Isaiah 19:1

THE BURDEN OF EGYPT

This well organized chapter naturally divides into two sections. The first (Isaiah 19:1-15) falls into three stanzas or strophes: (a) strophe 1 (Isaiah 19:1-4) prophesies the overthrow of Egypt through strife and their suffering under a cruel ruler; (b) strophe 2 (Isaiah 19:5-10) prophesies the drying up of the Nile and the total collapse of Egypt's economy; (c) strophe 3 (Isaiah 19:11-15) foretells the incompetence of Egypt's vaunted wise men. The total picture that emerges in these fifteen verses is that of the total ruin of Egypt. "We may see in this section of the oracle Isaiah's determination to persuade the court of Judah not to embark on any alliance with Egypt against Assyria."[1]

The second division of the chapter (Isaiah 19:16-25) is Messianic and is composed of five sub-paragraphs, each of them beginning with the words "in that day." The paragraphs begin in Isaiah 19:16,18,19,23,24. Although the prophecies of this section could refer to historical events prior to Christianity, to the extent that this might be true, we believe that the great thrust of the passage is Messianic and that whatever fulfillments might have come in pre-Christian times such fulfillments were typical of the far more perfect fulfillments in Christ and the age of the Gospel. For example the return of Judah from captivity is far more adequately fulfilled in the acceptance of Christ by the "righteous remnant" of Israel and their release from the captivity of sin.

Isaiah 19:1-4

"The burden of Egypt. Behold Jehovah rideth upon a swift cloud, and cometh unto Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall tremble at his presence; and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. And I will stir up the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight everyone against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst of it; and I will destroy the counsel thereof; and they shall seek unto the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. And I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, Jehovah."

We appreciate Cheyne's rendition of the word "idols" in Isaiah 19:1,4, as "not-gods."[2] Commentators find little agreement as to when the strife indicated here actually took place. Payne identified it with "disorders preceding the accession of Piankhi in 715 B.C."[3] Newton placed it "in the times of Nebuchadnezzar."[4] The general opinion seems to link it with the period immediately prior to 714 B. C.

There is the same uncertainty about the identity of the "cruel lord" who will rule over Egypt. Hailey cited a number of such rulers who dominated Egypt: "Ashurbanipal (663 B.C.), Nebuchadnezzar, Cambyses (525 B.C.), and Xerxes I."[5] Hailey also noted that the Lord here might not have been speaking of an individual. Lowth pointed out that the word in the Hebrew for "lord" is actually plural; and he rendered the place "cruel lords," referring to a succession of them.[6] Peak also accepted this and added the name of "Artaxerxes Ochus"[7] as another one of the "cruel lords."

Various dates within Isaiah's lifetime are suggested for this chapter, Rawlinson suggesting 735 B.C. and 690 B.C. as possible dates, depending upon the certain identity of the time of the "civil strife" and of the "cruel lords." We consider the questions regarding all of these things as academic. It really makes no difference at all. God's "burden" against Egypt was fulfilled many times in many centuries by many developments down to the present day; and there were repeated fulfillments in the pre-Christian centuries.