The Meaning of Isaiah 19:15 Explained

Isaiah 19:15

KJV: Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do.

YLT: And there is no work to Egypt, That head or tail, branch or reed, may do.

Darby: Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, palm-branch or rush, may do.

ASV: Neither shall there be for Egypt any work, which head or tail, palm-branch or rush, may do.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Neither shall there be [any] work  for Egypt,  which the head  or tail,  branch  or rush,  may do. 

What does Isaiah 19:15 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 19

1  The confusion of Egypt
11  The foolishness of their princes
18  The calling of Egypt into the church
23  The covenant of Egypt, Assyria, and Israel

What do the individual words in Isaiah 19:15 mean?

And neither will there be for Egypt [any] work which may do The head or tail Palm branch or bulrush -
וְלֹֽא־ יִהְיֶ֥ה לְמִצְרַ֖יִם מַֽעֲשֶׂ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר יַעֲשֶׂ֛ה רֹ֥אשׁ וְזָנָ֖ב כִּפָּ֥ה וְאַגְמֽוֹן ס

וְלֹֽא־  And  neither 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִהְיֶ֥ה  will  there  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְמִצְרַ֖יִם  for  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
מַֽעֲשֶׂ֑ה  [any]  work 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
יַעֲשֶׂ֛ה  may  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
רֹ֥אשׁ  The  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
וְזָנָ֖ב  or  tail 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָנָב  
Sense: tail, end, stump.
כִּפָּ֥ה  Palm  branch 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: כִּפָּה  
Sense: branch, leaf, frond, palm frond, palm branch.
וְאַגְמֽוֹן  or  bulrush 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַגְמֹון  
Sense: rush, bulrush.
ס    - 
Parse: Punctuation