Isaiah 19:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

NIV: A prophecy against Egypt: See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.

NASB: The pronouncement concerning Egypt: Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; The idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, And the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

CSB: A pronouncement concerning Egypt: Look, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. Egypt's worthless idols will tremble before him, and Egypt will lose heart.

NLT: This message came to me concerning Egypt: Look! The Lord is advancing against Egypt, riding on a swift cloud. The idols of Egypt tremble. The hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.

KJV: The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.

NKJV: The burden against Egypt. Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst.

This section of the book of Isaiah contains a series of oracles against the nations in the region surrounding Judah. The oracle in chapter 19 focuses on the coming judgment of Egypt. Israel shared a long history with Egypt, dating all the way back to the time of the original patriarch Abraham (Genesis 12:10; 37:25–27; 50:22–24). That history also included several centuries of slavery and oppression (Exodus 1:8–14; 12:41).

The Assyrian war machine was a looming threat to the region. So, some in Judah wanted to make an alliance with the powerful nation of Egypt against the Assyrians. Isaiah's oracle showed that Egypt had as much to fear from the Lord, and from the Assyrians, as any of the other nations in the region.

The oracle begins by picturing the Lord riding on a swift cloud in the sky, as if in a flying chariot. This was a common description of the god Baal during this era. Why would Isaiah use the same picture of the Lord God of Israel that was often used for Baal? It was an intentional displacement of Baal. Some commentators even interpret this as a form of mocking or sarcasm. In addition, it declares that the Lord was the true "god of the sky." Unlike Baal, the Lord could truly provide both rain and fertility to any people He chose.

In this case, the Lord will ride a cloud into Egypt for the purpose of judgment and destruction. Isaiah describes the idols of Egypt as trembling before the Lord's arrival. Isaiah uses humor to show the absurdity of worshipping false idols. If they weren't unliving, manmade hunks of wood, they would indeed tremble in fear in the presence of the one true God of heaven. They would remember how thoroughly the Lord had decimated Egypt through the plagues so many ages ago (Exodus 3:20).

It's not just the idols that tremble. Isaiah states that the hearts of the people of Egypt will wither within them when the Lord comes. Either His judgment or merely anticipating it will inspire fear. The courage of the Egyptians will dissipate in response to the Lord of Israel.

Isaiah 19:1–15 is an oracle against the nation of Egypt. Isaiah describes the Lord, not Egypt's imaginary god Baal, as arriving on a swift cloud to judge the nation. The hearts of the people will melt, and their spirits will be emptied out. They will turn on each other. Neither their gods nor their wise men will be able to save them. Even the Nile River will dry up. Yet, in the kingdom of the Messiah, Egypt will turn to the Lord and be blessed by Him.

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).