Isaiah Chapter 31 – Woe to Those Who Trust in Egypt
Isaiah Chapter 31 continues the theme from the previous chapter—condemning Judah’s dependence on Egypt for military aid instead of trusting in God. Through striking imagery and prophetic assurance, Isaiah reminds the people that deliverance comes from the Lord, not from earthly strength. God’s power to save far exceeds human effort, and His promise remains for those who repent and return.
Horsepower or Holiness?
✔ Trust in Egypt is trust in man, not God.
✔ God is not passive—He will act to protect Jerusalem.
✔ As a lion and as a bird, God defends with strength and tenderness.
✔ The call remains: return to Him.
✔ The fall of the enemy is guaranteed.
📖 Isaiah 31:1 – “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help… but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel.”
🔎 This chapter lays bare the danger of seeking worldly help while ignoring the presence and power of God
Isaiah Chapter 31 - Overview
Isaiah 31:1–3 – The Folly of Trusting in Egypt
📖 Isaiah 31:1 – “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help… but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel.”
🔎 Egypt here represents not only misplaced trust in political alliances, but a deep spiritual defection. It’s a symbolic return to bondage—back to the place God once delivered them from. The rebuke is not simply about foreign aid; it’s about rejecting the covenant in favor of visible strength. To “look not unto the Holy One” is the core sin of this passage—spiritual blindness in the face of divine faithfulness.
📖 Isaiah 31:2 – “Yet he also is wise… and will bring evil…”
🔎 God’s wisdom is contrasted with man’s strategies. What may appear like political savvy is foolishness before the all-wise God. His response is certain—He will act. He will rise to confront the help that was never of His design. “He will arise against the house of the evildoers” shows that judgment is not limited to enemies—it includes His own people when they rebel.
📖 Isaiah 31:3 – “Now the Egyptians are men, and not God…”
🔎 The line is sharp and sobering. Egypt is human, frail, temporary. God is eternal, sovereign, and all-powerful. When Judah chooses men over God, they place themselves under a curse of mutual failure. Both the one who helps and the one helped will fall. This mirrors Psalm 20:7—“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”
➡️ Human solutions may look strong, but without God, they collapse. Trusting Egypt over the Holy One is not just tactical failure—it is spiritual treason.
Isaiah 31:4–5 – The Lord Defends Jerusalem
📖 Isaiah 31:4 – “Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey… so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion.”
🔎 The image of a lion is not accidental—it signifies unwavering focus, raw power, and fearless resolve. God is not intimidated by enemy noise or attempts to scare Him away. He defends His people with holy determination, undistracted by the boasting of the nations. This parallels Revelation 5:5 where Christ is called the “Lion of the tribe of Judah,” signifying ultimate victory over sin and rebellion.
📖 Isaiah 31:5 – “As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem… delivering it; and passing over he will preserve it.”
🔎 The tone shifts from the roaring lion to the fluttering wings of protection. This poetic contrast highlights the fullness of God’s nature—He is both warrior and comforter. The phrase “passing over” invokes the imagery of the Exodus and the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:13). God shields His people from judgment when they are under His covering.
➡️ God’s character combines strength and gentleness. He fiercely guards what He lovingly claims. The Lion roars—and the wings spread. His presence is both defense and delight.
Isaiah 31:6–9 – Return and Watch the Fall
📖 Isaiah 31:6 – “Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.”
🔎 The word “deeply” emphasizes the severity and persistence of Israel’s rebellion. Yet even here, God calls them back. This echoes His covenant mercy—He desires return over ruin. In the last days, this same call echoes through Revelation 14:7–8: “Fear God… and come out of Babylon.”
📖 Isaiah 31:7 – “Ye shall cast away every man his idols… a sin of your own hands.”
🔎 True repentance produces fruit. It’s not just regret—it’s renunciation. The idols were hand-made, meaning the sin was intimate and willful. Casting them away is a violent rejection of past compromise. This moment reflects the cleansing of the temple (John 2:15) and the final call to abandon spiritual Babylon (Revelation 18:4).
📖 Isaiah 31:8 – “Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man…”
🔎 The enemy’s fall will come by God’s hand, not Judah’s. This mirrors the fall of Satanic powers at the end of time—not by human strength, but by the brightness of Christ’s coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8). God doesn’t need armies—His Word is enough.
📖 Isaiah 31:9 – “He shall pass over to his strong hold for fear… saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion.”
🔎 Fear overtakes the enemy as God’s presence burns in Zion. The fire represents judgment for the wicked and purification for the faithful. This is the same fire seen in Malachi 3:2–3 and Hebrews 12:29: “Our God is a consuming fire.”
➡️ Repentance leads to renewal. And renewal leads to God’s unstoppable intervention. His fire falls—and His people rise.
Isaiah Chapter 31 - Deeper Study
Overview: A Final Warning Before the Fall
🔹 Timeframe: Just before Assyria’s approach and judgment.
🔹 Setting: Judah seeking help from Egypt.
🔹 Theme: Trust misplaced in man, restored in God.
🔹 Connection to Christ: Christ is the Lion of Judah, the protective Wing, and the fire in Zion.
Trust Exposed and Truth Restored
Isaiah 31 closes the warning against Egypt with a strong contrast between human effort and divine power. God does not share His glory with man-made solutions. When His people return, He alone delivers.
🔹 Worldly strength is a delusion.
🔹 God defends with both fierceness and compassion.
🔹 Repentance dismantles idols.
🔹 Victory comes not by sword, but by Spirit.
🔹 Zion’s fire is holy—not just consuming, but cleansing.
➡️ When all else fails, God still fights for His people.
Key Takeaways
🔑 Trust in man displaces trust in God.
🔑 God defends His people like a lion and a bird.
🔑 Repentance begins with rejecting idols.
🔑 The enemy will fall—not by might, but by God’s decree.
🔑 Zion is preserved by God’s own fire.
Prophetic Patterns & Dual Fulfillment
🔮 Echoes Revelation 18 – trusting Babylon brings destruction.
🔮 Lion imagery connects to Revelation 5:5 – Christ as the Lion of Judah.
🔮 Fire in Zion connects to the refining fire of Malachi 3:2–3.
🔮 Fall of Assyria foreshadows defeat of final enemies (Revelation 19).
Historical & Cultural Context
📜 Egypt symbolized worldly power and false security.
📜 Horses and chariots were ancient symbols of military strength.
📜 Idolatry was a root sin—often syncretized with Yahweh worship.
📜 Assyria was a real and terrifying threat—but not bigger than God.
Present-Day Reflection: Who’s Your Defender?
Modern “Egypt” still calls—wealth, politics, self-reliance. But the God who once defended Jerusalem still watches over His people today. The choice remains: trust in chariots or trust in Christ?
🔹 Your alliances reveal your faith.
🔹 God wants full dependence—not backup plans.
🔹 The Lion still roars, the wings still hover.
🔹 Let the fire in Zion cleanse, not consume.
🔹 The time to turn back is now.
➡️ Let Egypt fall. Let idols burn. Let God arise.
💡 Final Reflection: The Fire Still Burns
The world is full of false strength, loud solutions, and hollow alliances. But God still waits to protect, still calls us home, and still moves with holy fire.
📌 Where are you placing your trust?
📌 Have you cast away your Egypt?
📌 Will you stand under the wings of the Holy One of Israel?
📖 Isaiah 31:5 – “As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem…”
🔥 The Lion roars. The wings spread. The fire burns. Choose your refuge well.
Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt
Isa 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!
Isa 31:2 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.
Isa 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.
Isa 31:4 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.
Isa 31:5 As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
Isa 31:6 Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.
Isa 31:7 For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
Isa 31:8 Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.
Isa 31:9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
Date Written
740–700 BC
Written By
The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz
Language
Hebrew
Verses
9