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Isaías 19

BLIVRE · Chapter 19/66

1Revelação sobre o Egito: Eis que o SENHOR vem montado numa veloz nuvem, e ele virá ao Egito; e os ídolos do Egito tremerão perante sua presença; e o coração dos egípcios se derreterá dentro de si;

2Porque instigarei egípcios contra egípcios, e cada um lutará contra seu irmão, e cada um contra seu próximo; cidade contra cidade, reino contra reino.

3E o espírito dos egípcios se esvaziará dentro de si, e destruirei seu conselho; então eles perguntarão ao ídolos, encantadores, adivinhos que consultam espíritos de mortos, e feiticeiros.

4E entregarei os egípcios nas mãos de um duro senhor, e um rei rigoroso dominará sobre eles,diz o SENHOR dos exércitos.

5E as águas do mar se acabarão; e o rio se esvaziará e se secará.

6E os rios terão mau cheiro; os canais do Egito serão esvaziados e se secarão; as canas e os juncos murcharão.

7A relva junto ao rio, junto às margens dos rio, e todas as plantações junto ao rio se secarão, serão removidas, e se perderão.

8E os pescadores gemerão e todos os que lançam anzol no rio lamentarão; e os que estendem rede sobre as águas perderão o ânimo.

9E ficarão envergonhados os que trabalham com linho fino e os que tecem panos brancos.

10Os fundamentos serão quebrados, e os empregados sentirão aflição na alma.

11Na verdade, os príncipes de Zoã são uns tolos; o conselho dos “sábios” de Faraó se tornou imprudente. Como é que dizeis a Faraó: Sou filho de sábios, sou descendente dos antigos reis?

12Onde estão agora os teus sábios? Avisem-te, pois, e informem o que o SENHOR dos exércitos determinou contra o Egito.

13Os príncipes de Zoã se tornaram tolos, os príncipes de Nofe estão enganados; e o Egito será levado ao erro pelos [que são] pedra de esquina de suas tribos.

14O SENHOR derramou um espírito de confusão em seu interior, e levaram o Egito a errar em toda a sua obra, tal como o bêbado que se revolve em seu vômito.

15E não haverá obra alguma que a cabeça ou a cauda, o ramo ou o junco, possa fazer para proveito do Egito.

16Naquele dia os egípcios serão como mulheres; e tremerão e temerão por causa do mover da mão do SENHOR dos exércitos, que moverá contra eles.

17E a terra de Judá será um assombro ao egípcios; todo aquele que dela lhe mencionarem, terá medo dentro de si, por causa da determinação do SENHOR dos exércitos, que determinou contra eles.

18Naquele dia haverá cinco cidades na terra do Egito que falem a língua de Canaã e prestem juramento ao SENHOR dos exércitos; uma delas será chamada Cidade da Destruição.

19Naquele dia haverá um altar ao SENHOR no meio do Egito, e uma coluna ao SENHOR junto a sua fronteira.

20E isso servirá como sinal e como testemunho ao SENHOR dos exércitos na terra do Egito; pois clamarão ao SENHOR por causa de seus opressores, e ele lhes mandará um salvador e defensor que os livre.

21E o SENHOR se fará conhecido no Egito, e os egípcios conhecerão ao SENHOR naquele dia; e eles o servirão [com] sacrifícios e ofertas, e farão votos ao SENHOR, e [os] cumprirão.

22E o SENHOR ferirá aos egípcios: ferirá mas [os] curará; e eles se converterão ao SENHOR, e ele aceitará suas orações, e os curará.

23Naquele dia haverá uma estrada do Egito à Assíria; e os assírios virão ao Egito, e os egípcios à Assíria; e os egípcios prestarão culto junto com os assírios.

24Naquele dia Israel será o terceiro entre o Egito e a Assíria, uma bênção no meio da terra;

25Porque o SENHOR dos exércitos os abençoará, dizendo: Bendito seja o meu povo do Egito, e a Assíria, obra de minhas mãos, e Israel, minha herança.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

An extensive prophecy against Egypt: its idols will tremble, its people will fall into civil war, and its wisdom will fail. Surprisingly, the chapter ends with a blessing: one day Egypt, Assyria, and Israel will worship the same God together, at peace with one another.

Explanation

Egypt was, alongside Assyria, the great power Judah was tempted to seek as a military ally, and Isaiah insists that trusting in these alliances is trusting in 'idols' and 'wise men' who will fail. The mention of 'Egyptians fighting against Egyptians' reflects real periods of political instability that Egypt experienced at that time. The end of the chapter is surprising and full of hope: instead of merely announcing destruction, Isaiah foresees a future reconciliation among three historical enemies — Egypt, Assyria, and Israel — united in worship of the same God. The application today is that God's plan is greater than historical rivalries, and He can turn enemies into partners in faith.

Fun facts

  • The vision of Egypt, Assyria, and Israel worshiping together (v.23-25) is one of the most universalist prophecies in the entire Old Testament, anticipating that God's salvation would not be exclusive to one people alone.
  • 'City of destruction' or 'city of the sun' (depending on the translation of the Hebrew, which has textual variations) possibly refers to Heliopolis, an important center of worship of the Egyptian sun-god Ra, suggesting conversion even in the most important pagan centers.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Isaías 19:1The image of the LORD riding on a cloud is that of a divine warrior, common in ancient Near Eastern poetry, here applied to Egypt. Egypt’s idols trembling before Him is a way of saying that Egyptian religious power will fail in the face of the coming crisis.
  2. Isaías 19:2God promises to stir up civil war in Egypt: Egyptian against Egyptian, brother against brother, city against city, kingdom against kingdom — the country’s internal collapse before any outside invasion.
  3. Isaías 19:3The spirit of the Egyptians will be broken, and their plans will fail, driving them to desperately turn to idols, mediums, spiritists, and sorcerers looking for answers that will never come.
  4. Isaías 19:4As part of the punishment, God will hand Egypt over to a harsh and cruel ruler — probably referring to a foreign conqueror or an internal tyrant who will oppress his own people.
  5. Isaías 19:5The river, the Nile, Egypt’s source of life, will dry up completely — a direct blow to the country’s economic and agricultural base, since Egyptian civilization depended entirely on those waters.
  6. Isaías 19:6The drought continues: the canals will stink and dry up, and even the plants typical of the river, reeds and rushes, will wither — the entire landscape tied to the Nile falls apart.
  7. Isaías 19:7The vegetation along the river, including everything planted on its banks, will dry up and be blown away — nothing will be left of Egypt’s riverside agriculture.
  8. Isaías 19:8The fishermen will grieve and lament, because without water there is no fish to catch with hook or net — one more sector of the Egyptian economy destroyed by the Nile’s drought.
  9. Isaías 19:9Linen workers and weavers of fine white cloth, important industries in ancient Egypt, will be ashamed because they will no longer have raw material to work with.
  10. Isaías 19:10Even those who made their living from fish ponds will be devastated, “broken in the purposes thereof” — the very base of their livelihood, gone along with everything else.
  11. Isaías 19:11Zoan and Noph, the Hebrew name for Memphis, were centers of power in Egypt, with counselors famous for their wisdom. The text mocks exactly that reputation, saying these wise men will be mistaken and will mislead the whole country.
  12. Isaías 19:12An ironic question directed at the Egyptian sages, famous for their tradition of counselors: where are they now to explain what God has decided against Egypt?
  13. Isaías 19:13Reinforces that even the princes of the cities of Zoan and Noph, important centers of Egypt, have been deceived and will lead the whole country astray.
  14. Isaías 19:14God sent a “perverse spirit” to confuse Egypt, making the country stagger in everything it does, like a drunk stumbling in his own vomit — a strong image of total, humiliating confusion.
  15. Isaías 19:15Repeats the expression “head or tail, branch or rush” already seen in chapter 9: no work, whether by leader or by common people, will be able to save Egypt from this confusion.
  16. Isaías 19:16The Egyptians will become as terrified as frightened women, an expression of extreme fear at the time, at the mere movement of God’s hand against them.
  17. Isaías 19:17Even the simple mention of Judah’s name will cause dread among the Egyptians, because of the plan God has already decided to carry out against them.
  18. Isaías 19:18The promise of cities that speak the language of Canaan describes Hebrew-speaking communities within Egyptian territory. It is possible that this reflects real Jewish colonies in Egypt in later centuries, something historians still debate in detail.
  19. Isaías 19:19After so much punishment, a surprising turn: there will be an altar dedicated to the LORD in the very heart of Egypt, and a monument set up at its border — a sign that even the Egyptians will turn to Israel’s God.
  20. Isaías 19:20This altar will serve as a sign and a witness: when the Egyptians cry out because of oppressors, God will send them a deliverer and defender to rescue them — Israel’s former enemies receiving the same kind of help given to Israel.
  21. Isaías 19:21The LORD will reveal Himself to the Egyptians, and they will know Him, even offering sacrifices and fulfilling vows to Him — a surprising conversion of Israel’s former oppressors.
  22. Isaías 19:22God will strike Egypt, but He will also heal it: the same pattern of discipline followed by healing that appears elsewhere in the book, now applied to a foreign nation.
  23. Isaías 19:23A highway connecting Egypt and Assyria, with both peoples serving the same God alongside Israel, is a shocking image for the time. Two empires treated as enemies throughout the rest of the book appear here included in the same blessing.
  24. Isaías 19:24Israel joins Egypt and Assyria, former enemies, forming a “third” blessed group in the midst of the earth — a remarkable image of reconciliation between nations that had historically been hostile to Israel.
  25. Isaías 19:25God blesses the three peoples equally, calling Egypt “my people,” Assyria “the work of my hands,” and Israel “mine inheritance” — titles once reserved only for Israel, now extended to former enemies.

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