Isaiah 19:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.

NIV: The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.

NASB: And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the Lord, and He will respond to their pleas and heal them.

CSB: The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing. Then they will turn to the Lord and he will be receptive to their prayers and heal them.

NLT: The Lord will strike Egypt, and then he will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas and heal them.

KJV: And 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.

NKJV: And the Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them.

The era described in this part of chapter 19 seems to be in the future—certainly the extremely far future, from Isaiah's point of view. This scene appears to be set in the time when the Messiah reigns over world (Isaiah 2:1–5; Revelation 20:1–4). Isaiah is pointing to this time when Egypt will no longer be the object of God's judgment as a foreign nation. Instead, the Egyptian people will repent and turn fully to the God of Israel as their own God. They will worship Him as Israel does, with sacrifices, offerings, and the fulfillment of vows (Isaiah 19:19–21).

Now the prophet adds that the Lord's relationship with Egypt will be like His interactions with Israel in another way. He will strike Egypt as a parent disciplines a child and not as the Lord strikes down the enemies of Israel in judgment. He will strike Egypt and they will turn back to Him and ask for mercy. Then the Lord will heal and restore them. This idea would have been shocking to Israel in Isaiah's time. Egypt would eventually become a people in service to the God of Israel instead of a people suffering under His judgment.

Isaiah 19:16–25 presents a sudden change in tone. It follows an oracle of judgment against Egypt with a promise of future blessing from the Lord. This seems to take place during the kingdom of the Messiah on earth (Isaiah 2:1–5; Revelation 20:1–4). Egypt will fear the Lord and repent and worship Him alone. God will bless them, rescue them, and call them His people. Egypt will become peaceful allies with Assyria, and the Assyrians will worship the Lord, as well. Together, Egypt, Assyria, and Israel will bless the earth and be blessed by the Lord.

Isaiah's oracle describes the Lord's coming judgment on Egypt. The idols will fear when God arrives, and the people will turn on each other. A fierce king will conquer them. The Nile River will dry up, leaving many destitute. The advisors serving Egypt's leaders will be revealed as confused fools. Far in the future, Egypt will recognize Israel's God and repent, turning to worship the Lord. Assyria will join in that worship, blessing the earth along with Egypt and Israel.

Isaiah 19 introduces the next oracle against the nations of the earth. The Lord has been showing His people not to put their trust and hope in the foreign nations or their gods. They are to trust in Him alone to save them. The Lord's arrival in Egypt reveals the worthlessness of idols and spiritists. The terrified people will turn on each other. They will become destitute when the Nile dries up and the wise are shown to be foolish. In the far future, Egypt will worship the Lord and be blessed by Him.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).