Isaiah 31:3

The Folly of Not Trusting God

1 Woe to those ^awho go down to Egypt for help,
And ^brely on horses,
Who trust in chariots because they are many,
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
^cNor seek the Lord!

2 Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster,
And ^awill not call back His words,
But will arise against the house of evildoers,
And against the help of those who work iniquity.

3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God;
And their horses are flesh, and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out His hand,
Both he who helps will fall,
And he who is helped will fall down;
They all will perish ^atogether.

God Will Deliver Jerusalem

4 For thus the Lord has spoken to me:
^a“As a lion roars,
And a young lion over his prey
(When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him,
He will not be afraid of their voice
Nor be disturbed by their noise),
So the Lord of hosts will come down
To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.

5 ^aLike birds flying about,
So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem.
Defending, He will also deliver it;
Passing over, He will preserve it.”

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

<< Isaiah 31:2

Isaiah 31:4 >>

Isaiah 31:3

Now the Egyptians are men - They are nothing but people; they have no power but such as other people possess. The idea here is, that the case in reference to which they sought aid was one in which "divine" help was indispensable, and that, therefore, they relied on the aid of the Egyptians in vain.

And their horses flesh, and not spirit - There is need, not merely of "physical" strength, but of wisdom, and intelligence, and it is in vain to look for that in mere brutes.

Both he that helpeth - Egypt, whose aid is sought.

And he that is holpen - Judah, that had sought the aid of Egypt. Neither of them would be able to stand against the wrath of God.

**Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Isaiah 31:3:**

Isaiah 33:14
Isaiah 36:6
Zechariah 2:13
Zechariah 10:4

<< Isaiah 31:2

Isaiah 31:4 >>

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