Isaiah 19:3

Isaiah 19:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.
• New International Version (NIV)The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers;
• New King James Version (NKJV)The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, And they will consult the idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers.

Context of Isaiah 19:3

1A 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. 2I will provoke Egyptians against Egyptians; each will fight against his brother and each against his friend, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. Egypt’s spirit will be disturbed within it, and I will frustrate its plans. Then they will inquire of worthless idols, ghosts, mediums, and spiritists. 4I will hand over Egypt to harsh masters, and a strong king will rule it. This is the declaration of the Lord God of Armies. 5The water of the sea will dry up, and the river will be parched and dry.

Isaiah 19:3 word by word

וְנָבְקָ֤ה רֽוּחַ־מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ וַעֲצָת֖וֹ אֲבַלֵּ֑עַ וְדָרְשׁ֤וּ אֶל־הָֽאֱלִילִים֙ וְאֶל־הָ֣אִטִּ֔ים וְאֶל־הָאֹב֖וֹת וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
• of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• shall failבָּקַקbâqaq · to emptyH1238
• in the midstקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
• thereof; and I will destroyבָּלַעbâla‛ · to swallow upH1104
• the counselעֵצָה‛êtsâh · counselH6098
• thereof: and they shall seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
• to the idolsאֱלִיל'ĕlîyl · idolH457
• and to the charmersאִטִּי'aţ · muttererH328
• and to them that have familiar spiritsאוֹב'ôb · mediumH178
• and to the wizardsיִדְּעֹנִיyidde‛ônîy · spiritistH3049

Cross-references for Isaiah 19:3

• Isaiah 19:1A 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.
• Isaiah 57:16For I will not accuse you forever, and I will not always be angry; for then the spirit would grow weak before me, even the breath, which I have made.
• 1 Samuel 25:37In the morning when Nabal sobered up, his wife told him about these events. His heart died and he became a stone.
• Psalms 76:12He humbles the spirit of leaders; he is feared by the kings of the earth.
• Jeremiah 46:15Why have your strong ones been swept away? Each has not stood, for the Lord has thrust him down.
• Ezekiel 21:7And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning? ’ then say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will become weak. Every spirit will be discouraged, and all knees will run with urine. Yes, it is coming and it will happen. This is the declaration of the Lord God.’”
• Ezekiel 22:14Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the days when I deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will act.
• Isaiah 14:27The Lord of Armies himself has planned it; therefore, who can stand in its way? It is his hand that is outstretched, so who can turn it back?
• 2 Samuel 15:31Then someone reported to David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” “Lord,” David pleaded, “please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
• 2 Samuel 17:14Since the Lord had decreed that Ahithophel’s good advice be undermined in order to bring about Absalom’s ruin, Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than Ahithophel’s advice.”
• 2 Chronicles 25:16While he was still speaking to him, the king asked, “Have we made you the king’s counselor? Stop, why should you lose your life?” So the prophet stopped, but he said, “I know that God intends to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my advice.”
• Job 5:12He frustrates the schemes of the crafty so that they achieve no success.
• Proverbs 21:30No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel will prevail against the Lord.
• 1 Corinthians 3:19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, since it is written, He catches the wise in their craftiness;
• Psalms 107:27they reeled and staggered like a drunkard, and all their skill was useless.
• Isaiah 8:19When they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the spiritists who chirp and mutter,” shouldn’t a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?

Commentaries on Isaiah 19:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3They shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards - And thei schul asken their symulacres, and their debynouris, and their devyl clepers, and their devyl sacristers. - Old Bible. The import of the original words has already been given where they occur in the Pentateuch. See Deuteronomy 18:10, etc.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And the spirit of Egypt - (see Isaiah 19:1). They shall be exhausted with their long internal contentions and strifes; and seeing no prospect of deliverance, and anxious that the turmoils should end, they shall seek counsel and refuge in their gods and necromancers, but in vain. Shall fail - (נבקה nâbeqâh ). Margin, Be emptied.‘ The word means, literally, “to pour out, empty, depopulate.” Here it means that they would become disheartened and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3People called upon idols, spirits, mediums, and those who consult the spirits of the dead to try to prevent destruction (see Isaiah 8:19–22; 47:12–13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. spirit--wisdom, for which Egypt was famed (Is 31:2; 1Ki 4:30; Ac 7:22); answering to "counsel" in the parallel clause. fail--literally, "be poured out," that is, be made void (Jr 19:7). They shall "seek" help from sources that can afford none, "charmers," &c. (Is 8:19). charmers--literally, "those making a faint sound"; the soothsayers imitated the faint sound which was attributed to the spirits of the dead (see on Is 8:19).Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 19:3

• Charmers and Charming
• Familiar Spirits
• Sorcery
• War

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Charmer
• Idol
• Wizard
• Communion With Demons; Devils
• Divination
• Evil
• Ezekiel
• Familiar

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