God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 31:3
3The Egyptians are humans, not gods. Their horses are flesh and blood, not spirit. When the Lord uses his powerful hand, the one who gives help will stumble, and the one who receives help will fall. Both will die together.
Isaiah 31:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
- New International Version (NIV)But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, those who help will stumble, those who are helped will fall; all will perish together.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, Both he who helps will fall, And he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together.
Context of Isaiah 31:3
1How horrible it will be for those who go to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who depend on many chariots, who depend on very strong war horses. They don’t look to the Holy One of Israel. They don’t seek the Lord. 2He is wise and can bring about disaster. He doesn’t take back his words. He rises against wicked people and against those who help troublemakers. The Egyptians are humans, not gods. Their horses are flesh and blood, not spirit. When the Lord uses his powerful hand, the one who gives help will stumble, and the one who receives help will fall. Both will die together. 4This is what the Lord said to me: A lion, even a young lion, growls over its prey when a crowd of shepherds is called to fight it. It isn’t frightened by their voices or disturbed by the noise they make. So the Lord of Armies will come to fight for Mount Zion and its hill. 5The Lord of Armies will defend Jerusalem like a hovering bird. He will defend it and rescue it. He will pass over it and protect it.
Read all of Isaiah 31Isaiah 31:3 word by word
וּמִצְרַ֤יִם אָדָם֙ וְֽלֹא־אֵ֔ל וְסוּסֵיהֶ֥ם בָּשָׂ֖ר וְלֹא־ר֑וּחַ וַֽיהוָ֞ה יַטֶּ֣ה יָד֗וֹ וְכָשַׁ֤ל עוֹזֵר֙ וְנָפַ֣ל עָזֻ֔ר וְיַחְדָּ֖ו כֻּלָּ֥ם יִכְלָיֽוּן׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Now the Egyptiansמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- and not Godאֵל'êl · GodH410
- and their horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
- fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- and not spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
- When the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- shall stretch outנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- his handיָדyâd · handH3027
- both he that helpethעָזַר‛âzar · to helpH5826
- shall fallכָּשַׁלkâshal · to stumbleH3782
- shall fall downנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
- and they all shall failכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: destroyH3615
- togetherיָחְדָּוyachad · togetherH3162
Cross-references for Isaiah 31:3
- Isaiah 36:6Look! When you trust Egypt, you’re trusting a broken stick for a staff. If you lean on it, it stabs your hand and goes through it. This is what Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) is like for everyone who trusts him.
- Deuteronomy 32:30How could one person chase a thousand or two people make ten thousand flee? Their rock used these people to defeat them and the Lord gave them no help.
- Psalms 9:20Strike them with terror, O Lord. Let the nations know that they are ⌞only⌟ mortal. Selah
- Psalms 146:3Do not trust influential people, mortals who cannot help you.
- Ezekiel 28:9You will no longer say that you are a god when you face those who kill you. You will be a human, not a god, in the hands of those who kill you.
- Acts 12:22The people started shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”
- 2 Thessalonians 2:4He opposes every so-called god or anything that is worshiped and places himself above them, sitting in God’s temple and claiming to be God.
- Psalms 33:17Horses are not a guarantee for victory. Their great strength cannot help someone escape.
- Isaiah 9:17That is why the Lord isn’t happy with their young men, nor will he show compassion for their orphans and widows. Every one of them is a godless evildoer, and every mouth speaks foolishness. Even after all this, his anger will not disappear, and he is still ready to use his power.
- Jeremiah 15:6You have left me,” declares the Lord. “You have turned your back on me. So I will use my power against you and destroy you. I’m tired of showing compassion to you.
- Ezekiel 20:33“ ‘As I live, declares the Almighty Lord, I will rule you with a mighty hand and a powerful arm, and I will pour out my fury.
- Jeremiah 37:7“This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to get advice from me: ‘Pharaoh’s army has come out to help you. But it will go back to Egypt, its own land.
Commentaries on Isaiah 31:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3He that helpeth (the Egyptians) shall fall and he that is holpen (the Israelites) shall fall down-together.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Now the Egyptians are men - They are nothing but people; they have no power but such as other people possess. The idea here is, that the case in reference to which they sought aid was one in which “divine” help was indispensable, and that, therefore, they relied on the aid of the Egyptians in vain. And their horses flesh, and not spirit - There is need, not merely of “physical” strength, but of wisdom, and intelligence, and it is in vain to look for that…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3Isaiah delivered another vision regarding Judah’s negotiations with Egypt, which probably took place in 705–701 BC. During that time, the conquering Assyrians were on the move, threatening Judah. At first, Hezekiah tried political and military means to avert being totally conquered (see 2 Kings 18:13–16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. not spirit--not of divine power (Psa 56:4; 146:3, 5; Zec 4:6). he that helpeth--Egypt. holpen--Judah.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 31:3
In the dictionaries
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
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