1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they don't look to the Holy One of Israel, and they don't seek Yahweh! 2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring disaster, and will not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of those who work iniquity. 3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When Yahweh stretches out his hand, both he who helps shall stumble, and he who is helped shall fall, and they all shall be consumed together. 4 For thus says Yahweh to me, "As the lion and the young lion growling over his prey, if a multitude of shepherds is called together against him, will not be dismayed at their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them, so Yahweh of Armies will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its heights. 5 As birds hovering, so Yahweh of Armies will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it. He will pass over and preserve it." 6 Return to him from whom you have deeply revolted, children of Israel. 7 For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold - sin which your own hands have made for you. 8 "The Assyrian will fall by the sword, not of man; and the sword, not of mankind, shall devour him. He will flee from the sword, and his young men will become subject to forced labor. 9 His rock will pass away by reason of terror, and his princes will be afraid of the banner," says Yahweh, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
It is evident that this chapter was composed at about the same time as the preceding, and relates to the same subject. The general object, like the former, is to dissuade the Jews from their contemplated alliance with Egypt, and to lead them to rely on God. In doing this, the prophet first denounces a woe on those who went down to Egypt to seek aid Isaiah 31:1; he then states that God will punish them for it Isaiah 31:2; he then urges the utter inability of the Egyptians to furnish the aid which was needed, since Yahweh was about to stretch out his arm over them also, and they, as well as those who sought their aid, should suffer under his displeasure Isaiah 31:3. The prophet then, in order to recall them from this contemplated alliance, and to induce them to put confidence in Yahweh, assures them by two most beautiful figures Isaiah 31:4-5 that God would protect their city in the threatened invasion, and save it from destruction. He calls on them, therefore Isaiah 31:6, to turn unto God; assures them Isaiah 31:7 that at that time every man would see the folly of trusting in idols; and finally Isaiah 31:8-9, assures them of the complete overthrow of the army of the Assyrian. The scope of the prophecy is, therefore, simple and direct; the argument condensed, impressive, and beautiful. It is not improbable, by any means, that these exhortations of Isaiah had a sensible effect on the conduct of Hezekiah. The whole narrative respecting the invasion of Sennacherib would lead to the conclusion, that at first Hezekiah himself joined in the purpose of seeking the alliance with Egypt, but that he was afterward led to abandon it, and to use all his influence to induce his people also to rely on the aid of God; compare Isaiah 36:6, with Isaiah 36:18.
The Jews again reproved for their confidence in Egypt, finely contrasted with their neglect of the power and protection of God, Isaiah 31:1-3. Deliverance and protection are, notwithstanding, promised, expressed by two similes; the first remarkably lofty and poetical, the latter singularly beautiful and tender, Isaiah 31:4, Isaiah 31:5. Exhortation to repentance, joined with the prediction of a more reformed period, Isaiah 31:6, Isaiah 31:7. This chapter concludes like the preceding, with a prophecy of the fall of Sennacherib, Isaiah 31:8, Isaiah 31:9.
INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 31
This chapter denounces woe to those that trusted in the Egyptians; assures the Jews of God's care and protection of them; calls them to repentance, and foretells the destruction of the Assyrian army. The sin of those that trusted in Egypt, with the reasons of their trust, and not looking to the Lord, and seeking him, is declared in Isaiah 31:1 and their folly exposed in so doing; since the Lord is wise, powerful, and unchangeable, and the Egyptians frail and weak; so that the helper and the helped must fall before him, Isaiah 31:2 whereas protection might be expected from the Lord, as is promised, whose power is like that of the lion, and whose tender care is like that of birds to defend their young, Isaiah 31:4 wherefore the Jews are called upon to return to the Lord by repentance, from whom they had revolted; which would be shown by their detestation of idolatry, the sin they had been guilty of, Isaiah 31:6 and the chapter is closed with a prophecy of the ruin of the Assyrian army, and the flight of their king, Isaiah 31:8.
(Isaiah 31:1-5) The sin and folly of seeking help from Egypt.
(Isaiah 31:6-9) God's care for Jerusalem.
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