The prophet shows the folly and danger of trusting to Egypt and forsaking God, 1-5. He exhorts to conversion, 6, 7. He shows the fall of Assyria, 8, 9.
1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help/
and rely on horses,/
and trust in chariots because they are many,/
and in horsemen because they are very strong,/
but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel,/
neither seek the LORD!
2 Yet he is also wise/
and will bring evil/
and will not call back his words,/
but will arise against the house of the evil-doers/
and against the help of those who work iniquity.
3 Now the Egyptians are men and not God,/
and their horses flesh and not spirit./
When the LORD stretches out his hand,/
both he who helps shall fall/
and he who is helped shall fall down,/
and they all shall fail together.
4 For thus the LORD has spoken to me:/
"As the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey/
when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him,/
and he will not be afraid of their voice,/
nor abase himself for their noise,/
so the LORD of hosts will come down/
to fight for mount Zion and for the hill thereof.
5 As birds flying,/
so the LORD of hosts will defend Jerusalem./
Defending, he will also deliver it./
And passing over, he will preserve it."
6 Turn to 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 for you for a sin.
8 "Then the Assyrian shall fall by the sword,/
but not one of a man./
And the sword shall devour him,/
but not one of a mortal./
But he shall flee from the sword,/
and his young men shall be forced labor.
9 And he shall pass over to his stronghold for fear,/
and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign,"/
says the LORD, whose fire is in Zion/
and his furnace in Jerusalem.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Isaiah, Chapter 31[➚]