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Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

THE PROPHET ISAIAH

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE:
YHWH IS OUR HELP – NOT EGYPT

Summary

Woe to those who seek help from Egypt. We ought to seek YHWH. There is no help in mere humans, even Egyptians. YHWH will war on behalf of Zion. A call to return to YHWH, and reject idolatry.

Isaiah 31:1-3 – Not Egypt, but YHWH

IS31:1 Woe to all those going down to Egypt for help. 1305 Those depending on horses, and those trusting in war-chariots just because of their number. Those depending on the calvary just because they are so courageous. Such have never looked to 1306 the Holy One of Israel, never searching for 1307 Y^eH^oW^aH.

1305	Woe to all those going down to Egypt for help: Or, Cursed are those who go down to Egypt for help. That is, a warning to Israel who often trusted in Egypt rather than God. Return to Isaiah 30:2. [Ezekiel 17:15]

1306	Never looked to: Or, LXX: have not trusted in.

1307	Never searching for: Or, BAS: turning their hearts to. Compare Acts 17:27. Return to Isaiah 9:8. [Isaiah 64:7; Daniel 9:13; Hosea 7:7; Amos 5:4]

IS31:2 For He is also wise and brings to pass calamity. 1308 He has never retreated from His Word. 1309 Hence, He will come on the scene 1310 against the house of the injurious, 1311 opposing any help coming from workers of cruelty. 1312

1308	He is also wise and brings to pass calamity: Or, BAS: Though he is wise, and able to send evil. See Isaiah 45:7.

1309	He has never retreated from His Word: Or, BAS: his purpose will not be changed; DAR: recalleth not his words; LXX: his word [HO LOGOS] shall not be frustrated. See Isaiah 55:41.

1310	He will come on the scene: Or, DAR: he will arise.

1311	The house of the injurious: Or, evildoers, wicked.

1312	Opposing any help coming from workers of cruelty: Or, KJV: iniquity; BAS: against those to whom they are looking for help. That is, Egypt and those who seek her aid. Return to Isaiah 30:3.

IS31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans and not God. 1313 Their horses are merely flesh and not spirit. 1314 When Y^eH^oW^aH reaches out with His Hand then the one offering help will stumble. 1315 Also the one receiving such help will fall. All of them altogether will disappear at once! 1316

1313	Egyptians are mere humans and not God: The Hebrew is ‘EL. [Psalm 9:20; 146:3]

1314	Merely flesh and not spirit: The Hebrew uses RUWACH. [Psalm 33:17]

1315	The one offering help will stumble: Or, BAS: the helper and he who is helped will come down together. That is, the Egyptians.

1316	All of them altogether will disappear at once: Or, BAS: come down together; DAR: they all shall perish together.

Isaiah 31:4, 5 – YHWH Defends Zion

IS31:4 For Y^eH^oW^aH has told me: “Just as a lion – a [courageous] young lion – growls over its victim despite all the yelling of numerous shepherds, 1317 so He will not be alarmed at their voices, nor intimidated at all the sound they make. Just so will Y^eH^oW^aH descend to battle regarding Mount Zion 1318 and her hill.

1317	Growls over its victim despite all the yelling of numerous shepherds: Or, BAS: makes an angry noise over his food; DAR: growling over his prey; LXX: a lion’s [LEON] whelp over prey which he has taken. [Hosea 11:10; Amos 3:8] In this context God compares Himself to a lion and then a small bird.

1318	Descend to battle regarding Mount Zion: Or, BAS: come down to make war; JPS: come down to fight upon mount Zion. Compare Isaiah 42:13. [Zechariah 12:8] The Scriptures often describe God descending or coming down to intervene in history. [Genesis 18:21]

IS31:5 Y^eH^oW^aH of [angelic] armies will be just like hovering birds defending Jerusalem. 1319 Defending – so He will rescue! 1320 Passing over – so He will save!” 1321

1319	Just like hovering birds defending Jerusalem: Or, BAS: Like birds with outstretched wings, so will the Lord of armies be a cover to Jerusalem; JPS: As birds hovering; LXX: As birds flying. We see a small bird with wings outstretched over her chicks.[Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11; Psalm 91:4]

1320	Defending – so He will rescue: Or, BAS: he will be a cover and salvation for it, going over it he will keep it from danger; DAR: he will also deliver, passing over, he will rescue; LXX: he shall rescue, and save and deliver.

1321	Passing over – so He will save: The Hebrew uses PACACH [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #6452], the source for “Passover.”

Isaiah 31:6-9 – Return to YHWH

IS31:6 This is the revelation 1322 of Y^eH^oW^aH whose flame is in Zion, whose furnace is in Jerusalem: 1323 “Return, all you people, 1324 to the One against whom the children of Israel profoundly apostatized. 1325

1322	Revelation: Or, says, declares, proclaims. The whole phrase is moved up from verse 9.

1323	Whose flame is in Zion, whose furnace is in Jerusalem: Or, BAS: whose fire is in Zion, and his altar in Jerusalem. [Ezekiel 22:20; Zechariah 2:5; Malachi 4:1]

1324	Return, all you people: Or, turn, come back. Compare Isaiah 55:7. [Hosea 14:1; Joel 2:12; Acts 3:19] Repentance and conversion are called for.

1325	Profoundly apostatized: Or, BAS: Come back to him who has been so deeply sinned against; DAR: from whom ye have deeply revolted; JPS: deeply rebelled; LXX: who devise a deep and sinful counsel; NJB: deeply betrayed. [2 Chronicles 33:9; 36:14; je 5:23; Hosea 9:9]

IS31:7 For in that day every person will reject idols 1326 of silver and images of gold, those you made with your own hands resulting in sin. 1327

1326	Reject idols: Or, cast away, give up, renounce.

1327	Resulting in sin: Or, BAS: the sin which they made for themselves; DAR: sinful hands have made. Idolatry involves certain forms of worship which amplify the sin. [Hosea 8:11]

IS31:8 Then the Assyrian will fall – not by a fleshly human. Falling by the sword – not by your average human – but totally devoured. 1328 And all this even if [the Assyrian] flees from the sword, his young men will be captured as tribute.

1328	Falling by the sword – not by your average human – but totally devoured: Or, DAR: not of a great man; LXX: nor the sword of a mean man.

IS31:9 And the Assyrian’s own [godlike] Crag will vanish 1329 because of something horrible, their royalty astonished by a signal.” 1330

1329	And the Assyrian’s own [godlike] Crag will vanish: Or, BAS: his rock will come to nothing because of fear; DAR: for fear, he shall pass over to his rock; JPS: his rock shall pass away by reason of terror.

1330	Their royalty astonished by a signal: Or, BAS: his chiefs will go in flight from the flag; DAR: princes shall be afraid of the banner; JPS: dismayed at the ensign. Return to Isaiah 18:3.