Which is broken in pieces;
He shall not spare.
So there shall not be found among its fragments
1A shard to take fire from the hearth,
Or to take water from the cistern.”
a“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
bBut you would not,
Therefore you shall flee!
And, “We will ride on swift horses”—
Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!
At the threat of five you shall flee,
Till you are left as a1 pole on top of a mountain
And as a banner on a hill.
God Will Be Gracious
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
bBlessed are all those who cwait for Him.
You shall bweep no more.
He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
When He hears it, He will canswer you.
| << Isaiah 30:15 | Isaiah 30:17 >> |
Isaiah 30:16
But ye said, No - Ye who proposed an alliance with Egypt.
For we will flee upon horses - The word ' flee' ( ּ nûc ), usually signifies to flee before or from any person or thing. But here it seems to have the notion of making a rapid motion in general, and not to refer to the fact that they expected to flee "from" their enemy, for it does not seem to have been a part of their expectation. The idea seems to be that by their alliance with Egypt they would secure the means of "rapid motion," whatever might be the necesity or occasion for it, whether against or from an enemy. The sense is, ' we will by this alliance secure the assistance of cavalry;' and, doubtless, the design was to employ it in the attack and discomfiture of their foes. It will be recollected that Moses Deuteronomy 17:16 strictly forbade that the future monarch of the Jews should ' multiply horses to himself, to cause the people to return to Egypt,' and that consequently the employment of cavalry was against the laws of the nation. For the reasons of this prohibition, see the note at Isaiah 2:7. The attempt, therefore, in the time of Hezekiah to call in the aid of the cavalry of Egypt, was a violation of both the letter and the spirit of the Jewish institutions (compare Isaiah 31:1; Hosea 14:4).
Therefore shall ye flee - You shall fly before your enemies; you shall be defeated and scattered.
We will ride upon the swift - That is, upon fleet horses or coursers. Arabia was celebrated, and is still, for producing fleet coursers, and the same was formerly true of Egypt (see the note at Isaiah 2:7).
Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Isaiah 30:16:
Job 24:18
Isaiah 30:15
Isaiah 30:19
Isaiah 31:1
Isaiah 35:4
| << Isaiah 30:15 | Isaiah 30:17 >> |
DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.
Join 137,236+ readers
A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning
Consistent Bible study is hard to start.
The Berean gives you the starting point: one scripture and a focused commentary in your inbox each morning — read it in minutes, or go as deep as you like.
Free, daily, and spam-free. We never share your address. Unsubscribe anytime.