God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 30:4
4Although Pharaoh’s officials are in Zoan and his messengers have reached Hanes,
Isaiah 30:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.
- New International Version (NIV)Though they have officials in Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,
- English Standard Version (ESV)For though his officials are at Zoan and his envoys reach Hanes,
- New King James Version (NKJV)For his princes were at Zoan, And his ambassadors came to Hanes.
Context of Isaiah 30:4
2They go to Egypt without asking me. They look for shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and look for refuge in Egypt’s shadow. 3But Pharaoh’s protection will be their shame, and the refuge in Egypt’s shadow will be their disgrace. Although Pharaoh’s officials are in Zoan and his messengers have reached Hanes, 5the people of Judah will be put to shame because that nation can’t help them. That nation can’t give aid or help to them. It can only offer shame and disgrace.” 6This is the divine revelation about the animals in the Negev. “My people travel through lands where they experience distress and hardship. Lions and lionesses live there. Vipers and poisonous snakes live there. They carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels to a nation that can’t help them.
Read all of Isaiah 30Isaiah 30:4 word by word
כִּֽי־הָי֥וּ בְצֹ֖עַן שָׂרָ֑יו וּמַלְאָכָ֖יו חָנֵ֥ס יַגִּֽיעוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Isaiah 30:4
- Isaiah 57:9You’ve journeyed to the king with perfumed oils and put on plenty of perfume. You’ve sent your ambassadors far away and sent them down to Sheol.
- 2 Kings 17:4The king of Assyria found Hoshea to be a traitor. (Hoshea had sent messengers to King Dais of Egypt and had stopped making annual payments to the king of Assyria.) So the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison.
- Hosea 7:11Ephraim, you are like a silly, senseless dove. You call for Egypt and run to Assyria for help.
- Isaiah 19:11The leaders of Zoan are nothing but fools. The wisest of Pharaoh’s counselors gives stupid advice. How can you tell Pharaoh, “I’m a descendant of wise men, a descendant of ancient kings”?
- Numbers 13:22They went through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai lived. They are descendants of Anak. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
- Ezekiel 30:14I will destroy Pathros, set fire to Zoan, and bring punishment on Thebes.
- Jeremiah 43:7They didn’t listen to the Lord, so they went to Egypt. They went as far as Tahpanhes.
- Ezekiel 30:18At Tahpanhes the day will turn dark when I break Egypt’s power. Egypt’s strong army will be defeated. Clouds will cover Egypt, and people from its villages will go into exile.
Commentaries on Isaiah 30:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Hanes - Six MSS. of Kennicott's, and perhaps six others, with four of De Rossi's, read חנם chinnam, in vain, for הנס Hanes ; and so also the Septuagint, who read likewise יגעו yageu, labored, for יגיעו yaggiu, arrived at.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4For his princes - The sense of this verse seems to be this. The prophet is stating the fact that the Jews would be ashamed of their attempted alliance with Egypt. In this verse, and the following, he states the manner in which they would be made sensible of their folly in seeking this alliance. He therefore enumerates several circumstances in regard to the manner in which the alliance had been sought, and the disappointment that would follow after all…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Zoan: See Isaiah 19:11. The location of Hanes is uncertain.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. his--Judah's (compare Is 9:21). at Zoan--are already arrived there on their errand to Pharaoh (see Is 19:11). came to Hanes--are come there. West of the Nile, in central Egypt: Egyptian Hnes; the Greek Heracleopolis: perhaps the Anysis of Herodotus (2.137); according to Grotius, Tahpanhes contracted (Jr 43:7-9); the seat of a reigning prince at the time, as was Zoan, hence the Jewish ambassadors go to both.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 30:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 30
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries