Isaiah 31
1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!
2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.
3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
4 For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
5 As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
6 Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.
7 For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
8 Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.
9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
World Behind This Chapter
Explore the people, places, language, history, and material world connected to Isaiah 31.
What historical setting lies behind Isaiah 31?
The chapter continues criticism of relying on Egyptian horses and military power against Assyria.
How does Isaiah 31's woe oracle with animal similes shape the chapter?
Horse-war language gives way to lion and bird comparisons, then to Assyria’s fall by a nonhuman sword.
Why were Egyptian horses politically attractive to Judah?
Egypt was a major source of horses and chariot expertise. Seeking cavalry support offered a plausible geopolitical strategy even as Isaiah’s oracle criticizes dependence on it.
Sources to ExploreCurated research paths for this chapter 3
History & Daily Life1
- Horses and Chariots in Neo-Assyrian WarfareThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
Illustrated overview of Assyrian warfare, royal campaigns, cavalry, chariots, siege operations, deportations, and imperial administration. This clarifies Isaiah 31’s warning that Egyptian horses, riders, and chariots were powerful military resources but not guarantees of Judah’s survival.
Language & Literature2
- Isaiah 31 in Hebrew and EnglishMechon Mamre
Allows readers to examine the chapter’s parallel contrasts: Egypt and God, horses and spirit, human assistance and divine protection, a lion confronting shepherds, and birds hovering over Jerusalem. The paired images give the short oracle its concentrated force.
- The Lion That Will Not Retreat: Simile and Political DefianceSefaria
Presents the Hebrew text and translations of Isaiah’s lion simile. Just as a lion does not abandon its prey when shepherds shout, the poem portrays divine action as unafraid of the massed forces surrounding Jerusalem.
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