Isaiah 31

Judah’s leaders were seeking safety from Assyria by making an alliance with Egypt and trusting its chariots. Isaiah warns that human help fails, while the LORD himself will defend Jerusalem like a fierce lion and like hovering birds. The chapter closes with a call to return to God, and with the promise that Assyria will fall by a power no human army holds.

Isaiah 31:1

Judah looked south to Egypt, famed for horses and chariots, to protect it from Assyria. Isaiah calls this a grief-worthy mistake. The problem was not planning but where their trust rested. They counted armies and never turned to the Holy One of Israel.

BSA: rely (“trust, depend”): Their weight of dependence rested on military strength instead of on God. Woe (“a lament, a cry of sorrow”): It is a sorrowful cry over a path heading toward ruin, not only a threat.

Hebrew: הוֹי (hoy, H1945) — “woe, alas.” It is the cry made at a funeral. Isaiah speaks as though these people were already dead.

See also: Isaiah 30:1-2; Psalm 20:7.

Isaiah 31:2

The people thought they were being wise, but God is wise too, and his word stands. He warned that those who lean on wicked nations would face his judgment. His warnings, like his promises, are never taken back.

BSA: call back (“revoke or cancel”): God’s declared words cannot be undone or cancelled. allies (“helpers, supporters, and those who give aid”): Those who help evildoers share in their downfall.

Isaiah 31:3

Egypt looks strong but is only human, and its horses are only animals. When God acts, both the helper and the one helped collapse together. Nothing created can bear the weight of trust that belongs to God alone.

BSA: spirit (“the breath of life, spiritual essence”): Horses and men have no power beyond their physical nature, unlike God who is Spirit. stretches out (“powerful, guiding”): God’s hand is the real force behind history.

See also: Jeremiah 17:5; Psalm 146:3.

Isaiah 31:4

God uses the picture of a lion that stands over its prey and will not be frightened off by a crowd of shepherds. In the same way, the LORD will come down to fight for Zion, and nothing will make him turn back. His determination to defend his city cannot be shouted down.

BSA: terrified (“completely broken or shattered”): No human noise can break God’s resolve. Hosts (“a large group of people or things, often an army”): The LORD commands all the armies of heaven.

Isaiah 31:5

The picture softens from lion to birds spread over their nest. God guards Jerusalem with watchful, covering care. The word for pass over recalls the Passover, when God spared his people. He is both fierce toward enemies and tender toward his own.

BSA: pass over (“limp, hop, spare”): The word is linked to Passover, God sparing his people from judgment. deliver (“rescue, snatch away”): God actively pulls his people out of danger.

Hebrew: פָּסֹחַ (pasoach, H6452) — “passing over, sparing.” It is the same root as Passover. Jerusalem is promised the kind of mercy Israel received the night God spared their houses in Egypt.

See also: Exodus 12:13; Psalm 91:4.

Isaiah 31:6

After the warning comes a loving appeal. God does not only want Judah to escape trouble; he wants them back. Their rebellion was deep, yet the invitation to return stands open. Repentance is always possible while God still calls.

BSA: Return (“come back, turn again”): It is a turning around to face God again. rebelled (“turned away, revolted”): Their sin was a deliberate turning of the back on God.

Hebrew: שׁוּבוּ (shuvu, H7725) — “turn back, return.” This is the Hebrew word for repentance. It pictures someone on the wrong road who stops and heads home.

See also: Isaiah 55:7; Hosea 14:1.

Isaiah 31:7

When God’s deliverance comes, the people will see how empty their idols were. Silver and gold gods, shaped by their own hands, will be thrown away. Seeing God act clearly makes false securities look worthless.

BSA: idols (“false gods, worthless objects”): The idols had no real worth, however valuable the metal. reject (“spurn, cast away”): They will throw them off with disgust.

See also: Isaiah 2:20; Psalm 115:4-8.

Isaiah 31:8

Assyria, the great power Judah feared, will fall to a sword that is not human. God himself will strike, without any need of Egypt or Judah’s army. The survivors will flee, and the young men will become forced laborers.

BSA: sword (“divine judgment, instrument of destruction”): The sword stands for God’s own judgment, not any earthly weapon. forced labor (“taskwork, servitude”): The proud conquerors will themselves be made servants.

See also: Isaiah 37:36.

Isaiah 31:9

Assyria’s stronghold will collapse in terror, and its leaders will panic when they see the banner of battle. The LORD himself declares it. His fire in Zion pictures his holy presence, which is both a refuge for his people and a furnace for those who oppose him.

BSA: rock (“stronghold, place of security”): Whatever Assyria trusted for safety will give way. furnace (“oven, place of refining”): God’s presence in Jerusalem purifies as well as judges.

See also: Isaiah 33:14; Isaiah 4:4.