Isaiah 19:20

Isaiah 19:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.
• New International Version (NIV)It will be a sign and witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them.

Context of Isaiah 19:20

18In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of [the Hebrews of] Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. One [of them] will be called the City of Destruction. 19In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a memorial stone to the Lord near its border. It will become a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior, a [Great] Defender, and He will rescue them. 21And so the Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know [heed, honor, and cherish] the Lord in that day. They will even worship with sacrifices [of animals] and offerings [of produce]; they will make a vow to the Lord and fulfill it. 22The Lord will strike Egypt, striking but healing it; so they will return to the Lord, and He will respond to them and heal them.

Isaiah 19:20 word by word

וְהָיָ֨ה לְא֥וֹת וּלְעֵ֛ד לַֽיהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־יִצְעֲק֤וּ אֶל־יְהוָה֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י לֹֽחֲצִ֔ים וְיִשְׁלַ֥ח לָהֶ֛ם מוֹשִׁ֥יעַ וָרָ֖ב וְהִצִּילָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it shall be for a signאוֹת'ôth · sign: miraculousH226
• and for a witnessעֵד‛êd · witnessH5707
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• for they shall cryצָעַקtsâ‛aq · to cryH6817
• becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440
• of the oppressorsלָחַץlâchats · to oppressH3905
• and he shall sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• them a saviourיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
• and a great oneרַבrab · manyH7227
• and he shall deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337

Cross-references for Isaiah 19:20

• Isaiah 55:13Instead of the thorn bush the cypress tree will grow, And instead of the nettle the myrtle tree will grow; And it will be a memorial to the Lord, For an everlasting sign [of His mercy] which will not be cut off.”
• Joshua 4:20And those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.
• Joshua 22:27but to be a witness between us and you and between the generations after us, that we are to perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings, so that your sons (descendants) will not say to our sons in time to come, “You have no part in the Lord.” ’
• Joshua 24:26And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was in [the courtyard of] the sanctuary of the Lord.
• Isaiah 19:4And I will hand over the Egyptians to a hard and cruel master, And a mighty king will rule over them,” declares the Lord God of hosts.
• Isaiah 20:4in the same way the king of Assyria will lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, young and old, stripped and barefoot, even with buttocks uncovered—to the shame of Egypt.
• Isaiah 52:5But now, what do I have here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that My people have been taken away without reason? Those who rule over them howl [with taunting and mockery of salvation],” declares the Lord, “and My name is continually blasphemed all day long.
• Exodus 2:23Now it happened after a long time [about forty years] that the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel (Jacob) groaned and sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out. And their cry for help because of their bondage ascended to God.
• Exodus 3:7The Lord said, “I have in fact seen the affliction (suffering, desolation) of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters (oppressors); for I know their pain and suffering.
• 2 Kings 13:4But Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them.
• Psalms 50:15Call on Me in the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you shall honor and glorify Me.”
• James 5:4Look! The wages that you have [fraudulently] withheld from the laborers who have mowed your fields are crying out [against you for vengeance]; and the cries of the harvesters have come to the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
• Isaiah 37:36And the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when the [surviving] men got up early the next morning, they saw all the dead.
• Isaiah 45:21Declare and present your defense of idols; Indeed, let them consult together. Who announced this [rise of Cyrus and his conquests] long before it happened? Who declared it long ago? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A [consistently and uncompromisingly] just and righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.
• Luke 2:11For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah).

Commentaries on Isaiah 19:20

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20And it shall be for a sign - The altar, and the pillar. This shows that the altar was not to be for sacrifice, but was a “memorial,” or designed to designate a place of worship. They shall cry to the Lord because of the oppressors - That is, oppressed and borne down under the exactions of their rulers, they shall seek deliverance from the true God - one instance among many of the effect of affliction and oppression in leading people to embrace the true…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-25Verses 18-25 The words, "In that day," do not always refer to the passage just before. At a time which was to come, the Egyptians shall speak the holy language, the Scripture language; not only understand it, but use it. Converting grace, by changing the heart, changes the language; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So many Jews shall come to Egypt, that they shall soon fill five cities. Where the sun was worshipped, a place infamous…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20The altar (Isaiah 19:19) would be a sign and a witness of the Egyptians’ religious connection with Israel (see 19:24–25). God answers the prayers of those who ask the Lord for help. The Lord is a savior; he would protect the Egyptians just as he protected Jerusalem from the Assyrians.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2218-22. In that day, &c.--Suffering shall lead to repentance. Struck with "terror" and "afraid" (Is 19:17) because of Jehovah's judgments, Egypt shall be converted to Him: nay, even Assyria shall join in serving Him; so that Israel, Assyria, and Egypt, once mutual foes, shall be bound together by the tie of a common faith as one people. So a similar issue from other prophecies (Is 18:7; 23:18). five cities--that is, several cities, as in Is 17:6; 30:17; Ge…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 19:20

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Prayer

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Lord of Hosts
• Cry, Crying
• Ezekiel
• Great; Greatness
• Ir-Ha-Heres
• Isaiah
• Salvation

Commentaries on Isaiah 19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings