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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 19:1–17. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Though the land of Egypt had of old been a house of bondage to the people of God, where they had been ruled with rigour, yet among the unbelieving Jews there still remained much of the humour of their fathers, who said, Let us make us a captain and return into Egypt. Upon all occasions they trusted to Egypt for help (Isa 30:2), and thither they fled, in disobedience to God's express command, when things were brought to the last extremity in their own country, Jer 43:7. Rabshakeh upbraided Hezekiah with this, Isa 36:6. While they kept up an alliance with Egypt, and it was a powerful ally, they stood not in awe of the judgments of God; for against them they depended upon Egypt to protect them. Nor did they depend upon the power of God when at any time they were in distress; but Egypt was their confidence. To prevent all this mischief, Egypt must be mortified, and many ways God here tells them he will take to mortify them.
I.The gods of Egypt shall appear to them to be what they always really were, utterly unable to help them, Isa 19:1.
"The Lord rides upon a cloud, a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt. As a judge goes in state to the bench to try and condemn the malefactors, or as a general takes the field with his troops to crush the rebels, so shall God come into Egypt with his judgments; and when he comes he will certainly overcome." In all this burden of Egypt here is no mention of any foreign enemy invading them; but God himself will come against them, and raise up the causes of their destruction from among themselves. He comes upon a cloud, above the reach of the opposition or resistance. He comes apace upon a swift cloud; for their judgment lingers not when the time has come. He rides upon the wings of the wind, with a majesty far excelling the greatest pomp and splendour of earthly princes. He makes the clouds his chariots, Psa 18:9; Psa 104:3. When he comes the idols of Egypt shall be moved, shall be removed at his presence, and perhaps be made to fall as Dagon did before the ark. Isis, Osiris, and Apis, those celebrated idols of Egypt, being found unable to relieve their worshippers, shall be disowned and rejected by them. Idolatry had got deeper rooting in Egypt than in any land besides, even the most absurd idolatries; and yet now the idols shall be moved and they shall be ashamed of them. When the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt he executed judgments upon the gods of the Egyptians (Num 33:4); no marvel then if, when he comes, they begin to tremble. The Egyptians shall seek to the idols, when they are at their wits' end, and consult the charmers and wizards (Isa 19:3); but all in vain; they see their ruin hastening on them notwithstanding.
II.The militia of Egypt, that had been famed for their valour, shall be quite dispirited and disheartened.
No kingdom in the world was ever in a better method of keeping up a standing army than the Egyptians were; but now their heroes, that used to be celebrated for courage, shall be posted for cowards: The heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it, like wax before the fire (Isa 19:1); the spirit of Egypt shall fail, Isa 19:3. They shall have no inclination, no resolution, to stand up in defence of their country, their liberty, and property; but shall tamely and ingloriously yield all to the invader and oppressor. The Egyptians shall be like women (Isa 19:16); they shall be frightened and put into confusion by the least alarm; even those that dwell in the heart of the country, in the midst of it, and therefore furthest from danger, will be as full of frights as those that are situate on the frontiers. Let not the bold and brave be proud or secure, for God can easily cut off the spirit of princes (Psa 76:12) and take away their hearts, Job 12:24.
III.The Egyptians shall be embroiled in endless dissensions and quarrels among themselves.
There shall be no occasion to bring a foreign force upon them to destroy them; they shall destroy one another (Isa 19:2): I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians. As these divisions and animosities are their sin, God is not the author of them, they come from men's lusts; but God, as a Judge, permits them for their punishment, and by their destroying differences corrects them for their sinful agreements. Instead of helping one another, and acting each in his place for the common good, they shall fight every one against his brother and neighbour, whom he ought to love as himself - city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. Egypt was then divided into twelve provinces, or dynasties; but Psammetichus, the governor of one of them, by setting them at variance with one another, at length made himself master of them all. A kingdom thus divided against itself would soon be brought to desolation. En quo discordi cives perduxit miseros! - Oh the wretchedness brought upon a people by their disagreements among themselves! It is brought to this by a perverse spirit, a spirit of contradiction, which the Lord would mingle, as an intoxicating draught made up of several ingredients, for the Egyptians, Isa 19:14. One party shall be for a thing for no other reason than because the other is against it; that is a perverse spirit, which, if it mingle with the public counsels, tends directly to the ruin of the public interests.
IV.Their politics shall be all blasted, and turned into foolishness.
When God will destroy the nation he will destroy the counsel thereof (Isa 19:3), by taking away wisdom from the statesmen (Job 12:20), or setting them one against another (as Hushai and Ahithophel), or by his providence breaking their measures even when they seemed well laid; so that the princes of Zoan are fools: they make fools of one another, every one betrays his own folly, and divine Providence makes fools of them all, Isa 19:11. Pharaoh had his wise counsellors. Egypt was famous for such. But their counsel has all become brutish; they have lost all their forecast; one would think they had become idiots, and were bereaved of common sense. Let no man glory then in his own wisdom, nor depend upon that, nor upon the wisdom of those about him; for he that gives understanding can when he please take it away. And from those it is most likely to be taken away that boast of their policy, as Pharaoh's counsellors here did, and, to recommend themselves to places of public trust, boast of their great understanding ("I am the son of the wise, of the God of wisdom, of wisdom itself," says one; "my father was an eminent privy-counsellor of note in his day for wisdom"), or of the antiquity and dignity of their families: "I am," says another, "the son of ancient kings." The nobles of Egypt boasted much of their antiquity, producing fabulous records of their succession for above 10,000 years. This humour prevailed much among them about this time, as appears by Herodotus, their common boast being that Egypt was some thousands of years more ancient than any other nation. "But where are thy wise men? Isa 19:12. Let them now show their wisdom by foreseeing what ruin is coming upon their nation, and preventing it, if they can. Let them with all their skill know what the Lord of hosts has purposed upon Egypt, and arm themselves accordingly. Nay, so far are they from doing this that they themselves are, in effect, contriving the ruin of Egypt, and hastening it on, Isa 19:13. The princes of Noph are not only deceived themselves, but they have seduced Egypt, by putting their kings upon arbitrary proceedings" (by which both themselves and their people were soon undone); "the governors of Egypt, that are the stay and cornerstones of the tribes thereof, are themselves undermining it." It is sad with a people when those that undertake for their safety are helping forward their destruction, and the physicians of the state are her worst disease, when the things that belong to the public peace are so far hidden from the eyes of those that are entrusted with the public counsels that in every thing they blunder and take wrong measures; so here (Isa 19:14): They have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof. Every step they took was a false step. They always mistook either the end or the means, and their counsels were all unsteady and uncertain, like the staggerings and stammerings of a drunken man in his vomit, who knows not what he says nor where he goes. See what reason we have to pray for our privy-counsellors and ministers of state, who are the great supports and blessings of the state if God give them a spirit of wisdom, but quite the contrary if he hide their heart from understanding.
V.The rod of government shall be turned into the serpent of tyranny and oppression (Isa 19:4):
"The Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord, not a foreigner, but one of their own, one that shall rule over them by an hereditary right, but shall be a fierce king and rule them with rigour," either the twelve tyrants that succeeded Sethon, or rather Psammetichus that recovered the monarchy again; for he speaks of one cruel lord. Now the barbarous usage which the Egyptian task masters gave to God's Israel long ago was remembered against them and they were paid in their own coin by another Pharaoh. It is sad with a people when the powers that should be for edification are for destruction, and they are ruined by those by whom they should be ruled, when such as this is the manner of the king, as it is described (in terrorem - in order to impress alarm), Sa1 8:11.
VI.Egypt was famous for its river Nile, which was its wealth, and strength, and beauty, and was idolized by them.
Now it is here threatened that the waters shall fail from the sea and the river shall be wasted and dried up, Isa 19:5. Nature shall not herein favour them as she has done. Egypt was never watered with the rain of heaven (Zac 14:18), and therefore the fruitfulness of their country depended wholly upon the overflowing of their river; if that therefore be dried up, their fruitful land will soon be turned into barrenness and their harvests cease: Every thing sown by the brooks will wither of course, will be driven away, and be no more, Isa 19:7. If the paper-reeds by the brooks, at the very mouth of them, wither, much more the corn, which lies at a greater distance, but derives its moisture from them. Yet this is not all; the drying up of their rivers is the destruction,
1.Of their fortifications, for they are brooks of defence (Isa 19:6), making the country difficult of access to an enemy. Deep rivers are the strongest lines, and most hardly forced. Pharaoh is said to be a great dragon lying in the midst of his rivers, and guarded by them, bidding defiance to all about him, Eze 29:3. But these shall be emptied and dried up, not by an enemy, as Sennacherib with the sole of his foot dried up mighty rivers (Isa 37:25), and as Cyrus, who took Babylon by drawing Euphrates into many streams, but by the providence of God, which sometimes turns water-springs into dry ground, Psa 107:33.
2.It is the destruction of their fish, which in Egypt was much of their food, witness that base reflection which the children of Israel made (Num 11:5): We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely. The drying up of the rivers will kill the fish (Psa 105:29), and will thereby ruin those who make it their business,
(1.)To catch fish, whether by angling or nets (Isa 19:8); they shall lament and languish, for their trade is at an end. There is nothing which the children of this world do more heartily lament than the loss of that which they used to get money by. Ploratur lachrymis amissa pecunia veris - Those are genuine tears which are shed over lost money.
(2.)To keep fish, that it may be ready when it is called for. There were those that made sluices and ponds for fish (Isa 19:10), but they shall be broken in the purposes thereof; their business will fail, either for want of water to fill their ponds or for want of fish to replenish their waters. God can find ways to deprive a country even of that which is its staple commodity. The Egyptians may themselves remember the fish they have formerly eaten freely, but now cannot have for money. And that which aggravates the loss of these advantages by the river is that it is their own doing (Isa 19:6): They shall turn the rivers far away. Their kings and great men, to gratify their own fancy, will drain water from the main river to their own houses and grounds at a distance, preferring their private convenience before the public good, and so by degrees the force of the river is sensibly weakened. Thus many do themselves a greater prejudice at last than they think of,
[1.]Who pretend to be wiser than nature, and to do better for themselves than nature has done.
[2.]Who consult their own particular interest more than the common good. Such may gratify themselves, but surely they can never satisfy themselves, who to serve a turn contribute to a public calamity, which they themselves, in the long run, cannot avoid sharing in. Herodotus tells us that Pharaoh-Necho (who reigned not long after this), projecting to cut a free passage by water from Nilus into the Red Sea, employed a vast number of men to make a ditch or channel for that purpose, in which attempt he impaired the river, lost 120,000 of his people, and yet left the work unaccomplished.
VII.Egypt was famous for the linen manufacture; but that trade shall be ruined.
Solomon's merchants traded with Egypt for linen-yarn, Kg1 10:28. Their country produced the best flax and the best hands to work it; but those that work in fine flax shall be confounded (Isa 19:9), either for want of flax to work on or for want of a demand for that which they have worked or opportunity to export it. The decay of trade weakens and wastes a nation and by degrees brings it to ruin. The trade of Egypt must needs sink, for (Isa 19:15) there shall not be any work for Egypt to be employed in; and where there is nothing to be done there is nothing to be got. There shall be a universal stop put to business, no work which either head or tail, branch or rush, may do; nothing for high or low, weak or strong, to do; no hire, Zac 8:10. Note, The flourishing of a kingdom depends much upon the industry of the people; and then things are likely to do well when all hands are at work, when the head and top-branch do not disdain to labour, and the labour of the tail and rush is not disdained. But when the learned professions are unemployed, the principal merchants have no stocks, and the handicraft tradesmen nothing to do, poverty comes upon a people as one that travaileth and as an armed man.
VIII.A general consternation shall seize the Egyptians; they shall be afraid and fear (Isa 19:16), which will be both an evidence of a universal decay and a means and presage of utter ruin. Two things will put them into this fright: - 1. What they hear from the land of Judah; that shall be a terror to Egypt, Isa 19:17. When they hear of the desolations made in Judah by the army of Sennacherib, considering both the near neighbourhood and the strict alliance that was between them and Judah, they will conclude it must be their turn next to become a prey to that victorious army. When their neighbour's house was on fire they could not but see their own in danger; and therefore every one of the Egyptians that makes mention of Judah shall be afraid of himself, expecting the bitter cup shortly to be put into his hands. 2. What they see in their own land. They shall fear (Isa 19:16) because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of hosts, and (Isa 19:17) because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts, which from the shaking of his hand they shall conclude he has determined against Egypt as well as Judah. For, if judgment begin at the house of God, where will it end? If this be done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry? See here, (1.) How easily God can make those a terror to themselves that have been, not only secure, but a terror to all about them. It is but shaking his hand over them, or laying it upon some of their neighbours, and the stoutest hearts tremble immediately. (2.) How well it becomes us to fear before God when he does but shake his hand over us, and to humble ourselves under his mighty hand when it does but threaten us, especially when we see his counsel determined against us; for who can change his counsel?
Historical interpretation
Five Centuries of Reception
23 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Egypt is sometimes understood to mean the whole world in [Isaiah], because of superstition and malediction.
Under Egypt he meant the world, and under things made with hands its idolatry, and under the shaking its subversion and dissolution. And the Lord, the Word, he represented as upon a light cloud, referring to that most pure tabernacle, in which setting up His throne, our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to shake error.
This prophecy says that the one who is begotten after the God and Lord of all things, meaning the Word of God, will come into Egypt, and not undercover or invisibly or without a body but riding on a light cloud, or better “on thick light.” This is the meaning of the Hebrew word. Let the Hebrew children tell us when after the time of Isaiah the Lord visited Egypt, and which Lord it was. The God over all is one. Let them tell us how he is said to ride on “thick light” and to come to any particular place on the earth. Let them interpret “thick light” and explain why the Lord is not said to visit Egypt without it. Let them also say when the prophecy that the Egyptian idols made with hands would be shaken and Egyptians would fight Egyptians by the coming of the Lord is to have been fulfilled.
Now one can consider that the prophecy has not been fulfilled if the following are true: if the Egyptians in our own time cannot be seen to have abandoned the gods of their fathers and calling on the God of the prophets; throughout every town and city in the country of Egypt there are not altars built to the God that previously only the Hebrews acknowledged; the idols have not been shaken.… How can we deny that the prophecies of ages past have been fulfilled? They promised beforehand that the Lord would not come to Egypt in an incorporeal manner but on a light cloud, or better “on a thick light,” which is the meaning of the Hebrew word. This figuratively speaks of his incarnation. The prophecy continues by calling him a human being who is the Savior, saying, “And he shall send to them a man who is a savior.” The Hebrew here is, “And he shall send to them a savior who will save them.” This clear demonstration leads me to conclude that there is no doubt of the time of the promise of the appearing of the Lord.
I suppose that the reason why it is foretold that the Lord would come to Egypt is this: The Egyptians are said to have been the first to practice the errors of polytheism.… And Holy Scripture witnesses that they were the enemies of God’s people from the very beginning, for it is written that their ancient king confessed that he did not know the Lord, when he said, “I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.” So, then, it is because Scripture wishes to show the great marvel of the divine power of Christ that it foretells his going to Egypt, in predicting that the Egyptians will undergo an extraordinary conversion, when it goes on to say, “And the Egyptians shall know the Lord, who before knew him not, and shall pray to the Lord,” and so on.… Here it is predicted of Egypt and its people that they will not acknowledge idols any more but will acknowledge the Lord revealed by the Jewish prophets. Now if we cannot see this actually fulfilled before our eyes, we must not say that the Lord’s coming to Egypt has taken place. But if beyond all need of argument the truth is shown by facts and reveals clearly to the most unobservant the Egyptians rescued from hereditary superstition, and followers of the God of the prophets who foretold that this would take place, serving him only and greeting every form of death for their duty to him, to what else can we attribute it but to the Lord coming to Egypt, as the prophecy before us predicted?
Hear, for the flesh of the Lord was a shadow: Behold, the Lord sits upon a light cloud, and will come to Egypt. And David says: Protect me under the shadow of your wings. Therefore, he became a shadow emptied for us, whom the sun of iniquity had burned. We saw him in the shadow when faith first advanced. But now he illuminates the whole world: and yet we still see him through the shadow of his body, which is the Church, not yet face to face; for the eyes of the body are unable to receive the brightness of divinity. This shadow also protects the entire world every day. Therefore, the conclusion is beneficial; For God has concluded all in unbelief, that he may have mercy upon all.
To make himself visible, the “sun of justice” assumed a human body like a cloud, according to which it was said, “Behold, the Lord will come upon a light cloud.” What is the cloud upon which the Lord, the sun of justice, was predicted to arrive if not the cloud of the human body, through which the appearance of his divine radiance was shielded? But just as the sun is less visible to us when covered by a cloud, even though its nature remains unchanged, so also the Son of God did not cease to retain the glory of his divinity when he covered his radiance with the cloud of a human body. The Gospel said that “his face shone like the sun and his clothing was made as white as snow” to show the power of his divine radiance, through which even his clothing was made white like snow. “And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with them,” it continues. The Lord had already promised the glory of this vision long ago to the same Moses, saying, “You will see my back [posteriora mea].” He used “posterior” here to indicate that he would reveal himself to Moses at a posterior time, after his assumption of the body. “But Peter responded and said to him, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you like, let’s pitch three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ ”
But Isaiah announced the Lord’s future trip to Egypt some time ago when he said, “Behold, the Lord will be seated upon a light cloud and will come to Egypt.” By this saying, the mystery of the Lord’s incarnation is clearly shown. For because the Lord himself, “dawning from on high,” is called “the sun of justice,” it is not without merit that he was foretold to be coming “upon a light cloud,” that is, in a holy body which no sin was able to weigh down. It was under the veil of this corporeal cloud that he concealed the light of his majesty.
[At the Mount of Transfiguration] the Father uttered a voice out of the cloud. Why out of the cloud? Because this is how God appears. For a “cloud and darkness are around him.” “He sits on a light cloud,” and “He makes clouds his chariot.” “A cloud received him out of their sight.” “As the Son of Man coming in the clouds.”14His voice comes from a cloud so that they might believe that the voice proceeds from God.
That it was Jesus himself [at the ascension] they knew from the fact that he had been conversing with them (for had they seen only from a distance, they could not have recognized him by sight), but that he is taken up into heaven the angels themselves inform them. Observe how it is ordered, that not all is done by the Spirit, but the eyes also do their part. But why did “a cloud receive him”? This too was a sure sign that he went up to heaven. Not fire, as in the case of Elijah, nor fiery chariot, but “a cloud received him”; which was a symbol of heaven, as the prophet says, “Who makes the clouds his chariot”; it is of the Father himself that this is said. Therefore he says, “on a cloud”; in the symbol, he would say, of the divine power, for no other power is seen to appear on a cloud. For hear again what another prophet says: “The Lord sits upon a light cloud.”
(Verse 1 and following): Behold, the Lord will ascend upon a light cloud, and will enter Egypt, and the idols of Egypt will be moved from before him, and the heart of Egypt will waste away within it. And I will incite the Egyptians against the Egyptians, and they will fight, man against his brother, and man against his friend, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. And the spirit of Egypt will be broken within it, and I will frustrate their plans; and they will consult their idols and their diviners, and the Pythons and fortune-tellers. And I will deliver Egypt into the hands of cruel masters, and a strong king will rule over them, says the Lord God of hosts. I have diligently examined many of the prophecies of Egypt, which Isaiah raised up or saw, in a historical explanation. Therefore, now according to tropology, the most important things are to be taken. The Lord ascends upon a light cloud, the body of the holy Virgin Mary, which is not burdened by the weight of any human seed: or certainly His own body, which was conceived of the Holy Spirit. And he entered into Egypt of this world; and immediately all the Egyptian idols were moved, so that the divinations and all the fraud of idolatry, which possessed and deceived the whole world, felt that it had been broken: to such an extent that the wise men from the East, who were taught by demons, or according to the prophecy of Balaam (Num. XXIV), understanding that the Son of God had been born, who would destroy all the power of their art, came to Bethlehem and, with the star guiding them, adored the child (Matt. II). Then the heart of Egypt trembled, and the Egyptians rose up against the Egyptians, according to that which the Lord speaks in the Gospel: Think not that I am come to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. For I am come to divide a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law (Matt. X, 34 seqq.). At that time also this was fulfilled: The enemies of a man are they of his own household (Micah VII, 6). And a man will fight against his brother, and a man against his friend. For they were separated in one house, two against three, and three against two, and the father was divided against the Son, and the son against the father, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom, those who did not believe against those who believed, or certainly those who believed, desiring to save their closest ones. And the spirit of Egypt was disrupted in their hearts, so that they would not feel equal; but separated by a spiritual sword against themselves, they would recognize that all their plans had been thrown away: and nevertheless, remaining in their previous error, those who had refused to accept the truth of faith would consult idols and their gods, and Pythonesses, and soothsayers. And when they did this, the Lord delivered them into the hands of cruel masters, according to the apostle's saying: Whom I have delivered to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme (1 Tim. 1:20); being oppressed by the harshest servitude, may they return to the most merciful Lord. And fittingly, he calls the cruel demons their masters, to whom nothing is more cruel. Also, the strong king, who is their Lord, clearly refers to the devil, whom the Lord also calls a fortune in the Gospel, by binding and oppressing whom, the vessels of his house are plundered.
“The Lord is riding on a swift cloud on his way to Egypt.” Appreciate what that means: the Lord comes, the Lord and Savior, into the Egypt in which we live; the Lord comes into the land of darkness where Pharaoh is. But he does not come save riding on a swift cloud. Now what is this swift cloud? I think it is holy Mary with child of no human seed. This swift cloud has come into the world and brought with it the Creator of the world. What does Isaiah say? “The Lord will enter into Egypt upon a swift cloud; and the idols of Egypt shall be shattered.” The Lord has come, and the false gods of Egypt tremble violently, crash together and are destroyed. This is the cloud that in Alexandria destroyed Sarapis; no general did it, no mortal man, but this cloud that came into Alexandria.
(Chapter 19, Verse 1) The Burden of Egypt. Behold, the Lord will ascend upon a light cloud, and will enter into Egypt, and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst thereof. It is the custom of the Scriptures to connect the clear with the obscure, and to openly declare with a clear voice what was previously expressed in enigmas. Therefore, in the present passage, because He had pronounced woes against Egypt before, saying, 'Woe to the land overshadowed with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,' and other things which the prophetic discourse has woven together, He now makes the understanding more clear, and threatening Egypt itself, He speaks, not that the Angels, but the Lord Himself, shall come upon a light cloud, that is, a swift one, and shall enter into Egypt, and make the idols of Egypt tremble, and cause the heart of the mighty to melt, and fulfill the prophecy of Ezekiel (or Jeremiah): 'I will destroy the idols, and I will cause the idols of Memphis to cease' (Ezekiel 30:13). Some refer this whole prophecy to the time of the Savior, when he entered upon a light cloud, that is, a human body, which he had assumed from the Virgin, not burdened with any mingling of human seed: or because he was carried on a light cloud, that is, a Virginal body, and at his entrance all the demons trembled, and then the first downfall of idols occurred, unable to bear the presence of the Lord.
Behold, the Lord has entered the Egypt of this world on a soft cloud, the Virgin. “He led them with a cloud by day.” Beautifully said, by day, for the cloud was never in darkness but always in light. “And all night with a glow of fire.” “For you darkness itself is not dark, and night shines as the day.” “And all night with a glow of fire.” “The Lord our God is a consuming fire.” A consuming fire. The psalmist did not say what the fire is consuming; he left that to our intelligence.
We must think of that swift cloud as befitting either the body of the Savior, because his body was light, not weighted down by any sin; or certainly holy Mary, who was heavy with child by no human seed. Behold the Lord has entered the Egypt of this world on a swift cloud, the Virgin.
(Chapter 19, Verse 1) The Burden of Egypt. Symmachus and Theodotion: The Assumption of Egypt. Septuagint: The Vision of Egypt. Where in Hebrew it is written Massa Mesraim (), which we have interpreted as the Burden or Weight of Egypt: for which Aquila translated ἄρμα Αἰγύπτου, we can say that because the prophet carries and bears the yoke of the Lord, it is fitting for him to carry the burden of Egypt and see or bear the prophecy of Egypt. Hence, I wonder that the Septuagint translated it as Vision in Babylon; and as Word in Philistia, Moab, and Damascus; and now as Version in Egypt; when in Hebrew it is not Word and Vision in all these cases, but Massa (), that is, Burden, weight, that is placed. But what Symmachus and Theodotion have always translated as λῆμμα, that is, assumption, we must understand that the prophet received spiritual grace from the Lord to know the sacraments of Egypt, or to see with the eyes of the mind, as the Septuagint translated. However, this Egypt is not the same as the one the Jews think, as Josephus believed, who relates in the book of Antiquities: that Onias the priest fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah by building a temple in the region of Heliopolis, which the Egyptians call νομὸν, according to the likeness of the Temple of God, and an altar. For let us grant that these things were said about Onias, and about the altar that he built in Egypt, which will be five cities that speak the Canaanite language in Egypt, of which one is called ἀσεδὲκ according to the LXX; according to other interpreters, the city is called Ars or Ares, or city of the sun? And who will be this savior who was sent to the Egyptians to save them, and so that the Egyptians may know the Lord? When they worshiped him with sacrifices and gifts, and fulfilled their vows? When did the Lord strike Egypt and heal it? At what time can we teach that there was a way from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians entered Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria; and the Egyptians served Assyria? When Israel was in Egypt for the third time; and among the Assyrians, it was like a blessing in the midst of the land, so that the Lord said: Blessed is my people in Egypt, and the work of my hands in Assyria? It is clear that these things do not pertain to the Egypt that the Jews estimate. Therefore, we can call this place in which we live, and the world which is situated in evil: Egypt, especially because Mizraim, which is called Egypt, is interpreted as ἐκθλίβουσα, that is, troubling or bringing into distress. However, it should be known that many Egyptian burdens or visions pertain to the province of Egypt, which is inhabited and seen even today. But both in this and in other places of Scripture, many things are stated which cannot stand according to history, so that by necessity we are compelled to seek a deeper understanding.
Appreciate what that means: The Lord comes, the Lord and Savior, into the Egypt in which we live; the Lord comes into the land of darkness where Pharaoh is. But he does not come save riding on a swift cloud. Now what is this swift cloud? I think it is holy Mary with child of no human seed. This swift cloud has come into the world and brought with it the Creator of the world. What does Isaiah say? “The Lord will enter into Egypt upon a swift cloud; and the idols of Egypt shall be shattered.” The Lord has come, and the false gods of Egypt tremble violently, crash together and are destroyed.
It is relevant to recall that holy Isaiah uttered a particular prophecy concerning Egypt: “And the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt within them” and the rest.In the same class with these prophets were those who rejoiced because they knew he had come whom they had been expecting. Such were Simeon and Anna, who recognized Jesus when he was born, and Elizabeth, who, in the Spirit, realized that he had been conceived, and Peter, who, by revelation of the Father, affirmed, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.”
Therefore all the human qualities of the Lord Christ, hunger, I mean, and thirst and weariness, sleep, fear, sweat, prayer, and ignorance, and the like, we affirm to belong to our nature which God the Word assumed and united to himself in effecting our salvation. But the restitution of motion to the maimed, the resurrection of the dead, the supply of loaves and all the other miracles we believe to be works of the divine power. In this sense I say that the same Lord Christ both suffers and destroys suffering; suffers, that is, as touching the visible, and destroys suffering as touching the ineffably indwelling Godhead. This is proved beyond question by the narrative of the holy Evangelists, from whom we learn that when lying in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes, he was announced by a star, worshiped by magi and hymned by angels. Thus we reverently discern that the swaddling bands and the lack of a bed and all the poverty belonged to the manhood; while the journey of the magi and the guiding of the star and the company of the angels proclaim the Godhead of the unseen. In like manner he makes his escape into Egypt and avoids the fury of Herod by flight, for he was man; but as the prophet says, “He shakes the idols of Egypt,” for he was by nature God.
The psalmist spoke of this solemnity [when he said], “God has ascended with a shout of jubilation, and the Lord with the sound of the trumpet.” He ascended with a shout of jubilation, since he sought heaven as the disciples rejoiced in the glory of his being lifted up. He ascended with the sound of the trumpet, since he went up to the throne of his heavenly kingdom as the angels heralded his return to judge the living and the dead.How God, who is present always and everywhere and does not change from place to place, ascended, the same [inspired writer] declares elsewhere, saying, “He who makes a cloud his stairway and walks upon the wings of the winds.” He calls the substance of human weakness with which “the sun of righteousness” clothed himself, that [the sight of him] might be borne by human beings, a cloud. Hence Isaiah says, “Behold, the Lord will ascend upon a swift cloud and will enter Egypt, and the idols of Egypt will be shaken before his face.” The Lord ascended upon a swift cloud so that when he entered Egypt he might overturn its idols when “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” He took upon himself a body immune from all stains of iniquity and entered the world in it, so that he might destroy the cult of idolatry and make clear the true light of divinity to the shadowy and dark hearts of the Gentiles. He who is not enclosed in a place willed to go from place to place by means of this cloud, his human nature; in it he who always remains invisible in his divinity willed to suffer mockery, scourging and death; by means of it he who fills the heavens in the power of his divinity ascended into heaven, crowned with the power of his resurrection.
Such brief downpours are rightly compared with the shallow, inflated boasting of secular teaching which often seems to pour forth an endless, deep river of eloquence and broad learning but soon dries up entirely, as though it had never existed at all, where the sun of justice and the summer of evangelical radiance shine. The Lord himself laments this state of affairs through the prophet: “They abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and dug for themselves broken cisterns which cannot hold water.” Isaiah also says, “Behold, the Lord will ascend upon a light cloud and will come to Egypt,” and again, “The water of the sea will dry up and the river will be desolate and arid.” “A well of living waters,” he said, “which flows from Lebanon,” that is, from the church, whose life is both clear and deep. For Lebanon, which means “clarity,” fills its camps with saving streams of wisdom for its subjects, as though they were an audience, like the Lord promises in the Gospel: “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture teaches, ‘rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ” Explaining this, the Gospel adds, “He said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him would receive.”
But if the entire world is divided against itself with respect to faith in Christ, each home contains both infidels and believers. A good war is waged, therefore, to disrupt an evil peace. Isaiah also announced prophetically under the figure of Egypt: “Behold, the Lord will ascend upon a light cloud and will come to Egypt, and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence and the hearts of the Egyptians will melt within them, and I will cause Egyptians to attack Egyptians.” Clearly this refers to a struggle between proponents of the faith and its enemies.
The blessed Virgin, being purely human, was unable to receive bodily all the plenitude of divinity. But the power of the Most High overshadowed her, that is, her body received the incorporeal light of divinity. The prophet comments on this beautifully: “Behold, the Lord will ascend upon on a light cloud and will come to Egypt,” which is to say, Behold, the coeternal Word of God the Father, the light from light who was born before the ages, will receive at the end of the age a flesh and soul not burdened with any sin, and he will enter the world from a virginal womb, like a bridegroom from his chamber. Therefore, what will be born will be called holy, the Son of God. In distinction from our holiness, Jesus alone is said to be born holy.
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Summary
Isaiah 19:1 introduces a profound prophetic oracle, a "burden" against Egypt, signifying a weighty divine pronouncement of judgment and transformation. It vividly portrays the Lord's majestic and swift arrival into Egypt, not as an ally, but as a sovereign judge. This divine advent will cause the revered idols of Egypt to tremble and be rendered powerless, while the very heart of the nation will melt in fear and despair, demonstrating God's absolute supremacy over all earthly powers and false gods.
Context
Literary Context
Isaiah 19:1 inaugurates a significant section within the book of Isaiah, specifically part of the "Oracles Against the Nations" (chapters 13-23). This literary unit showcases Yahweh's universal sovereignty, demonstrating His authority not only over Israel and Judah but over all surrounding nations, including powerful empires like Babylon, Assyria, and in this case, Egypt. The term "burden" (Hebrew: massa') frequently introduces a prophetic pronouncement of doom or a heavy message, setting a somber tone for the ensuing judgment. This oracle against Egypt follows a series of pronouncements against other nations, emphasizing that no nation, regardless of its strength or perceived invincibility, is beyond the reach of God's divine judgment and redemptive purposes. The passage transitions from general judgment to specific details about Egypt's internal strife and eventual transformation, culminating in a surprising vision of Egypt, Assyria, and Israel forming a blessing in the earth, which is a key aspect of understanding the full scope of this oracle in Isaiah 19.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the 8th century BCE, the period of Isaiah's ministry, Egypt was a formidable regional power, renowned for its ancient civilization, rich agricultural resources (especially the Nile), and deeply entrenched polytheistic religion. Pharaohs were considered divine, and a vast pantheon of gods and goddesses (e.g., Ra, Osiris, Isis, Amun) permeated every aspect of Egyptian life, with elaborate temples and cultic practices. Judah, caught between the rising power of Assyria to the north and the established might of Egypt to the south, often faced the temptation to seek political and military alliances with Egypt for protection against Assyrian aggression. However, Isaiah consistently warned against such alliances, urging Judah to trust solely in Yahweh, as seen in Isaiah 30:1-7. This oracle serves as a stark reminder that Egypt, despite its grandeur and perceived strength, was ultimately subject to the sovereign will of the God of Israel. The melting of hearts and the shaking of idols would have been particularly potent imagery for a culture that placed immense faith in its divine rulers and protective deities.
Key Themes
The primary themes introduced in this verse are Divine Sovereignty and Judgment, The Impotence of Idolatry, and Fear and Dismay in the Face of God's Presence. God's declaration, "Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt," powerfully asserts His absolute authority over all nations, underscoring that no earthly power can withstand His will. This imagery of divine approach on a cloud is a classic biblical motif for theophany and judgment, as seen in Psalm 18:10. The immediate consequence, "and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence," highlights the utter futility and powerlessness of false gods before the one true God. This theme resonates throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing the vanity of worshipping created things rather than the Creator, as explored in Psalm 115:4-8. Finally, "and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it" conveys the profound terror and utter despair that grips those who oppose God's overwhelming presence, a common biblical response to divine power and judgment, exemplified in Joshua 2:11. These themes collectively establish God as the ultimate ruler of history and nations.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term denotes a heavy, weighty pronouncement, often a prophetic utterance of doom, judgment, or a significant message. In the context of Isaiah's oracles against nations, massâʼ' signifies a divinely imposed, severe pronouncement, carrying the weight of God's decree. It is not merely a message but a "load" or "burden" that the nation will bear.
This word refers to something "good for nothing," "vain," or "worthless." It is specifically used to denote an idol, highlighting its emptiness and lack of power or value. The use of ʼĕlîyl for Egyptian deities underscores the prophetic contempt for false gods, contrasting their impotence with the living God's omnipotence.
This primitive root means "to liquefy," but figuratively, it conveys a sense of wasting away, fainting from fear, fatigue, or grief, or being utterly discouraged. When applied to the "heart of Egypt," it vividly describes a complete loss of courage, resolve, and vitality, signifying utter terror and collapse in the face of God's presence.
Verse Breakdown
"¶ The burden of Egypt."
This opening phrase serves as the superscription for the entire oracle against Egypt. "Burden" (massâ') indicates a weighty, divinely inspired prophetic utterance, typically one of judgment or severe consequence. It immediately signals that the following message concerns Egypt and carries the full authority and gravity of God's pronouncement.
"Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt:"
This clause describes the majestic and terrifying arrival of Yahweh. "Behold" (hinneh) calls for immediate attention to a dramatic event. The imagery of the "LORD rideth upon a swift cloud" depicts God's swift, unstoppable, and sovereign movement, often associated with theophany and divine judgment. His "coming into Egypt" signifies a direct, personal, and inescapable intervention in the nation's affairs, not as a distant observer but as an active participant.
"and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence,"
This segment highlights the immediate and profound impact of God's arrival on Egypt's religious landscape. The "idols" (ʼĕlîyl, worthless ones), which were central to Egyptian life and power, will "be moved" (nûwa', waver, shake, stagger). This implies their instability, fear, and ultimate powerlessness in the face of the true God's overwhelming presence (pânîym, face, presence). It's a direct challenge to the very foundation of Egyptian polytheism.
"and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it."
This final clause describes the psychological and spiritual effect of God's presence on the nation itself. The "heart" (lêbâb, the seat of courage, will, and understanding) of Egypt will "melt" (mâçaç, liquefy, faint, waste away). This vivid metaphor conveys utter despair, loss of courage, and complete societal collapse from within, signifying the overwhelming terror and helplessness experienced by the Egyptians as their gods fail and their strength evaporates before Yahweh.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 19:1 is rich in Imagery and Metaphor, painting a vivid picture of divine intervention. The phrase "the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud" is a powerful Theophanic Imagery, depicting God's majestic and rapid approach, often associated with judgment and overwhelming power, reminiscent of a divine warrior. The "swift cloud" serves as a Metaphor for the speed and ease with which God executes His will. Personification is evident in "the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence," as inanimate objects (idols) are described as trembling or staggering in fear, emphasizing their impotence. Similarly, "the heart of Egypt shall melt" employs a powerful Metaphor and Hyperbole to convey the absolute terror and despair that will grip the nation, suggesting a complete loss of courage and internal collapse. The opening "The burden of Egypt" is a Metonymy, where "burden" stands for the heavy prophetic message itself, setting a tone of impending doom. The entire verse functions as a Prophetic Oracle, a divinely inspired pronouncement of future events, characterized by its authoritative and declarative tone.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 19:1 powerfully articulates God's absolute sovereignty over all nations and His decisive judgment against idolatry. It serves as a foundational declaration that no earthly power, no matter how mighty or self-sufficient, can stand against the will of the Almighty. The trembling of idols and the melting of hearts underscore the futility of placing trust in anything other than the one true God. This passage reminds us that God's presence brings either salvation or judgment, and for those who oppose Him and worship false gods, it brings overwhelming terror and the exposure of their idols' worthlessness. The divine intervention depicted here is a testament to God's active involvement in human history, orchestrating events to fulfill His purposes, even through the downfall of powerful empires, ultimately for His glory and the establishment of His universal kingdom.
Reflection and Application
This powerful opening to Isaiah's oracle against Egypt compels us to confront the reality of God's absolute sovereignty in a world often characterized by human pride, nationalistic fervor, and the worship of created things. Just as ancient Egypt placed its trust in its gods, its military might, and its economic prosperity, so too do modern societies and individuals often rely on wealth, power, technology, or ideologies, effectively making them "idols." This verse challenges us to examine our own lives: What are the "idols" that we allow to shake our hearts or to which we give our allegiance, consciously or unconsciously? Do we truly believe that God "rideth upon a swift cloud" over our personal circumstances, our nations, and global events? The melting heart of Egypt serves as a stark warning against defying God's authority and a call to humble submission. For believers, it is a profound source of comfort and assurance that our God is utterly in control, even when the world seems chaotic. His presence, which brings judgment to the defiant, brings peace and security to those who trust in Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "The burden of Egypt" mean?
"The burden of Egypt" (Hebrew: massâ' Mitsrayim) is a prophetic superscription indicating a weighty and severe oracle, typically a divine pronouncement of judgment or a significant message concerning the nation of Egypt. It signifies that the following words are not merely human observations but a divinely authoritative declaration of what God intends to do to Egypt, carrying the full gravity of His decree. This phrase is common in the "Oracles Against the Nations" in Isaiah, such as Isaiah 13:1.
Why would God "come into Egypt" in such a dramatic way?
God's dramatic "coming into Egypt" on a "swift cloud" signifies a direct, sovereign, and inescapable intervention. It's a theophanic display, demonstrating His absolute power and authority over all nations, even a mighty empire like Egypt. This divine advent is for the purpose of judgment, to expose the futility of their idolatry, and to demonstrate that no earthly power can withstand His will. It underscores that God is not confined to Israel but is the Lord of all creation, as seen in Psalm 24:1.
What is the significance of the idols being "moved" and the heart of Egypt "melting"?
The idols being "moved" (shaken, trembling, staggering) signifies their utter powerlessness and instability in the face of the true God's presence. It's a direct challenge to the efficacy of false gods, revealing them as "worthless ones" (ʼĕlîyl). The "melting" of Egypt's heart conveys profound terror, complete loss of courage, and utter despair. This imagery highlights the psychological and spiritual collapse of the nation when confronted by the overwhelming reality of God's power, demonstrating that human strength and false worship are no match for divine judgment, a theme echoed in Deuteronomy 28:65-67.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Isaiah 19:1 speaks of God's judgment on ancient Egypt, its themes find profound Christ-centered fulfillment. The "burden" of judgment that falls upon nations ultimately points to the ultimate judgment that Christ bore on the cross. He became the "burden" for our sins, taking upon Himself the weight of divine wrath so that we might be set free, as prophesied in Isaiah 53:4-6. The Lord "riding upon a swift cloud" foreshadows Christ's glorious return, when He will come in power and great glory to judge the living and the dead, and to establish His eternal kingdom, as described in Matthew 24:30 and Revelation 1:7. Furthermore, the idols of Egypt being "moved" and their hearts melting before God's presence finds its ultimate spiritual parallel in the triumph of Christ over all spiritual principalities and powers. Through His death and resurrection, Christ disarmed and triumphed over the "gods" of this world—sin, death, and Satan—rendering them powerless for those who believe, as celebrated in Colossians 2:15. The fear and melting hearts of those who oppose God will be fully realized at Christ's final advent, while for believers, His presence brings not terror, but eternal joy and peace, fulfilling the ultimate purpose of God's sovereign plan for all nations, a plan that extends even to Egypt, as seen in the later verses of Isaiah 19.