Isaiah 19:24
in Isaiah 19In that day Israel will join a three-party alliance with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing upon the earth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth;
KJV
In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:
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This verse in Isaiah 19
Commentary
11 notes on this verseIn that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria,.... There shall be a triple alliance between them; Jew and Gentile shall be made one, the middle wall of partition being broken down; yea, Israel, or the Jews, shall be the third, or the Mediator between them both, or the means of uniting the Gentiles together, since the Gospel of peace was to go out from them, as it did.
This site's exposition
Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria
on Isaiah 19:24-25
Israel joins the other two as a third partner and a blessing in the midst of the land, and the Lord of hosts pronounces the triple blessing in the words themselves: blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. Egypt, Israel's old house of bondage, and Assyria, the empire that destroyed the northern kingdom, are named as my people and the work of my hands, titles Isaiah elsewhere reserves for Israel alone, while Israel keeps its own distinct title of mine inheritance rather than being folded into the other two. Delitzsch and George Adam Smith call the verse among the widest reaches of Old Testament prophecy, an oracle against two historic persecutors that ends with both of them inside the blessing rather than under the judgment the chapter opened with.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 24, 25.) On that day, Israel will be a third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, 'Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.' In no way will Israel be a mediator between Egypt and Assyria, now that Antiochus and Demetrius are drawing the kingdom to themselves, now that the Ptolemies are claiming its possession for themselves.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, he promises the second effect, the truth of faith: in that day shall Israel be the third to the Egyptian and the Assyrian, at the same time and equally serving the Romans, and in unity of faith: there shall be one fold and one …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Israel is that third in whom Egypt and Assyria agree, and is therefore a blessing; for those are real and great blessings to their generation who are instrumental to unite those that have been at variance. (2.) They shall all be a blessing to the world: so the Christian church is, made up of Jews and Gentiles; it is the beauty, riches, and support of the world.
A blessing - This is peculiar to Israel, who is not only a third party, but is the most eminent of the three, as being the fountain, by which the blessing is conveyed to the other two; because Christ was to be born of them, and the gospel-church and ordinances were first established among them, and from them derived to the Gentiles.
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.
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
In that day shall Israel be the third - That is, the three shall be united as one people. Instead of being rival, hostile, and contending kingdoms, they shall be united and friendly; and instead of having different and jarring religions, they shall all worship the same God. The prophecy rather refers to the spread of the true religion, and the worship of the true God, than to a political or civil alliance. Even a blessing - It shall be a source of blessing, because from Judea the true religion would extend into the other lands.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3515: “The Fruits of Grace” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
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 & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
third--The three shall be joined as one nation. blessing--the source of blessings to other nations, and the object of their benedictions. in the midst of the land--rather, "earth" (Mic 5:7). Judah is designed to be the grand center of the whole earth (Jer 3:17).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3515: “The Fruits of Grace” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
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.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בַּיּ֣וֹם | baiyom | in the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַה֗וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יִהְיֶ֤ה | yihyeh | it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| שְׁלִ֣ישִׁיָּ֔ה | shelishiyah | a third | H7992 → | 107 times |
| לְמִצְרַ֖יִם | lemitzrayim | to Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| וּלְאַשּׁ֑וּר | uleashur | and to Assyria | H804 → | 151 times |
| בְּרָכָ֖ה | berakhah | a blessing | H1293 → | 69 times |
| בְּקֶ֥רֶב | bekerev | in [the] midst of | H7130 → | 227 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
בַּיּ֣וֹםin the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַה֗וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
יִהְיֶ֤הit will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
שְׁלִ֣ישִׁיָּ֔הa third
shelishiyahH7992 →107 times
לְמִצְרַ֖יִםto Egypt
lemitzrayimH4714 →641 times
וּלְאַשּׁ֑וּרand to Assyria
uleashurH804 →151 times
בְּרָכָ֖הa blessing
berakhahH1293 →69 times
בְּקֶ֥רֶבin [the] midst of
bekerevH7130 →227 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Genesis 12:2I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 7:9
I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make for you a name like the greatest in the land.
- Galatians 3:14
He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
- Genesis 18:18
Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
- Genesis 17:4–6
“As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
- Genesis 28:3–4
May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a company of peoples.
- 2 Samuel 7:9
Through
Galatians 3:14He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
it leads to
- Galatians 3:28–29
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Corinthians 12:13
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.
- Ephesians 2:18
For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
- Galatians 3:28–29
About Isaiah
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PlaceThe NileEgyptThe land where Joseph rose, where Israel grew into a nation in bondage, where the Passover lamb was slain and the sea opened, and…
- PlaceUpper MesopotamiaAssyriaMesopotamian empire whose capital Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching and fell to Nahum's burden in 612 BC; the rod of God's ang…
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3515: “The Fruits of Grace” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; George Adam Smith, The Book of Isaiah, Expositor's Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.