July 17, 2025
What About Moab?
Isaiah 15-20
Olivia Webb
Big Book Idea
Though his judgment would come upon Israel, God is marked by mercy and compassion. But God's forbearance toward sinful Israel wouldn't last forever.
Key Verse | Isaiah 15:5
My heart cries out for Moab;
her fugitives flee to Zoar,
to Eglath-shelishiyah.
For at the ascent of Luhith
they go up weeping;
on the road to Horonaim
they raise a cry of destruction.
Isaiah 15-20
Chapter 15
An Oracle Concerning Moab
1 An oracle concerning Moab.
Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night,
Moab is undone;
because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night,
Moab is undone.
2
He has gone up to the temple,
1
15:2
Hebrew the house
and to Dibon,
to the high places
2
15:2
Or temple, even Dibon to the high places
to weep;
over Nebo and over Medeba
Moab wails.
On every head is baldness;
every beard is shorn;
3
in the streets they wear sackcloth;
on the housetops and in the squares
everyone wails and melts in tears.
4
Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;
their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;
therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;
his soul trembles.
5
My heart cries out for Moab;
her fugitives flee to Zoar,
to Eglath-shelishiyah.
For at the ascent of Luhith
they go up weeping;
on the road to Horonaim
they raise a cry of destruction;
6
the waters of Nimrim
are a desolation;
the grass is withered, the vegetation fails,
the greenery is no more.
7
Therefore the abundance they have gained
and what they have laid up
they carry away
over the Brook of the Willows.
8
For a cry has gone
around the land of Moab;
her wailing reaches to Eglaim;
her wailing reaches to Beer-elim.
9
For the waters of Dibon
3
15:9
Dead Sea Scroll, Vulgate (compare Syriac); Masoretic Text Dimon; twice in this verse
are full of blood;
for I will bring upon Dibon even more,
a lion for those of Moab who escape,
for the remnant of the land.
Chapter 16
1
Send the lamb to the ruler of the land,
from Sela, by way of the desert,
to the mount of the daughter of Zion.
2
Like fleeing birds,
like a scattered nest,
so are the daughters of Moab
at the fords of the Arnon.
3
“Give counsel;
grant justice;
make your shade like night
at the height of noon;
shelter the outcasts;
do not reveal the fugitive;
4
let the outcasts of Moab
sojourn among you;
be a shelter to them
4
16:4
Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; Masoretic Text let my outcasts sojourn among you; as for Moab, be a shelter to them
from the destroyer.
When the oppressor is no more,
and destruction has ceased,
and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land,
5
then a throne will be established in steadfast love,
and on it will sit in faithfulness
in the tent of David
one who judges and seeks justice
and is swift to do righteousness.”
6
We have heard of the pride of Moab—
how proud he is!—
of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence;
in his idle boasting he is not right.
7
Therefore let Moab wail for Moab,
let everyone wail.
Mourn, utterly stricken,
for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth.
8
For the fields of Heshbon languish,
and the vine of Sibmah;
the lords of the nations
have struck down its branches,
which reached to Jazer
and strayed to the desert;
its shoots spread abroad
and passed over the sea.
9
Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer
for the vine of Sibmah;
I drench you with my tears,
O Heshbon and Elealeh;
for over your summer fruit and your harvest
the shout has ceased.
10
And joy and gladness are taken away from the fruitful field,
and in the vineyards no songs are sung,
no cheers are raised;
no treader treads out wine in the presses;
I have put an end to the shouting.
11
Therefore my inner parts moan like a lyre for Moab,
and my inmost self for Kir-hareseth.
12 And when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, when he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail.
13 This is the word that the LORD spoke concerning Moab in the past. 14 But now the LORD has spoken, saying, “In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all his great multitude, and those who remain will be very few and feeble.”
Chapter 17
An Oracle Concerning Damascus
1 An oracle concerning Damascus.
Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city
and will become a heap of ruins.
2
The cities of Aroer are deserted;
they will be for flocks,
which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.
3
The fortress will disappear from Ephraim,
and the kingdom from Damascus;
and the remnant of Syria will be
like the glory of the children of Israel,
declares the LORD of hosts.
4
And in that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low,
and the fat of his flesh will grow lean.
5
And it shall be as when the reaper gathers standing grain
and his arm harvests the ears,
and as when one gleans the ears of grain
in the Valley of Rephaim.
6
Gleanings will be left in it,
as when an olive tree is beaten—
two or three berries
in the top of the highest bough,
four or five
on the branches of a fruit tree,
declares the LORD God of Israel.
7 In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. 8 He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense.
9 In that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places of the wooded heights and the hilltops, which they deserted because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation.
10
For you have forgotten the God of your salvation
and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge;
therefore, though you plant pleasant plants
and sow the vine-branch of a stranger,
11
though you make them grow
5
17:11
Or though you carefully fence them
on the day that you plant them,
and make them blossom in the morning that you sow,
yet the harvest will flee away
6
17:11
Or will be a heap
in a day of grief and incurable pain.
12
Ah, the thunder of many peoples;
they thunder like the thundering of the sea!
Ah, the roar of nations;
they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!
13
The nations roar like the roaring of many waters,
but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away,
chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind
and whirling dust before the storm.
14
At evening time, behold, terror!
Before morning, they are no more!
This is the portion of those who loot us,
and the lot of those who plunder us.
Chapter 18
An Oracle Concerning Cush
1
Ah, land of whirring wings
that is beyond the rivers of Cush,
7
18:1
Probably Nubia
2
which sends ambassadors by the sea,
in vessels of papyrus on the waters!
Go, you swift messengers,
to a nation tall and smooth,
to a people feared near and far,
a nation mighty and conquering,
whose land the rivers divide.
3
All you inhabitants of the world,
you who dwell on the earth,
when a signal is raised on the mountains, look!
When a trumpet is blown, hear!
4
For thus the LORD said to me:
“I will quietly look from my dwelling
like clear heat in sunshine,
like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
5
For before the harvest, when the blossom is over,
and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks,
and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away.
6
They shall all of them be left
to the birds of prey of the mountains
and to the beasts of the earth.
And the birds of prey will summer on them,
and all the beasts of the earth will winter on them.
7 At that time tribute will be brought to the LORD of hosts
from a people tall and smooth,
from a people feared near and far,
a nation mighty and conquering,
whose land the rivers divide,
to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the LORD of hosts.
Chapter 19
An Oracle Concerning Egypt
1 An oracle concerning Egypt.
Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud
and comes to Egypt;
and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence,
and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.
2
And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians,
and they will fight, each against another
and each against his neighbor,
city against city, kingdom against kingdom;
3
and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out,
and I will confound
8
19:3
Or I will swallow up
their counsel;
and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers,
and the mediums and the necromancers;
4
and I will give over the Egyptians
into the hand of a hard master,
and a fierce king will rule over them,
declares the Lord God of hosts.
5
And the waters of the sea will be dried up,
and the river will be dry and parched,
6
and its canals will become foul,
and the branches of Egypt's Nile will diminish and dry up,
reeds and rushes will rot away.
7
There will be bare places by the Nile,
on the brink of the Nile,
and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched,
will be driven away, and will be no more.
8
The fishermen will mourn and lament,
all who cast a hook in the Nile;
and they will languish
who spread nets on the water.
9
The workers in combed flax will be in despair,
and the weavers of white cotton.
10
Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed,
and all who work for pay will be grieved.
11
The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish;
the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel.
How can you say to Pharaoh,
“I am a son of the wise,
a son of ancient kings”?
12
Where then are your wise men?
Let them tell you
that they might know what the LORD of hosts has purposed against Egypt.
13
The princes of Zoan have become fools,
and the princes of Memphis are deluded;
those who are the cornerstones of her tribes
have made Egypt stagger.
14
The LORD has mingled within her a spirit of confusion,
and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds,
as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.
15
And there will be nothing for Egypt
that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do.
Egypt, Assyria, Israel Blessed
16 In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them. 17 And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the LORD of hosts has purposed against them.
18 In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction. 9 19:18 Dead Sea Scroll and some other manuscripts City of the Sun
19 In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border. 20 It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. 21 And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them. 22 And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.
23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.
24 In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25 whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.”
Chapter 20
A Sign Against Egypt and Cush
1 In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it— 2 at that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
3 Then the LORD said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, 10 20:3 Probably Nubia 4 so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. 5 Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. 6 And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?’”
Footnotes
[1] 15:2 Hebrew the house[2] 15:2 Or temple, even Dibon to the high places
[3] 15:9 Dead Sea Scroll, Vulgate (compare Syriac); Masoretic Text Dimon; twice in this verse
[4] 16:4 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; Masoretic Text let my outcasts sojourn among you; as for Moab, be a shelter to them
[5] 17:11 Or though you carefully fence them
[6] 17:11 Or will be a heap
[7] 18:1 Probably Nubia
[8] 19:3 Or I will swallow up
[9] 19:18 Dead Sea Scroll and some other manuscripts City of the Sun
[10] 20:3 Probably Nubia
Table of Contents
Introduction to Isaiah
Timeline
Author and Date
Isaiah was called to his prophetic ministry “in the year that King Uzziah died” (6:1), around 740 B.C. He lived long enough to record the death of Sennacherib (37:38), in 681. However, most of the book can be dated only in very general terms because few specific dates are given.
Theme
The central theme of the book is God himself, who does all things for his own glory (48:11). Isaiah defines everything else by how it relates to God: is it rightly related to him as the center of all reality (45:22–25)? God’s people find strength only as they rest in the promises of their God (30:15). They find refreshment only as they delight themselves in his word (55:1–2). To serve his cause is their worthy devotion (ch. 62), but to rebel against him is endless death (66:24).
Simplified Overview of Isaiah
| Isaiah 1–39 | Isaiah 40–55 | Isaiah 56–66 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Setting | The eighth century B.C. (700s); the Assyrian threat | Prophecies for the sixth century B.C. (500s); the Babylonian exile | Prophecies about all times and occasions until the end |
| Audience | God’s rebellious people craving worldly security | God’s defeated people under worldly domination | All who hold fast to God’s covenant |
| Actions | God purifies a remnant of his apostate people through judgment | God encourages his discouraged people in exile | God prepares all of his true people for his promised salvation |
| Message | “In returning and rest you shall be saved; . . . But you were unwilling” (30:15) | “the glory of the LORD shall be revealed” (40:5) | “Keep justice, and do righteousness” (56:1) |
Key Themes
1. God is offended by religious practices that come from an empty heart or a careless life (1:10–17; 58:1–12; 66:1–4).
2. God’s true people will someday become a multinational community of worship and peace that will last forever (2:2–4; 56:3–8; 66:18–23). They will be the predominant culture of a new world (14:1–2; 41:8–16; 43:3–7; 60:1–22).
3. God opposes human pride (2:10–17; 13:11; 23:9).
4. The foolish idols that man creates are destined for destruction (2:20–21; 44:9–20; 46:1–7).
5. God’s judgment will reduce Israel to a remnant. From this remnant he will raise up a holy people (1:9; 6:1–12:6; 40:1–2).
6. God sometimes judges people by making them deaf and blind to his saving word (29:9–14).
7. The only hope of the world is in one man. He is the promised Davidic king (7:14; 9:2–7; 11:1–10), the servant of the Lord (42:1–9; 52:13–53:12), the anointed preacher of the gospel (61:1–3), and the victor over all evil (63:1–6).
8. God uses everything, even human sin, for his own glory (44:24–45:13).
9. All people are called to repent of sin and trust in God alone (12:2; 26:3–4; 32:17–18; 50:10; 66:2).
10. Often, when God’s people feel abandoned by him (40:27), they foolishly trust in worldly powers (31:1–3; 39:1–8).
11. God will vindicate his cause with a world-transforming display of his glory (11:10; 40:3–5; 52:10; 59:19).
12. God is guiding all of human history (41:1–4; 44:6–8; 46:8–11).
13. God’s faithfulness and the certainty of his final victory should motivate his people to pray and to be obedient (56:1–2; 62:1–64:12).
14. The wrath of God is to be feared above all else (9:19; 13:9, 13; 30:27; 34:2; 66:15–16).
Outline
- Introduction: “Ah, Sinful Nation!” (1:1–5:30)
- God Redefines the Future of His People: “Your Guilt Is Taken Away” (6:1–12:6)
- God’s Judgment and Grace for the World: “We Have a Strong City” (13:1–27:13)
- God’s Sovereign Word Spoken into the World: “Ah!” (28:1–35:10)
- Historical Transition: “In Whom Do You Now Trust?” (36:1–39:8)
- Encouragement for God’s Exiles: “The Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed” (40:1–55:13)
- How to Prepare for the Coming Glory: “Hold Fast My Covenant” (56:1–66:24)
The Near East at the Time of Isaiah
c. 740 B.C.
The prophecies of Isaiah took place during the rise of the Assyrian Empire. Assyria posed a great threat to Israel and Judah as well as the entire Near East.
Fact: Payment in lambs
Payment in lambs. The people of Moab offered to pay the Israelites to protect them from their enemies. Such tribute was often paid in goods rather than with money; since the Moabites had many sheep, that’s how they paid (16:1).
Fact: Olive harvesting
Olive harvesting was very similar to grain harvesting. The olive harvesters would beat the branches of the tree with long poles, knocking the olives to the ground. The uppermost branches were left untouched so that the poor could gather what remained (17:6).
Fact: Competing Pharaohs
Competing Pharaohs. Beginning in about 1000 B.C., Egypt fell into a period of decline and royal feuding that lasted nearly 400 years. During Isaiah’s time, there were four rival pharaohs claiming the Egyptian throne.
Simplified Overview of Isaiah
| Isaiah 1–39 | Isaiah 40–55 | Isaiah 56–66 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Setting | The eighth century B.C. (700s); the Assyrian threat | Prophecies for the sixth century B.C. (500s); the Babylonian exile | Prophecies about all times and occasions until the end |
| Audience | God’s rebellious people craving worldly security | God’s defeated people under worldly domination | All who hold fast to God’s covenant |
| Actions | God purifies a remnant of his apostate people through judgment | God encourages his discouraged people in exile | God prepares all of his true people for his promised salvation |
| Message | “In returning and rest you shall be saved; . . . But you were unwilling” (30:15) | “the glory of the LORD shall be revealed” (40:5) | “Keep justice, and do righteousness” (56:1) |
Activity of the Writing Prophets during the Reigns of the Kings of Israel and Judah
| Timeline | King of Judah // Event | Prophet to Judah | Prophet to Israel | King of Israel // Event | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 780 B.C. | Jeroboam II (781–753) | ||||||
| 770 | |||||||
| 760 | Uzziah | (c. 760) | (c. 760) | ||||
| (Azariah) | Amos | Jonah | |||||
| (767–740) | |||||||
| (c. 755) | |||||||
| Hosea | Zechariah (753–752) | ||||||
| Shallum (752) | |||||||
| 750 | Jotham | Menahem (752–742) | |||||
| (750–735) | Micah (c. 742) | Isaiah (c. 740) | Pekahiah (742–740) | ||||
| 740 | Pekah (740–732) | ||||||
| Ahaz (735–715) | Hoshea (732–722) | ||||||
| 730 | |||||||
| 720 | Fall of Samaria (722) | ||||||
| 710 | Hezekiah (715–686) | ||||||
| 700 | |||||||
| 680 | Manasseh (686–642) | Nahum (c. 660–630) | |||||
| 660 | Amon (642–640) | ||||||
| 640 | Josiah (640–609) | Zephaniah (c. 640–609) | |||||
| Habakkuk (c. 640–609) | |||||||
| 620 | (c. 627) | ||||||
| 600 | Jeremiah | ||||||
| Jehoahaz (609) | |||||||
| Jehoiakim (609–597) | (c. 605) | ||||||
| Jehoiachin (597) | Daniel | ||||||
| Zedekiah (597–586) | (c. 597) | ||||||
| Ezekiel | |||||||
| Fall of Jerusalem (586) | Obadiah | ||||||
| (after 586) | |||||||
| 580 | |||||||
| 560 | |||||||
| 540 | |||||||
| 520 | 1st return of exiles (538) | Haggai (c. 520) | |||||
| Temple rebuilt (516/515) | Zechariah (c. 520) | ||||||
| 500 | |||||||
| 480 | |||||||
| 460 | 2nd return of exiles (458) | Malachi (c. 460) | |||||
| 440 | 3rd return of exiles (445) |
- Major prophets
- Minor prophets
Joel is not displayed as the dates are uncertain and estimates range from the 9th to the 4th centuries B.C.
Micah’s prophecy was likely directed toward both Judah and Israel.
Oracles against the Nations in the Prophets
| Isaiah | Jeremiah | Ezekiel | Joel | Amos | Obadiah | Jonah | Nahum | Zephaniah | Zechariah* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammon | 49:1–6 | 25:1–7 | 1:13–15 | |||||||
| Arabia | 21:13–17 | |||||||||
| Assyria (Nineveh) | 10:5–19; 14:24–27 | (Nineveh) | (Nineveh) | |||||||
| Babylon | 13:1–14:23; 21:1–10; 46:1–47:15 | 50:1–51:64 | 2:9–12? | |||||||
| Damascus | 17:1–6? | 49:23–27 | 1:3–5 | 9:1 | ||||||
| Edom | 21:11–12 | 49:7–22 | 25:12–14 | 1:11–12 | 1–14? | |||||
| Egypt | 18:1–20:6 | 46:2–26 | 29:1–32:32 | |||||||
| Elam | 49:34–39 | |||||||||
| Ethiopia | 2:12–15 | |||||||||
| Gaza | 1:6–8 | 9:5 | ||||||||
| Kedar and Hazor | 49:28–33 | |||||||||
| Lebanon | 11:1–3? | |||||||||
| Moab | 15:1–16:14 | 48:1–47 | 25:8–11 | 2:1–3 | 2:8–11 | |||||
| Philistia | 14:28–32 | 47:1–7 | 25:15–17 | 3:4–8 | 2:5–7 | 9:6 | ||||
| Tyre Sidon | 23:1–18 | 26:1–28:19; 28:20–23 | 3:4–8 | 1:9–10 | 9:2–3 |
*Additional cities /states are denounced in 9:1–8: Hadrach, Aram (v. 1); Ashkelon, Ekron (v. 5); Ashdod (v. 6)
Isaiah
The book of Isaiah reveals few details about the prophet himself. We know that he was the son of Amoz, that he was a husband and a father, and that at God’s command he used some rather unusual methods of getting his point across (20:2–6)! With the exception of a few details such as these, the Bible focuses exclusively on the prophet’s message. God called Isaiah to be a prophet in a time when the people of Judah were no longer faithful to the covenant. The nation’s disobedience meant that their prospects for the future involved God’s judgment rather than his blessing. Isaiah denounced the people’s hypocrisy, greed, and idolatry. The heart of his message, however, is found in the meaning of his name: “Yahweh is salvation.” Isaiah’s vision is ultimately a message of hope for sinners through the coming Messiah. (Isaiah 6:8–13)
Isa. 15:2–3 On every head is baldness . . . sackcloth. An expression of mourning (see 22:12; Jer. 48:37–39; Lam. 2:10).
Isa. 15:1–9 Moab is devastated by a sudden attack on its villages. Even God mourns for them (vv. 5–9; compare Ezek. 33:11).
Isa. 15:9 lion. The Moabites who escape their homeland will also be killed.
Fact: Payment in lambs
Payment in lambs. The people of Moab offered to pay the Israelites to protect them from their enemies. Such tribute was often paid in goods rather than with money; since the Moabites had many sheep, that’s how they paid (16:1).
Isa. 16:4–5 When the oppressor is no more . . . then a throne will be established. God’s reply to Moab’s plea for safety from Assyrian oppression is the messianic throne of David, full of divine integrity but also demanding submission (see 9:7; 11:4–5, 10; 55:3).
Isa. 16:6–12 Moab’s pride is their doom, portrayed as a vineyard cut down. Therefore (vv. 7, 9, 11). Three consequences flow from Moab’s proud rejection of the Davidic throne (see Jer. 48:42).
Isa. 15:1–16:14 The third oracle concerns Moab. Jeremiah 48 parallels and expands this passage.
Isa. 17:1 Damascus will cease to be a city. It was destroyed by Assyria in 732 B.C., after a siege.
Isa. 17:2 None will make them afraid, not because peace exists but because the cities . . . are deserted.
Fact: Olive harvesting
Olive harvesting was very similar to grain harvesting. The olive harvesters would beat the branches of the tree with long poles, knocking the olives to the ground. The uppermost branches were left untouched so that the poor could gather what remained (17:6).
Isa. 17:4–11 The three uses of in that day unites these verses. Israel will be brought low (vv. 4–6), a remnant will return to God (vv. 7–8), and strong cities will be destroyed (v. 9). Verses 10–11 explain Israel’s fall as a spiritual, not a political, miscalculation.
Isa. 17:12–14 Ah draws attention to the nations—mighty, restless, and destructive, but scattered by the mere rebuke of the sovereign God (see chs. 36–37).
Isa. 18:3 Isaiah calls the whole world to redirect its attention to the unmistakable signs of God’s activity in history.
Isa. 18:4–6 Working as silently as heat or dew, God frustrates human attempts to rule the world. He acts when the moment is right. This is the truth underlying the appearance of human might in history.
Isa. 17:1–18:7 The fourth oracle concerns the alliance between Damascus and Israel in Isaiah’s time (see 7:1–16; 8:1–4).
Isa. 18:7 At that time. When God completes history with his kingdom’s victory.
Isa. 19:1 the LORD is riding on a swift cloud. God approaches Egypt with power above human powers (see Deut. 33:26; Ps. 18:10–15; 68:33–34). the idols . . . the heart. See Ezek. 14:3.
Isa. 19:4 a hard master. Egypt suffered under tyrants from various nations in the following centuries.
Isa. 19:5–10 Egypt’s primary natural resource and economic base was the Nile.
Isa. 19:18 Isaiah envisions faith in God spreading from five cities in Egypt through that entire nation (v. 19) to the entire world (v. 23). speak the language of Canaan. Egyptians, who were prejudiced against Hebrews (Gen. 43:32), will adopt their language, melding with God’s people as one (see Gen. 11:1–9).
Isa. 19:19–22 Egypt experiences God’s saving intervention, just as Israel did during the period of the judges.
Isa. 19:22 striking and healing. Striking in vv. 1–15, healing in vv. 16–25.
Isa. 19:23 the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. A remarkable change in two of Israel’s worst enemies: they too will worship the one true God. The whole world, represented by Egypt and Assyria, unites in worship.
Isa. 19:16–25 The Lord will eventually restore Egypt and the nations.
Isa. 19:24–25 God’s overflowing blessing unites the entire world as his own (see Gen. 12:1–3; Gal. 3:26–29; Eph. 2:11–22; Rev. 7:9–10).
Isa. 20:1 In the year. 711 B.C. Sargon (II) was king of Assyria, 722–705 B.C. Ashdod. A Philistine city (see 1 Sam. 5:1). The Assyrian defeat of this city was relevant to “Egypt and Cush” (Isa. 20:3) because Ashdod had relied on promises of Egyptian support against Assyrian attack. Egypt did not deliver that support.
Isa. 20:2 naked and barefoot. Like a prisoner of war (see 2 Chron. 28:14–15). The prophets at times acted out their messages with dramatic behavior (compare 1 Kings 18; Jeremiah 19; Ezek. 3:22–5:17; 24:15–27).
Isa. 13:1–20:6 A series of five oracles reveal God ruling over Babylon and Assyria (13:1–14:27), Philistia (14:28–32), Moab (15:1–16:14), Damascus/Israel (17:1–18:7), and Egypt (19:1–20:6). The OT prophets give numerous oracles about other nations. As universal Creator, the God of Israel is not limited to Israel but holds all nations accountable for their deeds (see 13:11; compare Rom. 3:29–30).
Isa. 19:1–20:6 The fifth oracle concerns Egypt. Judah turned to Egypt for deliverance from Assyria. God has the power both to judge and to save Egypt, but Judah would rather trust Egypt than God.
Isaiah
The book of Isaiah reveals few details about the prophet himself. We know that he was the son of Amoz, that he was a husband and a father, and that at God’s command he used some rather unusual methods of getting his point across (20:2–6)! With the exception of a few details such as these, the Bible focuses exclusively on the prophet’s message. God called Isaiah to be a prophet in a time when the people of Judah were no longer faithful to the covenant. The nation’s disobedience meant that their prospects for the future involved God’s judgment rather than his blessing. Isaiah denounced the people’s hypocrisy, greed, and idolatry. The heart of his message, however, is found in the meaning of his name: “Yahweh is salvation.” Isaiah’s vision is ultimately a message of hope for sinners through the coming Messiah. (Isaiah 6:8–13)
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | Isaiah 15-20
The book of Isaiah is a profound tapestry of prophecies intertwining themes of judgment and hope. Within chapters 15-20, we witness God's pronouncement of judgment upon the nations surrounding Israel: Moab, Damascus (Syria), Cush, and Egypt. Amid these declarations of impending doom, a thread of divine compassion and mercy runs through them, revealing God's heart even in times of discipline.
Isaiah 15 paints a vivid picture of Moab's destruction. The people flee in desperation, their cries of anguish resonating throughout the land. This scene of devastation is not without cause; it is a consequence of their pride and sinfulness. Similarly, Israel and Judah face judgment because of their disobedience and idolatry. Yet, in the midst of these harsh pronouncements, we find Isaiah 15:5: "My heart cries out for Moab." This verse highlights that God's judgments are not devoid of emotion. Instead, they are righteous responses to sin, tempered by his profound mercy.
As the narrative progresses, promises of restoration and deliverance are intricately woven with messages of judgment. Isaiah 19:22 encapsulates this: “And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them." This verse mirrors the divine pattern of judgment followed by healing and restoration, reflecting God's ultimate redemptive plan.
These chapters not only address immediate historical contexts, but also foreshadow the coming of Christ, who would bear humanity's sins and bring ultimate restoration for those who trust in him. Isaiah 20 underscores the futility of relying on human strength and alliances, emphasizing that true security and peace come from trusting in God alone. Scripture reminds us that our ultimate protector and provider is God: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)
Reflecting on these passages reminds us that God's judgments are always just, but his mercy and compassion never fail. Lamentations 3:22-23 beautifully complements this theme: "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
This month's memory verse
"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
– Isaiah 53:5-6
Discussion Questions
1. How does Isaiah 15:5 reveal God's character during judgment? How can we reconcile his justice with his compassion in our lives?
2. In Isaiah 19:22, God promises judgment and healing for Egypt. How does this reflect his redemptive plan? How have you experienced this pattern in your own walk with God?
3. Isaiah 20 emphasizes the futility of relying on human strength. In what areas of your life are you tempted to rely on your own understanding instead of trusting God?