Psalms 20:7

20:7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses, ¹ 

but we ²  depend on ³  the Lord our God.

Psalms 33:16-17

33:16 No king is delivered by his vast army;

a warrior is not saved by his great might.

33:17 A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; ⁴ 

despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.

Psalms 147:10

147:10 He is not enamored with the strength of a horse,

nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs. ⁵ 

Isaiah 30:16

30:16 You say, ‘No, we will flee on horses,’

so you will indeed flee.

You say, ‘We will ride on fast horses,’

so your pursuers will be fast.

Isaiah 31:1-3

Egypt Will Disappoint

31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, ⁶ 

those who rely on war horses,

and trust in Egypt’s many chariots ⁷ 

and in their many, many horsemen. ⁸ 

But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel ⁹ 

and do not seek help from the Lord.

31:2 Yet he too is wise ¹⁰  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ¹¹ 

He will attack the wicked nation, ¹² 

and the nation that helps ¹³  those who commit sin. ¹⁴ 

31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;

their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.

The Lord will strike with ¹⁵  his hand;

the one who helps will stumble

and the one being helped will fall.

Together they will perish. ¹⁶ 

[20:7]  ¹ tn Heb “these in chariots and these in horses.” No verb appears; perhaps the verb “invoke” is to be supplied from the following line. In this case the idea would be that some “invoke” (i.e., trust in) their military might for victory (cf. NEB “boast”; NIV “trust”; NRSV “take pride”). Verse 8 suggests that the “some/others” mentioned here are the nation’s enemies.

[20:7]  ² tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronominal subject) highlights the contrast between God’s faithful people and the others mentioned in the previous line.

[20:7]  ³ tn Heb “we invoke the name of.” The Hiphil of זָכַר (zakhar), when combined with the phrase “in the name,” means “to invoke” (see Josh 23:7; Isa 48:1; Amos 6:10). By invoking the Lord’s name in prayer, the people demonstrate their trust in him.

[33:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “a lie [is] the horse for victory.”

[147:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “he does not desire the strength of the horse, he does not take delight in the legs of the man.” Here “the horse” refers to the war horse used by ancient Near Eastern chariot forces, and “the man” refers to the warrior whose muscular legs epitomize his strength.

[31:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”

[31:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”

[31:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”

[31:1]  ⁹ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[31:2]  ¹⁰ sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.

[31:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ¹² tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ¹³ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[31:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”

[31:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”