Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 19 is the EGYPT ORACLE — judgment (vv. 1–17) followed by-an-extraordinary-vision of Egypt-and-Assyria-converted-and-blessed-with-Israel (vv. 18–25). Verse 25's 'Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance' is the OT's most-radical universalist-vision — the ancient-enemies-of-Israel becoming-co-recipients of-divine-favor.
Notable Variants
19:1 'the LORD rides on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt' theophany; 19:18–22 EGYPT'S CONVERSION promise; 19:25 'BLESSED BE EGYPT MY PEOPLE … ISRAEL MY INHERITANCE' radical-universalism; 19:18 'city of the sun' / 'city of destruction' textual-variant.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 19 = LXX Isaiah 19. 25 verses. EGYPT ORACLE with universalist-conversion-vision.
An oracle concerning Egypt: Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before Him, and the heart of Egypt melts within it.
'An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them' tracks MT. RIDES-ON-SWIFT-CLOUD theophany. Matthew 24:30 ('they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven') Christologically-extends. Daniel 7:13 (Son-of-Man with-clouds) Messianic-coronation-vision.
"I will stir up Egypt against Egypt: man will fight against his brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.
'And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, every one against another and every one against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom' tracks MT. EGYPTIAN-CIVIL-WAR. Matthew 24:7 ('nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom') Christologically-extends to-end-times.
The spirit of Egypt will be emptied out within it, and I will swallow up its counsel. They will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.
'And the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers' tracks MT.
I will hand Egypt over to a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them," declares the Lord, the LORD of Hosts.
'And I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord GOD of hosts' tracks MT.
The waters will be dried up from the sea, and the River will be parched and dry.
'And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched' tracks MT. NILE-DRY — Egypt's-life-source-failed.
The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up. Reed and rush will wither.
'And its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt's Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away' tracks MT.
The bare places along the Nile, at the mouth of the Nile, and every field sown beside the Nile will dry up, be blown away, and be no more.
'There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched, will be driven away, and will be no more' tracks MT.
The fishermen will mourn; all who cast hooks into the Nile will lament, and those who spread nets upon the waters will languish.
'The fishermen will mourn and lament, all who cast a hook in the Nile; and they will languish who spread nets on the water' tracks MT.
Those who work combed flax will be put to shame, and the weavers of white linen will despair.
'The workers in combed flax will be in despair, and the weavers of white cotton' tracks MT.
Her foundations will be crushed; all who work for wages will be sick at heart.
'Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed, and all who work for pay will be grieved' tracks MT.
The princes of Zoan are utter fools! The wisest of Pharaoh's counselors give stupid advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings"?
'The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh: I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings?' tracks MT. EGYPTIAN-WISDOM-FAILS — // 1 Kings 4:30 (Solomon's-wisdom exceeded Egyptian-wisdom). 1 Cor 1:20 ('where is the wise one?') extends.
Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you — let them know what the LORD of Hosts has planned against Egypt!
'Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you that they might know what the LORD of hosts has purposed against Egypt' tracks MT.
The princes of Zoan have become fools; the princes of Memphis are deceived. They have led Egypt astray — the cornerstones of her tribes.
'The princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are deluded; those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have made Egypt stagger' tracks MT.
The LORD has mixed into her midst a spirit of confusion, and they have made Egypt stagger in all it does, like a drunkard staggering in his vomit.
'The LORD has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit' tracks MT.
And there will be nothing that Egypt can accomplish — neither head nor tail, palm branch nor reed.
'And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do' tracks MT.
On that day Egypt will be like women — trembling and terrified before the brandishing hand of the LORD of Hosts that He brandishes over it.
'In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them' tracks MT.
The land of Judah will become a terror to Egypt. Everyone who is reminded of it will tremble, because of the plan of the LORD of Hosts that He is planning against it.
'And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the LORD of hosts has purposed against them' tracks MT.
On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan and swearing allegiance to the LORD of Hosts. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.
'In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction' tracks MT. FIVE-EGYPTIAN-CITIES SPEAKING-HEBREW. Massive-Gentile-conversion. The 'CITY-OF-DESTRUCTION / CITY-OF-THE-SUN' is a famous-textual-variant — DSS-Isaiah-Scroll has 'city of the sun' (ir ha-cheres = Heliopolis), MT-mainstream has 'city of destruction' (ir ha-heres). Egyptian-Jewish-tradition (Onias's-temple-at-Leontopolis) appealed-to-this-verse for legitimacy.
On that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border dedicated to the LORD.
'In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border' tracks MT. ALTAR-TO-LORD-IN-EGYPT. Reverses Israel's-aniconic-altar-tradition into-foreign-territory. Christian-tradition: Egyptian-Coptic-Church traces-its-fulfillment to-this verse.
It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of Hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of oppressors, He will send them a savior and defender, and He will deliver them.
'It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them' tracks MT. SEND-A-SAVIOR — Christ Christologically-extends.
The LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and Egypt will know the LORD on that day. They will worship with sacrifice and grain offering; they will make vows to the LORD and fulfill them.
'And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them' tracks MT. EGYPTIANS-WILL-KNOW-LORD.
The LORD will strike Egypt — striking and healing. They will turn to the LORD, and He will respond to their plea and heal them.
'And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them' tracks MT. STRIKING-AND-HEALING. Hosea 6:1's 'he has torn us, that he may heal us' parallels. Romans 11:32's 'God consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all' extends.
On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. Assyria will come to Egypt and Egypt to Assyria, and Egypt will worship together with Assyria.
'In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians' tracks MT. EGYPT-AND-ASSYRIA-AT-PEACE. The traditional-archenemies-of-Israel reconciled-with-each-other through-the-LORD.
On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria — a blessing in the midst of the earth.
'In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth' tracks MT. ISRAEL-EGYPT-ASSYRIA TRIAD-OF-BLESSING. The unprecedented-vision.
whom the LORD of Hosts has blessed, saying: "Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance."
'Whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying: Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance' tracks MT. EGYPT-MY-PEOPLE / ASSYRIA-WORK-OF-HANDS / ISRAEL-MY-INHERITANCE. The OT's-most-radical universalist-vision. The covenant-titles previously-reserved-for-Israel are-extended to-the-archenemies. Romans 11:25–32 (Gentile-inclusion in-the-mystery) Christologically-fulfills. Ephesians 2:14–18 ('he himself is our peace, who has made us both one') extends.