The Meaning of Isaiah 31:1 Explained

Isaiah 31:1

KJV: Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!

YLT: Woe to those going down to Egypt for help, And on horses lean, And trust on chariots, because many, And on horsemen, because very strong, And have not looked on the Holy One of Israel, And Jehovah have not sought.

Darby: Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and depend on horses, and confide in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong; and who look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek Jehovah!

ASV: Woe to them that 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 look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek Jehovah!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Woe  to them that go down  to Egypt  for help;  and stay  on horses,  and trust  in chariots,  because [they are] many;  and in horsemen,  because they are very  strong;  but they look  not unto the Holy One  of Israel,  neither seek  the LORD! 

What does Isaiah 31:1 Mean?

Study Notes

trust
Trust is the characteristic O.T. word for the N.T. "faith," "believe." It occurs 152 times in the O.T., and is the rendering of Heb. words signifying to take refuge (e.g. Ruth 2:12 "to lean on" (e.g.) Psalms 56:3 "to roll on" (e.g.) Psalms 22:8 "to stay upon" (e.g.) Job 35:14 .

Verse Meaning

The prophet condemned those in Judah and Jerusalem who were relying on the brute strength, the military might, and the trained personnel of Egypt to provide security for their nation (cf. Deuteronomy 17:14-20). Going down to Egypt to secure these things revealed a lack of trust in the Holy One of Israel who had long ago proved His sovereignty over Egypt. Rather, the people should have simply looked to the Lord and cultivated a relationship with Him.
". . . when any people feel that special weapons can relieve them of dependence upon God, they are on the road to destruction." [1]

Context Summary

Isaiah 31:1-9 - A Nobler Future For The Nation
Isaiah continues to denounce the contemplated alliance with Egypt. His compatriots put their trust in horses and chariots, and refused the help of their fathers' God. Yet was He not so wise as the Egyptians, and equally as strong! And were they not running a fearful risk in rejecting One who would not recall His words of threatened punishment to those who refused His help? At best, the Egyptians were men, and not God, and their cavalry, flesh. If only they would trust Him, God would defy their foes, as a lion defies a company of unarmed shepherds, Isaiah 31:4. The mother-bird hovers over her brood to protect it from the kestrel; so would He spread His covering wing over Jerusalem, Isaiah 31:5. We may have deeply revolted, yet we may turn back to God with the certainty that He will receive and rescue us, Isaiah 31:6.
Sennacherib fell by the sword of his sons. Compare Isaiah 32:8 with 2 Kings 19:36-37. How different is our glorious King, whose many-sided nature meets all our needs! Isaiah 32:2. Before Him all men are unveiled in their true characters. Only those who are royal in heart shall stand before Him, Isaiah 31:8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 31

1  The prophet shows the folly and danger of trusting Egypt, and forsaking God
6  He exhorts to conversion
8  He shows the fall of Assyria

What do the individual words in Isaiah 31:1 mean?

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help on horses [And] rely and who trust in chariots because [they are] many and in horsemen because they are strong very but not who do look to the Holy one of Israel and Yahweh nor seek
ה֣וֹי הַיֹּרְדִ֤ים מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לְעֶזְרָ֔ה עַל־ סוּסִ֖ים יִשָּׁעֵ֑נוּ וַיִּבְטְח֨וּ עַל־ רֶ֜כֶב כִּ֣י רָ֗ב וְעַ֤ל פָּֽרָשִׁים֙ כִּֽי־ עָצְמ֣וּ מְאֹ֔ד וְלֹ֤א שָׁעוּ֙ עַל־ קְד֣וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־ ! יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֥א דָרָֽשׁוּ

ה֣וֹי  Woe  to 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֹוי  
Sense: ah!, alas!, ha!, ho!, O!, woe!.
הַיֹּרְדִ֤ים  those  who  go  down 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙  to  Egypt 
Parse: 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”.
לְעֶזְרָ֔ה  for  help 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֶזְרָה  
Sense: help, succour, assistance.
סוּסִ֖ים  horses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
יִשָּׁעֵ֑נוּ  [And]  rely 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁעַן  
Sense: to lean on, trust in, support.
וַיִּבְטְח֨וּ  and  who  trust 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּטוּחַ 
Sense: to trust.
רֶ֜כֶב  chariots 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
כִּ֣י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
רָ֗ב  [they  are]  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וְעַ֤ל  and  in 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פָּֽרָשִׁים֙  horsemen 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: פָּרָשׁ 
Sense: horse, steed, warhorse.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עָצְמ֣וּ  they  are  strong 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָצַם 
Sense: to be vast, be numerous, be mighty.
מְאֹ֔ד  very 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
וְלֹ֤א  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁעוּ֙  who  do  look 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁעָה  
Sense: to look at or to, regard, gaze at or about.
קְד֣וֹשׁ  the  Holy  one 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
! יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
דָרָֽשׁוּ  seek 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.