Isaiah 19

Isaiah · Chapter 19

Isaiah 19:11

1The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.2And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.3And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.4And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts.5And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.6And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither.7The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.8The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.9Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded.10And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish.11Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?12Where are they? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.13The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof.14The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.15Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do.16In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it.17And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it.18In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction.19In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD.20And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.21And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it.22And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them.23In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.24In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:25Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
11Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”?The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the counsel of the wisest counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
[are] onlyאַךְ־'akh-H0389
surely

אַךְ (akh) 1) indeed, surely (emphatic) 2) howbeit, only, but, yet (restrictive)

foolsאֱוִלִים֙'e-vi-LIMH0191
fool(ish)

אֱוִיל (e.vil) 1) be foolish, foolish 1a) (subst) 1a1) of one who despises wisdom 1a2) of one who mocks when guilty 1a3) of one who is quarrelsome 1a4) of one who is licentious

[the] officials ofשָׂ֣רֵיSA-reiH8269
ruler

שַׂר (sar) 1) prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain 1a) chieftain, leader 1b) vassal, noble, official (under king) 1c) captain, general, commander (military) 1d) chief, head, overseer (of other official classes) 1e) heads, princes (of religious office) 1f) elders (of representative leaders of people) 1g) merchant-princes (of rank and dignity) 1h) patron-angel 1i) Ruler of rulers (of God) 1j) warden

Zoanצֹ֔עַןTZO-'anH6814
Zoan

צֹ֫עַן (tso.an) § Zoan = "place of departure" an ancient city of lower Egypt called Tanis by the Greeks; located on the eastern bank of the Tanitic branch of the Nile; the capital of the Shepherd dynasty, built 7 years after Hebron and existing before Abraham and the dwelling place of the Pharaoh at the time of the exodus modern 'San'

[the] wise [people] ofחַכְמֵי֙chakh-MEIH2450
wise

חָכָם (cha.kham) 1) wise, wise (man) 1a) skilful (in technical work) 1b) wise (in administration) 1c) shrewd, crafty, cunning, wily, subtle 1d) learned, shrewd (class of men) 1e) prudent 1f) wise (ethically and religiously)

[the] counselors ofיֹעֲצֵ֣יyo-'a-TZEIH6098
counsel

עֵצָה (e.tsah) counsel, advice, purpose

Pharaohפַרְעֹ֔הfar-'OHH6547L
Pharaoh

פַּרְעֹה (par.oh) A man of the Egyptians living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.18.21 § Pharaoh = "great house" the common title of the king of Egypt

counselעֵצָ֖ה'e-TZAHH6098
counsel

עֵצָה (e.tsah) counsel, advice, purpose

foolishנִבְעָרָ֑הniv-'a-RAHH1197B
be brutish

בָּעַר (ba.ar) v denom 1) to be stupid, brutish, barbarous 1a) (Qal) to be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive 1b) (Niphal) to be stupid, dull-hearted 1c) (Piel) to feed, graze 1d) (Hiphil) to cause to be grazed over

how?אֵ֚יךְ'eikhH0349A
how?

אֵיךְ (ekh) interrog adv how?

will you sayתֹּאמְר֣וּto-me-RUH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Pharaohפַּרְעֹ֔הpar-'OHH6547L
Pharaoh

פַּרְעֹה (par.oh) A man of the Egyptians living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.18.21 § Pharaoh = "great house" the common title of the king of Egypt

[am] a son ofבֶּן־ben-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

wise [people]חֲכָמִ֥יםcha-kha-MIMH2450
wise

חָכָם (cha.kham) 1) wise, wise (man) 1a) skilful (in technical work) 1b) wise (in administration) 1c) shrewd, crafty, cunning, wily, subtle 1d) learned, shrewd (class of men) 1e) prudent 1f) wise (ethically and religiously)

Iאֲנִ֖י'a-NIH0589
me

אֲנָא (a.na) I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis) Aramaic of a.ni (אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י "I" H0589)

a son ofבֶּן־ben-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

kings ofמַלְכֵי־mal-khei-H4428G
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

ancient timeקֶֽדֶם׃KE-demH6924HNo entry

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.