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Isaiah 19:23

in Isaiah 19

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians shall worship with the Assyrians.

KJV

In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.

This verse in Isaiah 19

Commentary

12 notes on this verse
There shall be a highway - A communication; that is, there shall be an alliance between Egypt and Assyria, as constituting parts of one empire, and as united in the service of the true God. The same figure of a “highway” is found in Isa 11:16 (see the note on that place). The truth was, that Alexander, by his conquests, subjected Assyria and Egypt, and they constituted parts of his empire, and were united under him.

This site's exposition

a highway from Egypt to Assyria

"In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria", the powers that had crushed Israel. Barnes and Alexander note that in the century of Isaiah the two empires were locked in rivalry. The highway returns as a figure for the removal of every barrier to the nations.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Isaiah · Written before 420.

proposed

(Verse 23) On that day there will be a road from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will enter Egypt, and Egypt will enter Assyria; and the Egyptians will serve Assyria. Before the coming of Christ, each nation had its own king, and no one could go from one nation to another; but in the Roman empire, all became one. Let the learned reader review the ancient histories, and from the Euphrates to the Tigris, let them know that the whole region in between was inhabited by the Assyrians.

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Isaiah · Written before 420.

proposed

(Verse 23) On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. As we have shown, the preceding events have been for the good of the Egyptians. Five cities in their land will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of Hosts. They will have an altar to the Lord in their midst, as well as a marker, testimony, sign, and savior to deliver them. The Egyptians will recognize the Lord and offer sacrifices, gifts, and vows. They will be healed and return to the Lord, finding favor and healing once again. Therefore, it should be understood that serving the Assyrians is also for the good of the Egyptians. For the Apostle serves the believers in order to make them gain (1 Corinthians 9). And Esau submits to his brother Jacob (Genesis 33), in order to become a partaker of his blessings. Therefore, those who were saved first from the Gentiles and have the altar of the Lord in themselves, will save those who persist in hardness through their servitude, and through their mixture and association with them, they will go to the Assyrians, so that they may bring the Assyrians to Egypt; and afterwards they may be able to reach the Israelite people. For this reason, I believe that a faithful woman should serve an unfaithful man, in order to gradually draw him from Egypt and Assyria to Judaea.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on Isaiah · Written before 1274.

proposed

Third, he sets out the threefold effect of their conversion, namely, peace: in that day there shall be a way, which could not exist before because of the various kingdoms, which, when the Lord was born, were joined under the Romans; they shall serve, each …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Rabshakeh upbraided Hezekiah with this, ch. xxxvi. While they kept up an alliance with Egypt, and it was a powerful ally, they stood not in awe of the judgments of God; for against them they depended upon Egypt to protect them. Nor did they depend upon the power of God when at anytime they were in distress; but Egypt was their confidence.
5 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

The consideration of our meeting at the same throne of grace, and our serving with each other in the same business of religion, should put an end to all heats and animosities, and knit our hearts to each other in holy love. The Gentile nations shall not only unite with each other in the gospel fold under Christ the great shepherd, but they shall all be united with the Jews.

The Nineteenth Century4 voices

THIS is a very remarkable prophecy. Attempts have been made to explain it, as if it were already fulfilled. I believe all such attempts to be utter failures. This promise stands on record to be, fulfilled at some future day In those bright days for which some of us are looking, when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth, so the waters cover the sea, then shall this word to Egypt be verified; yea, and God shall be glorified both by Egypt and Assyria, as well as in the land of Israel.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

highway--free communication, resting on the highest basis, the common faith of both (Isa 19:18; Assyria and Egypt were joined under Alexander as parts of his empire: Jews and proselytes from both met at the feasts of Jerusalem. A type of gospel times to come. serve with--serve Jehovah with the Assyrians.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens

THIS is a very remarkable prophecy. Attempts have been made to explain it, as if it were already fulfilled. I believe all such attempts to be utter failures. This promise stands on record to be, fulfilled at some future day In those bright days for which some of us are looking, when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth, so the waters cover the sea, then shall this word to Egypt be verified; yea, and God shall be glorified both by Egypt and Assyria, as well as in the land of Israel. This ought to be an encouragement to carry on missionary operations with great vigour. Here is a distinct promise for Assyria and for Egypt. Let not the missionary be afraid, even if for thousands of years to come there should be little apparent success to the preaching of the gospel. If the Lord should tarry another six thousand years, ay, sixty thousand years—and he may—we are still to go on working, and still to go on labouring, looking for his coming, and expecting it, but not relaxing our efforts because he pleases to delay it, for the Lord has sworn that all flesh shall know his glory, and you may depend upon it, there is no spot of earth that shall be left to be Satan's dominion. It shall be conquered for Christ, and in truth he shall "see of the travail of his soul, and he shall be satisfied." It is most encouraging to find Egypt mentioned. You find it in one of the Psalms, "Princes shall come out of Egypt, and they shall come out of Ethiopia." Now this I believe to be the litera1 meaning of the passage. You must understand that the prophecy was given to the people of Israel, and it was given to them, as it were, to children that were using types and figures. It speaks in their language. Hence it speaks of altars, and pillars, and oblations, all of which are to be understood now in the spiritual sense.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Shall there be a highway - Under the latter kings of Persia, and under Alexander, Egypt, Judea, and Assyria lived peaceably under the same government, and were on such friendly terms that there was a regular, uninterrupted intercourse between them, so that the Assyrian came into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and Israel became the third, i.e., was in strict union with the other two; and was a blessing to both, as affording them some knowledge of the true God, Isa 19:24.

The words behind it

15 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • בַּיּ֣וֹםin the day

    baiyomH3117 →2304 times

  • הַה֗וּא<the> that

    hahu'H1931 →1879 times

  • תִּהְיֶ֨הit will be

    tihyehH1961 →3559 times

  • מְסִלָּ֤הa highway

    mesilahH4546 →27 times

  • מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙from Egypt

    mimitzrayimH4714 →641 times

  • אַשּׁ֔וּרָהAssyria towards

    ʾashurahH804 →151 times

  • וּבָֽא־and it will go

    uva'-H935 →2568 times

  • אַשּׁ֥וּרAssyria

    ʾashurH804 →151 times

  • בְּמִצְרַ֖יִםin Egypt

    bemitzrayimH4714 →641 times

  • וּמִצְרַ֣יִםand Egypt

    umitzrayimH4714 →641 times

  • בְּאַשּׁ֑וּרin Assyria

    beashurH804 →151 times

  • וְעָבְד֥וּand they will serve

    veaveduH5647 →288 times

  • מִצְרַ֖יִםEgypt

    mitzrayimH4714 →641 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • אַשּֽׁוּר׃ סAssyria

    ʾashurH804 →151 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Isaiah 11:16

    There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 35:8–10

      And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it.

    • Isaiah 11:11

      On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and…

    • Exodus 14:26–29

      Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”

    • Isaiah 62:10

      Go out, go out through the gates; prepare the way for the people! Build it up, build up the highway; clear away the stones; raise a banner for the nations!

  • Through

    Isaiah 27:13

    And in that day a great ram’s horn will sound, and those who were perishing in Assyria will come forth with those who were exiles in Egypt. And they will worship the LORD on…

    it leads to

    • Matthew 24:31

      And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

    • Leviticus 25:9

      Then you are to sound the horn far and wide on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. You shall sound it throughout your land.

    • Isaiah 19:23–25

      In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.

    • Hebrews 12:22

      Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels

Where this verse is studied

On this page

About Isaiah

This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3515: “The Fruits of Grace” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Joseph Addison Alexander, Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.