Isaiah 31:1
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!
Isaiah 31:1 in other translations
| BSB | Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD. |
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| WEB | Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they don’t look to the Holy One of Israel, and they don’t seek the LORD! |
| ASV | Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and rely 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 Jehovah! |
| YLT | Woe to those going down to Egypt for help, And on horses lean, And trust on chariots, because many, And on horsemen, because very strong, And have not looked on the Holy One of Israel, And Jehovah have not sought. |
| DARBY | Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and depend on horses, and confide in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong; and who look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek Jehovah! |
| BBE | Cursed are those who go down to Egypt for help, and who put their faith in horses; looking to war-carriages for salvation, because of their numbers; and to horsemen, because they are very strong; but they are not looking to the Holy One of Israel, or turning their hearts to the Lord; |
| Webster | Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and rely on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not to the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! |
What does Isaiah 31:1 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Is 31:1-9. The Chief Strength of the Egyptian Armies Lay in Their Cavalry.
1. 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).Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Introduction
The Jews again reproved for their confidence in Egypt, finely contrasted with their neglect of the power and protection of God, Isa 31:1-3. Deliverance and protection are, notwithstanding, promised, expressed by two similes; the first remarkably lofty and poetical, the latter singularly beautiful and tender, Isa 31:4, Isa 31:5. Exhortation to repentance, joined with the prediction of a more reformed period, Isa 31:6, Isa 31:7. This chapter concludes like the preceding, with a prophecy of the fall of Sennacherib, Isa 31:8, Isa 31:9. Verse 1 Wo 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.Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 31:1-5
Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain
Isaiah 31:1 in the original Hebrew
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Isaiah 31:1
- Psalms 20:7
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
- Jeremiah 17:5
Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 17:16
But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
- Jeremiah 2:13
For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
- Isaiah 36:9
How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
- Psalms 33:16-17
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
- Isaiah 30:16
But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.
- Daniel 9:13
As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.
- Amos 5:4-8
For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: But seek not Beth–el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer–sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth–el shall come to nought. Seek the Lord, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Beth–el. Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth, …
- Isaiah 30:1-7
Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes. …
- Isaiah 36:6
Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.
- Ezekiel 17:15
But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6 He exhorts to conversion.
8 He shews the fall of Assyria.
to them.
30:1-7; 36:6; 57:9; Eze 17:15; Ho 11:5
stay on horses.
30:16; 36:9; De 17:16; Ps 20:7; 33:16,17
the look.
5:12; 17:7,8; 22:11; 2Ch 16:7; Jer 2:13; 17:5; Ho 14:3
neither.
9:13; 64:7; Da 9:13; Ho 7:7,13-16; Am 5:4-8
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Isaiah 31:1
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!
- Isaiah 31:2
Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.
Isaiah 31:1 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | ¡AY de los que descienden á Egipto por ayuda, y confían en caballos; y su esperanza ponen en carros, porque son muchos, y en caballeros, porque son valientes; y no miraron al Santo de Israel, ni buscaron á Jehová! |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Malheur à ceux qui descendent en Égypte pour avoir du secours, et qui s’appuient sur des chevaux et se fient à des chars, parce qu’ils sont nombreux, et à des cavaliers, parce qu’ils sont très forts, et qui ne regardent pas au Saint d’Israël et ne recherchent pas l’ Éternel! |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Wehe denen, welche nach Ägypten hinabziehen um Hülfe, auf Rosse sich stützen, und die ihr Vertrauen auf Wagen setzen, weil ihrer viele, und auf Reiter, weil sie zahlreich sind; und die auf den Heiligen Israels nicht schauen und nach Jehova nicht fragen! |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Væ qui descendunt in Ægyptum ad auxilium, in equis sperantes, et habentes fiduciam super quadrigis, quia multæ sunt; et super equitibus, quia prævalidi nimis; et non sunt confisi super Sanctum Israël, et Dominum non requisierunt! |