Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 19

Verses 1-25

Egypt’s punishment and conversion (19:1-25)

At various times Judah was tempted to rely on Egypt for help against aggressors. Isaiah shows in this message how useless such reliance is. He pictures the day when God acts against Egypt, and sees that all Egypt’s magic and all her gods cannot save her. Civil war breaks out, followed by the harsh rule of a dictator (19:1-4).
Drought causes the Nile, Egypt’s only water supply, to dry up. This ruins the nation’s farming, fishing and cotton industries, and creates nationwide unemployment (5-10). Try as they may, the nation’s rulers and advisers cannot solve its problems, for those problems have been sent upon them by God (11-13). As a result the nation is reduced to helplessness. No one knows what to do (14-15).
Having been humbled, Egypt fears Judah. It also fears Judah’s almighty God, Yahweh (16-17). Judeans then migrate to Egypt and establish the worship of Yahweh in places where people had once worshipped heathen gods. God now treats the people of Egypt as previously he treated those of Israel and Judah. He delivers them from their oppressors, punishes them for their sins, and forgives them when they repent (18-22). People from Egypt, along with people from other former enemies of Israel-Judah, will have an equal part with the people of Israel-Judah in God’s universal kingdom (23-25).