VERSE STUDY • KJV

Isaiah 31:3

Now the Egyptians [are] men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

Now the Egyptians [are] men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish together.

WEB World English Bible

Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When Yahweh stretches out his hand, both he who helps shall stumble, and he who is helped shall fall, and they all shall be consumed together.

ASV American Standard Version

Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit: and when Jehovah shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall stumble, and he that is helped shall fall, and they all shall be consumed together.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

And the Egyptians are men, and not God, And their horses are flesh, and not spirit, And Jehovah stretcheth out His hand, And stumbled hath the helper, And fallen hath the helped one, And together all of them are consumed.

Surrounding context — Isaiah 31

1 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!

2 Yet he also [is] wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.

3 Now the Egyptians [are] men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

4 For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, [he] will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.

5 As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver [it; and] passing over he will preserve [it].

6 Turn ye unto [him from] whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.

Read the whole chapter → · About Isaiah →

Topics connected to this verse

Original-language word links

These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.

וּמִצְרַ֤יִםH4714 · mits.ra.yimEgypt אָדָם֙H120 · a.damman וְֽלֹא־H3808 · lonot אֵ֔לH410 · elGod וְסוּסֵיהֶ֥םH5483 · susswallow בָּשָׂ֖רH1320 · ba.sarflesh וְלֹא־H3808 · lonot ר֑וּחַH7307 · ru.achspirit וַֽיהוָ֞הH3068 · ye.ho.vahLORD יַטֶּ֣הH5186 · na.tahto stretch יָד֗וֹH3027 · yadhand וְכָשַׁ֤לH3782 · ka.shalto stumble עוֹזֵר֙H5826 · a.zarto help וְנָפַ֣לH5307 · na.phalto fall: fall עָזֻ֔רH5826 · a.zarto help וְיַחְדָּ֖וH3162 · ya.chadunitedness כֻּלָּ֥םH3605 · kolall יִכְלָיֽוּן׃ סH3615 · ka.lahto end: finish

Cross-references

Isaiah 9:17Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one [is] an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still.Ezekiel 20:33-34[As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:Jeremiah 15:6Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.Ezekiel 28:9Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I [am] God? but thou [shalt be] a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.Psalm 33:17An horse [is] a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver [any] by his great strength.Isaiah 30:7For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength [is] to sit still.Psalm 9:20Put them in fear, O LORD: [that] the nations may know themselves [to be but] men. Selah.Isaiah 30:5They were all ashamed of a people [that] could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.Isaiah 36:6Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so [is] Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.Jeremiah 37:7-10Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.Isaiah 36:9How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?Psalm 146:3-5Put not your trust in princes, [nor] in the son of man, in whom [there is] no help.Deuteronomy 32:30-31How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?Acts 12:22-23And the people gave a shout, [saying, It is] the voice of a god, and not of a man.2 Thessalonians 2:4-8Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

Compare classic commentaries on Isaiah 31:3

Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.

Compare commentaries →