Isaiah 19:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.”

NIV: The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, 'Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.'

NASB: whom the Lord of armies has blessed, saying, 'Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.'

CSB: The Lord of Armies will bless them, saying, "Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance are blessed."

NLT: For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will say, 'Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!'

KJV: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.

NKJV: whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

In Isaiah's distant future, he sees a prophetic vision that Egypt will repent before the Lord God of Israel. The people will join in proper worship (Isaiah 19:19–22). The prophecy follows Isaiah's oracle about Egypt's coming destruction (Isaiah 19:1–15). Even more remarkable than Egypt's repentance is the change in Assyria: a culture renowned for conquest and savage cruelty. In that future day, even the Assyrians will turn and worship Israel's God (Isaiah 19:23).Those two great nations will join Israel to make a three-nation grouping that will be a blessing in the earth (Isaiah 19:24).

How could such an unimaginable thing be possible? Only one way: The Lord of hosts will make it so. He will call those nations to repent and worship Him alone. Then He will bless them in powerful ways that sound remarkably like His powerful promises to Israel.

The Lord will refer to Egypt and Assyria—or the nations corresponding to those cultures in the future—as His people. Not only that, but He will also call both nations blessed. God will finally and fully keep His promise to bless all the families of the earth through His people Israel (Genesis 12:1–3). There is never a promise that God will not keep, He will fulfill it in His perfect timing.

This will be possible only through the Messiah. The people of Egypt and Assyria will come to God through faith in Jesus Christ. The Messiah will rule from His throne in Jerusalem over all the nations (Isaiah 2:1–5; Revelation 20:1–4).

Many years later, Paul would describe the people of these other nations as the sons of Abraham by faith in Christ : "Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham…those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith" (Galatians 3:7–9).

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).