Isaiah 19:13

19:13 The officials of Zoan are fools,

the officials of Memphis ¹  are misled;

the rulers ²  of her tribes lead Egypt astray.

Isaiah 19:15

19:15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,

head or tail, shoots and stalk. ³ 

Isaiah 19:19

19:19 At that time there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillar ⁴  dedicated to the Lord at its border.

Isaiah 19:22

19:22 The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the Lord and he will listen to their prayers ⁵  and heal them.

Isaiah 19:24

19:24 At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessing ⁶  in the earth. ⁷ 

Isaiah 30:3

30:3 But Pharaoh’s protection will bring you nothing but shame,

and the safety of Egypt’s protective shade nothing but humiliation.

Isaiah 30:7

30:7 Egypt is totally incapable of helping. ⁸ 

For this reason I call her

‘Proud one ⁹  who is silenced.’” ¹⁰ 

[19:13]  ¹ tn Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”

[19:13]  ² tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.

[19:15]  ³ tn Heb “And there will not be for Egypt a deed, which head and tail, shoot and stalk can do.” In 9:14-15 the phrase “head or tail” refers to leaders and prophets, respectively. This interpretation makes good sense in this context, where both leaders and advisers (probably including prophets and diviners) are mentioned (vv. 11-14). Here, as in 9:14, “shoots and stalk” picture a reed, which symbolizes the leadership of the nation in its entirety.

[19:19]  ⁵ tn This word is sometimes used of a sacred pillar associated with pagan worship, but here it is associated with the worship of the Lord.

[19:22]  ⁷ tn Heb “he will be entreated.” The Niphal has a tolerative sense here, “he will allow himself to be entreated.”

[19:24]  ⁹ tn Heb “will be a blessing” (so NCV).

[19:24]  ¹⁰ tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB).

[30:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “As for Egypt, with vanity and emptiness they help.”

[30:7]  ¹² tn Heb “Rahab” (רַהַב, rahav), which also appears as a name for Egypt in Ps 87:4. The epithet is also used in the OT for a mythical sea monster symbolic of chaos. See the note at 51:9. A number of English versions use the name “Rahab” (e.g., ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) while others attempt some sort of translation (cf. CEV “a helpless monster”; TEV, NLT “the Harmless Dragon”).

[30:7]  ¹³ tn The MT reads “Rahab, they, sitting.” The translation above assumes an emendation of הֵם שָׁבֶת (hem shavet) to הַמָּשְׁבָּת (hammashbat), a Hophal participle with prefixed definite article, meaning “the one who is made to cease,” i.e., “destroyed,” or “silenced.” See HALOT 444-45 s.v. ישׁב.