Isaiah 19

The oracle against Egypt chs. 19-20

This oracle clarifies that God’s purposes for Egypt, another nation the Judeans wanted to trust for help during this time of Assyrian expansion, would involve judgment followed by blessing. The passage consists of three palistrophic (chiastic) parts.

A Egypt’s smiting by God predicted Isaiah 19:1-15

B Egypt’s healing by God Isaiah 19:16-25

C Egypt’s smiting by God exemplified ch. 20

When Assyria swallowed up Syria in 732 B.C. and then Israel in 722 B.C., many of the Judeans began looking south to Egypt for help against their Mesopotamian foe (cf. chs. 30-31). Isaiah warned his countrymen against relying on Egypt, as he had warned them against putting confidence in other foreign powers. Whatever people trust in place of God eventually disappoints them.

The prediction of Egypt’s smiting (Isaiah 19:1-15) begins and ends with references to the Lord’s action (Isaiah 19:1; Isaiah 19:14-15). In between, the prophet announced Egypt’s social (Isaiah 19:2-4), economic (Isaiah 19:5-10), and political (Isaiah 19:11-13) collapse. The whole point is that God ultimately controls the fate of nations-not social, economic, and political conditions.