New Living Translation
Isaiah 31:1
1What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
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
What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. 2In his wisdom, the Lord will send great disaster; he will not change his mind. He will rise against the wicked and against their helpers. 3For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God! Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits! When the Lord raises his fist against them, those who help will stumble, and those being helped will fall. They will all fall down and die together.
Read all of Isaiah 31Isaiah 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 30:1“What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” says the Lord. “You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins.
- Isaiah 36:6On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable!
- Isaiah 57:9You have gone to Molech with olive oil and many perfumes, sending your agents far and wide, even to the world of the dead.
- Ezekiel 17:15“Nevertheless, this man of Israel’s royal family rebelled against Babylon, sending ambassadors to Egypt to request a great army and many horses. Can Israel break her sworn treaties like that and get away with it?
- Hosea 11:5“But since my people refuse to return to me, they will return to Egypt and will be forced to serve Assyria.
- Isaiah 30:16You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’ But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!
- Isaiah 36:9With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master’s troops, even with the help of Egypt’s chariots and charioteers?
- Deuteronomy 17:16“The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’
- Psalms 20:7Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
- Psalms 33:16The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
- Isaiah 5:12They furnish wine and lovely music at their grand parties— lyre and harp, tambourine and flute— but they never think about the Lord or notice what he is doing.
- Isaiah 17:7Then at last the people will look to their Creator and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 22:11Between the city walls, you build a reservoir for water from the old pool. But you never ask for help from the One who did all this. You never considered the One who planned this long ago.
- 2 Chronicles 16:7At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram.
- Jeremiah 2:13“For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!
- Jeremiah 17:5This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from 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
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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