Why does Isaiah criticize the alliance with Egypt?
Because Judah sought it without consulting the Lord and made it its main security against Assyria. The problem is not diplomacy itself but replacing trust in God with human military strength.
Isaiah · chapter 31 of 66
Isaiah 31: Summary, Key Verses and Study Questions
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What happens in Isaiah 31?
Isaiah 31 pronounces a woe on those who go down to Egypt for help and trust in horses and chariots rather than looking to the Holy One of Israel. The Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit. The Lord will protect Jerusalem like a lion over its prey and like hovering birds, and Assyria will fall by a sword not of man.
Isaiah 31 is the fourth woe in the series of chapters 28-33 and returns to a central theme of the book: the temptation to lean on alliances with Egypt against the Assyrian threat. It is a short, direct chapter that sets two sources of security side by side, human military force and the Lord who defends Jerusalem.
Isaiah 31 summary
The chapter opens with a woe on those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in the number of chariots and the strength of horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or seek the Lord. Isaiah stresses that the Lord is also wise and brings disaster, does not call back his words, and will arise against the house of the evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity. The Egyptians are men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble and the one helped will fall, and they will all perish together.
In vv. 4-5 the prophet changes the picture. As a lion or young lion growls over its prey, and when a band of shepherds is called out against it is not terrified by their shouting or daunted by their noise, so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it, he will spare and rescue it.
Verses 6-7 call the people to return to the Lord, from whom they have deeply turned away, and announce that each will throw away his idols of silver and gold, which their hands made for sin. Verses 8-9 announce the fall of Assyria by a sword not of man: it will flee, its young men will be put to forced labor, its rock will pass away in terror and its officers will be panicked by the banner. This is the word of the Lord, whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Chapter outline
- vv. 1-3: Woe to those who trust in Egypt, horses and chariots, and not in the Holy One of Israel.
- vv. 4-5: The Lord fights for Jerusalem like a lion and protects it like hovering birds.
- vv. 6-7: A call to return to the Lord and throw away idols.
- vv. 8-9: Assyria falls by a sword not of man.
Key verses in Isaiah 31
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Isaiah 31:1
The prophet pronounces a woe on those who go down to Egypt for help and trust in horses and chariots, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or seek the Lord. The fault is not in having resources but in placing trust in them.
Isaiah 31:3
The Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit. Isaiah contrasts what looks strong with what truly is, and reminds us that when the Lord stretches out his hand, both the helper and the one helped will fall.
Isaiah 31:5
Like birds hovering, the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem, and by protecting it he will deliver it. The picture speaks of watchful, constant care, and joins the image of the lion, which shows his power.
Isaiah 31:6
The Lord calls those who have deeply turned away to return to him. Even after the rebuke, the invitation to repent remains open.
Main themes
- Human trust versus trust in God
- The Lord defends Jerusalem
- Horses and flesh versus Spirit
- Repentance and rejecting idols
- The fall of Assyria
People and places
- Isaiah
- The Lord of hosts
- Egypt
- Jerusalem
- Assyria
- The people of Judah
Isaiah 31 study questions and answers
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
1. What do those who go down to Egypt trust in?
Answer: Horses, the great number of chariots and the strength of horsemen. — Isaiah 31:1
2. What does Isaiah say about the Egyptians and their horses?
Answer: That the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit. — Isaiah 31:3
3. What animal is the Lord compared to when he defends Zion?
Answer: A lion growling over its prey that is not frightened by the shepherds. — Isaiah 31:4
4. How will the Lord protect Jerusalem?
Answer: Like hovering birds: he will protect it, deliver it and spare it. — Isaiah 31:5
5. What must the children of Israel throw away?
Answer: The idols of silver and gold that their hands made. — Isaiah 31:7
6. How will Assyria fall?
Answer: By a sword not of man. — Isaiah 31:8
Application for today
Isaiah 31 does not oppose planning or resources but trust that does not look to God. A Sunday school class can talk about which modern horses and chariots, such as money, connections or technology, occupy the place in our lives that belongs to the Lord, and how to balance responsible work with real dependence on God.
It also comforts. The Lord is compared to a lion that is not frightened by shepherds and to birds hovering over their nests: he is both strong and near. In a small group you can pray for those who feel their families, churches or cities are under threat, remembering that the Lord protects and delivers, and that his call is still to return to him.
Isaiah 31 affirms that the Lord is greater than any human alliance and that he will defend Jerusalem. Chapter 32 moves from warnings to a vision of hope: a king who will reign in righteousness and a time when the Spirit will be poured out from on high.
Frequently asked questions about Isaiah 31
What does it mean that horses are flesh and not spirit?
It means that horses and chariots, however powerful they look, belong to what is frail and mortal. They lack the power of God's Spirit, who gives life and salvation. It is a way of saying that human resources cannot compare with the Lord's power.
When did Assyria fall before Jerusalem?
Isaiah 36 and 37 tell how the army of Sennacherib was struck down before Jerusalem in the time of King Hezekiah. Many readers see there the fulfillment of the sword not of man, though Isaiah 31 does not name the event.