Isaiah 19:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth,

NIV: In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth.

NASB: On that day Israel will be the third party to Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth,

CSB: On that day Israel will form a triple alliance with Egypt and Assyria--a blessing within the land.

NLT: In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth.

KJV: In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:

NKJV: In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land,

God's relationship with Israel as a nation began with the promise of blessing to Abraham's descendants. This benefit would extend all peoples of the world through Abraham's lineage:

"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed'" (Genesis 12:1–3).

Isaiah has been looking towards a future when this promise will be fully realized. Tiny Israel will stand together in a set of three nations. There will be powerful, self-reliant Egypt on one side and the unstoppable killing machine of Assyria on the other. Yet in this future era, likely the Messiah's reign on earth (Isaiah 2:1–5; Revelation 20:1–4), the three nations together will be called a blessing to the world.

The picture being painted suggests two things that would have sounded impossible to those of Isaiah's day. First, how could Israel ever stand as equal to either Egypt or Assyria? The northern ten tribes had been wiped out and scattered. The remaining two tribes of Judah stood repeatedly on the brink of destruction. Who could imagine them being mentioned in the same breath as the major power players of the earth ever again?

Second, no one in Israel would have thought of either Egypt or Assyria as a blessing. These nations didn't become empires through kindness or charity. They controlled and dominated, especially in the ancient Near East. Assyria was particularly infamous for cruelty and savage violence against their enemies. As Isaiah makes clear in the following verse, such transformation will only be possible because the Lord deems it so.

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).