Isaiah 19

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 19

1¶ The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.

2And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, [and] kingdom against kingdom.

3And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.

4And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts.

5And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.

6And they shall turn the rivers far away; [and] the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither.

7The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no [more].

8The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.

9Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded.

10And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices [and] ponds for fish.

11Surely the princes of Zoan [are] fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I [am] the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

12Where [are] they? where [are] thy wise [men]? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.

13The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, [even they that are] the stay of the tribes thereof.

14The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken [man] staggereth in his vomit.

15Neither shall there be [any] work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do.

16In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it.

17And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it.

18¶ In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction.

19In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD.

20And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.

21And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform [it].

22And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal [it]: and they shall return [even] to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them.

23In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.

24In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, [even] a blessing in the midst of the land:

25Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed [be] Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Isaiah 19 prophesies the Lord's severe judgment upon Egypt, causing internal strife, economic devastation, and the failure of its wise counsel. The nation will be given over to a cruel ruler, and its spirit will fail, leading them to seek idols and sorcerers. However, the chapter concludes with a future promise of Egypt's conversion, where they will know and worship the Lord, establishing altars and receiving a saviour. Ultimately, Egypt will be blessed alongside Assyria and Israel as God's people.

Medium Summary

The "burden of Egypt" foretells the Lord's direct intervention, causing Egypt's idols to tremble and its heart to melt, instigating civil war and societal collapse. God will deliver them into the hand of a cruel lord, and the land will suffer severe environmental and economic ruin as the Nile's waters fail, devastating industries like fishing and flax. The wisdom of Egypt's princes will prove foolish, as the Lord mingles a perverse spirit among them, causing widespread error and fear. Yet, the prophecy shifts to a future day when Egypt will turn to the Lord, with five cities speaking the language of Canaan and an altar erected to Him. The Lord will send a saviour, and after being smitten and healed, the Egyptians will know and worship Him through sacrifice and vows. This future vision culminates in a blessed alliance where Egypt, Assyria, and Israel serve the Lord together, recognized as God's people and the work of His hands.

Long Summary

Isaiah 19 opens with a declaration of the Lord's impending judgment upon Egypt, where He will ride upon a swift cloud, causing the nation's idols to be moved and its heart to melt. The Lord will instigate severe internal strife, setting Egyptians against Egyptians, leading to civil war between cities and kingdoms. Their national spirit will fail, and in their distress, they will turn to idols, charmers, and wizards, rather than the Lord. Consequently, God will deliver them into the hand of a cruel lord and a fierce king. The land will suffer immense environmental devastation, with the waters of the Nile failing, rivers drying up, and all vegetation along the brooks withering, leading to the ruin of the fishing and flax industries. The wisdom of Egypt's princes and counsellors, particularly those of Zoan and Noph, will become brutish and foolish, as the Lord Himself will mingle a perverse spirit among them, causing the nation to err in all its works. In that day, Egypt will be like women, filled with fear because of the Lord's powerful hand and the counsel He has determined against them, even fearing the land of Judah. However, the prophecy then shifts dramatically to a future time of redemption. Five Egyptian cities will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. An altar and a pillar will be established for the Lord in Egypt, serving as a sign and witness. When the Egyptians cry out due to oppression, the Lord will send a saviour to deliver them, leading to their knowledge and worship of Him through sacrifice and vows. The Lord will smite Egypt but also heal it, as they return to Him. Finally, a highway will connect Egypt and Assyria, fostering mutual service. Israel will become a third party, a blessing in the midst of the land, as the Lord of hosts will bless all three, declaring Egypt as "my people," Assyria as "the work of my hands," and Israel as "mine inheritance."

Core Concepts

  • Divine Judgment on EgyptThe Lord's direct intervention brings internal strife, economic ruin, and the failure of Egypt's traditional wisdom and idolatrous practices, fulfilling a "burden" against the nation.
  • Economic and Environmental DevastationThe drying up of the Nile and its tributaries leads to the collapse of vital industries like fishing and flax, symbolizing a complete societal breakdown and the loss of national prosperity.
  • Folly of Egyptian WisdomThe wise counsellors and princes of Egypt are depicted as foolish and deceived, as the Lord Himself has infused a "perverse spirit" that causes them to err in all their works.
  • Future Conversion and WorshipDespite judgment, a future day is prophesied where Egyptians will know and worship the Lord, establishing altars and pillars to Him, and receiving a saviour in their time of oppression.
  • Regional Reconciliation and BlessingThe chapter concludes with a vision of Egypt, Assyria, and Israel united in serving the Lord, with God blessing all three as His people, the work of His hands, and His inheritance.
  • The Lord's SovereigntyThroughout the chapter, the Lord of hosts is depicted as the ultimate power, orchestrating both the severe judgment upon Egypt and its eventual redemption and blessing according to His determined counsel.