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Isaiah 7:18
ESV In that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
NIV In that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.
NASB On that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is in the remotest part of the canals of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
CSB On that day the Lord will whistle to flies at the farthest streams of the Nile and to bees in the land of Assyria.
NLT In that day the Lord will whistle for the army of southern Egypt and for the army of Assyria. They will swarm around you like flies and bees.
KJV And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
NKJV And it shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

What does Isaiah 7:18 mean?

The prophet Isaiah has just revealed to King Ahaz of Judah about the terrible days to come (Isaiah 7:17). While it's true that the king of Assyria will put an end to the threat from the kings of Israel and Syria, he will also bring destruction and terror on Judah.

Isaiah begins a list of all the bad things that will happen to Judah "in that day." He starts with the cause of it all: the Lord. The Lord will be the one to summon the armies of Assyria and Egypt to bring pain and chaos to Judah. It is not clear what specific future attack Isaiah is referring to. Some commentators suggest this was fulfilled by Egypt's defeat of Judah around 609 BC, more than a century after this moment.

The attacks from Assyria will come much more quickly, culminating in the siege of Jerusalem in 701 BC, just 34 years from when Isaiah wrote these words. Isaiah is clear that these attacks will be brought on by the Lord God. In both cases, Isaiah pictures these invading armies as swarms of insects coming to infest the land of Judah.

Isaiah also described the Lord calling to the nations of the world like a trainer would command an animal (Isaiah 5:26). All nations, no matter how seemingly powerful, serve the will of the Lord and His plans for His people.
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