Isaiah 31:1

Isaiah 31:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!
• New International Version (NIV)Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!
• New King James Version (NKJV)Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the Lord!

Context of Isaiah 31:1

It will be very bad for those people who expect that Egypt will help them. They think that Egypt's many horses and chariots will keep them safe. They trust the power of Egypt's strong soldiers who ride on horses. But those people do not trust the Holy God of Israel. They do not ask the Lord to help them. 2But the Lord is very wise. He will bring trouble to people, as he has promised. He will not change his mind. He will punish wicked people, as well as those who help them to do evil things. 3The men in Egypt are human. They are not God. Their horses are weak animals, not powerful spirits. When the Lord lifts up his hand to punish them, the strong helpers will not be able to stand. The people who expected them to help will fall down too. They will all come to an end together.

Isaiah 31:1 word by word

ה֣וֹי הַיֹּרְדִ֤ים מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לְעֶזְרָ֔ה עַל־סוּסִ֖ים יִשָּׁעֵ֑נוּ וַיִּבְטְח֨וּ עַל־רֶ֜כֶב כִּ֣י רָ֗ב וְעַ֤ל פָּֽרָשִׁים֙ כִּֽי־עָצְמ֣וּ מְאֹ֔ד וְלֹ֤א שָׁעוּ֙ עַל־קְד֣וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֥א דָרָֽשׁוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Woeהוֹיhôy · woe!H1945
• to them that go downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• to Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• for helpעֶזְרָה‛ezrâh ‛ezrâth · helpH5833
• and stayשָׁעַןshâ‛an · to leanH8172
• on horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
• and trustבָּטַחbâţach · to trustH982
• in chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
• manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• and in horsemenפָּרָשׁpârâsh · horsemanH6571
• because they are veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• strongעָצֹם‛âtsam · be vastH6105
• but they lookשָׁעָהshâ‛âh · to gazeH8159
• not unto the Holy Oneקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• neither seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Isaiah 31:1

• Isaiah 30:1The Lord says, ‘It will be very bad for you, my children who have turned against me. You have decided what to do, but you did not ask me about it. You have made an agreement with Egypt, but without my Spirit's help. In that way, you continue to do more and more sins.
• Isaiah 36:6Yes, you think that Egypt is strong enough to help you. But you should not trust Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He is like a weak stick. If you use it to walk with, it will break! A broken piece of stick will make a hole through your hand and give you much pain! That is the trouble that the king of Egypt brings to everyone who trusts him to help them.
• Isaiah 57:9You take olive oil as a gift to your king, and also many perfumes. You send your people far away to get news of other gods. You even talk to the spirits of dead people.
• Ezekiel 17:15But the man from the king's family did turn against the king of Babylon. He sent his officers with a message to Egypt. He asked them to send a large army with horses to save Jerusalem. But that will not help him to be safe! He did not obey his agreement with the king of Babylon, so he will not escape!
• Hosea 11:5But they refuse to turn back to me. So they must return to Egypt. Assyria will rule over them.
• Isaiah 30:16Instead, you say, ‘No! We will run away on horses and we will escape.’ Yes, you will run away! You say, ‘Our horses will run very fast!’ But your enemies who chase you will also be very fast!
• Isaiah 36:9You cannot refuse what I offer to you! And I am only an unimportant officer who serves my master. You are hoping that Egypt will give you chariots and men to ride on horses. But you will never be strong enough to win a battle against us.
• Deuteronomy 17:16A king must not get a lot of horses for himself. He must not send his people back to Egypt to buy more horses. The Lord has said to you, ‘Never return to Egypt for any reason!’
• Psalms 20:7Some people hope that their chariots will keep them safe. Other people trust their horses to save them. But we will trust in the name of the Lord our God.
• Psalms 33:16A great army will not save their king. A soldier does not stay alive because he is strong.
• Isaiah 5:12You have wild parties with plenty of music and wine. You make music with your lyres, harps, tambourines and flutes. But you do not understand the things that the Lord is doing. You do not see the things that he has made.
• Isaiah 17:7At that time, people will turn back to their Maker. They will trust the Holy God of Israel to help them.
• Isaiah 22:11You built a place between the city's walls to store water from the Old Pool. But you did not trust the One who made the city. You did not think about the One who decided to build it a long time ago.
• 2 Chronicles 16:7At that time, the prophet Hanani went to visit Asa, king of Judah. He said to him, ‘You asked the king of Syria to help you. You should have trusted the Lord your God to help you instead. Because of that, the army of Syria's king has escaped from your power.
• Jeremiah 2:13My people have done two evil things: I give them life, like a spring of fresh water, but they have turned away from me. Instead, they have tried to get water for themselves. They have dug holes in the ground to store it. But those holes cannot hold the water. It quickly runs away.
• Jeremiah 17:5The Lord says, ‘I will curse those who only trust people to help them. They think that human strength will save them, and they turn away from me, the Lord.

Commentaries on Isaiah 31:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Wo to them that go down to Egypt - This is a reproof to the Israelites for forming an alliance with the Egyptians, and not trusting in the Lord. And stay on horses "Who trust in horses" - For ועל veal, and upon, first twenty MSS. of Kennicott's, thirty of De Rossi's, one of my own, and the Septuagint, Arabic, and Vulgate, read על al, upon, without the conjunction, which disturbs the sense.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Wo - (see the note at Isaiah 30:1). To them that go down to Egypt - (see the note at Isaiah 30:2). And stay on horses - (see the note at Isaiah 30:16). And trust in chariots - (see the note at Isaiah 21:7). That they were often used in war, is apparent from the following places Joshua 11:4; Judges 1:19; 1 Samuel 13:5; 2 Samuel 8:4. Because they are many - Because they hope to secure the aid of many. See the references above. It is evident that their…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The sin and folly of seeking help from Egypt. (Is. 31:1-5) God's care for Jerusalem. (Is. 31:6-9) Verses 1-5 God will oppose the help sought from workers of iniquity. Sinners may be convicted of folly by plain and self-evident truths, which they cannot deny, but will not believe. There is no escaping the judgments of God; and evil pursues sinners. The Lord of hosts will come down to fight for Mount Zion. The Lion of the tribe of Judah will appear for the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Woe: This is the fifth of the six woes (see study note on Isaiah 28:1–33:24). seek the LORD: This suggests seeking God's guidance with a worshipful attitude (see Deuteronomy 4:29; Psalm 105:3–4).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-91. and stay on horses, and trust in chariots--In their level and fertile plains horses could easily be used and fed (Ex 14:9; 1Ki 10:28). In hilly Palestine horses were not so easily had or available. The Jews were therefore the more eager to get Egyptian chariots as allies against the Assyrian cavalry. In Assyrian sculptures chariots are represented drawn by three horses, and with three men in them (see Is 36:9; Psa 20:7; Da 9:13).Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 31:1

• Alliances
• Blessing
• Cavalry
• Confidence
• Egypt
• Egyptians
• False Confidence
• God Continued...
• Godlessness
• Horse
• Isaiah
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Jealousy

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• Israel
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Holy One
• Fail
• Hezekiah
• Revolt
• Atheism

Commentaries on Isaiah 31

• 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