in Egypt in the says of the Messiah (Isa 19:18-25), which would abundantly balance all the calamities here threatened.
Source: Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706–21; Romans–Revelation completed by Nonconformist ministers). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
Isaiah 19 (GNV)
Geneva Bible 1599 (public domain)
Prophecy Against Egypt
1The burden of Egypt. Beholde, the Lord rideth vpon a swift cloude, and shall come into Egypt, and the idoles of Egypt shall be moued at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the middes of her. 2And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: so euery one shall fight against his brother, and euery one against his neighbour, citie against citie, and kingdome against kingdome. 3And the spirite of Egypt shall faile in the middes of her, and I will destroy their counsell, and they shall seeke at the idoles, and at the sorcerers, and at them that haue spirits of diuination, and at the southsayers. 4And I will deliuer the Egyptians into the hand of the cruell Lordes, and a mightie King shall rule ouer them, sayth the Lord God of hostes. 5Then the waters of the sea shall faile, and the riuers shall be dryed vp, and wasted. 6And the riuers shall goe farre away: the riuers of defence shalbe emptied and dryed vp: the reedes and flagges shall be cut downe. 7The grasse in the riuer, and at the head of the riuers, and all that groweth by the riuer, shall wither, and be driuen away, and be no more. 8The fishers also shall mourne, and all they that cast angle into the riuer, shall lament, and they that spread their nette vpon the waters, shall be weakened. 9Moreouer, they that worke in flaxe of diuers sortes, shall be confounded, and they that weaue nettes. 10For their nettes shalbe broken, and all they, that make pondes, shalbe heauie in heart. 11Surely the princes of Zoan are fooles: the counsell of the wise counselers of Pharaoh is become foolish: how say ye vnto Pharaoh, I am the sonne of the wise? I am the sonne of the ancient Kings? 12Where are nowe thy wise men, that they may tell thee, or may knowe what the Lord of hostes hath determined against Egypt? 13The princes of Zoan are become fooles: the princes of Noph are deceiued, they haue deceiued Egypt, euen the corners of the tribes thereof. 14The Lord hath mingled among them the spirite of errours: and they haue caused Egypt to erre in euery worke thereof, as a drunken man erreth in his vomite. 15Neither shall there be any worke in Egypt, which the head may doe, nor the tayle, ye branch nor the rush. 16In that day shall Egypt be like vnto women: for it shall be afraide and feare because of the moouing of the hand of the Lord of hostes, which he shaketh ouer it. 17And the land of Iudah shall be a feare vnto Egypt: euery one that maketh mention of it, shalbe afraid thereat, because of ye counsell of the Lord of hostes, which he hath determined vpon it. 18In that day shall fiue cities in the lande of Egypt speake the language of Canaan, and shall sweare by the Lord of hostes. one shall be called the citie of destruction. 19In that day shall the altar of the Lord be in the middes of the land of Egypt, and a pillar by the border thereof vnto the Lord. 20And it shall be for a signe and for a witnes vnto the Lord of hostes in the land of Egypt: for they shall crie vnto the Lord, because of the oppressers, and he shall send them a Sauiour and a great man, and shall deliuer them. 21And the Lord shall be knowen of the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall knowe the Lord in that day, and doe sacrifice and oblation, and shall vowe vowes vnto the Lord, and performe them. 22So ye Lord shall smite Egypt, he shall smite and heale it: for he shall returne vnto ye Lord, and he shall be intreated of them and shall heale them. 23In that day shall there be a path from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur shall come into Egypt, and Egypt into Asshur: so the Egyptians shall worship with Asshur. 24In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and Asshur, euen a blessing in the middes of the land. 25For the Lord of hostes shall blesse it, saying, Blessed be my people Egypt and Asshur, the worke of mine hands, and Israel mine inheritance.