Isaiah 30:2
in Isaiah 30They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shade.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt!
KJV
That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
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This verse in Isaiah 30
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThat walk to go down into Egypt,.... That walk out of their own land to go thither; who sent messengers thither to form an alliance, and get help and assistance, or went in person, to secure themselves from present danger. Jarchi refers this to the times of Hoshea, the son of Elah, king of Israel, who sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, 2Ki 17:4. Jerom to the times of Jeremiah, to the history in his prophecy, Jer 41:17 and others to Zedekiah.
This site's exposition
Woe to the rebellious children
on Isaiah 30:1-3
The woe falls on "rebellious children" who "form an alliance, but against My will". Matthew Henry counted two sins, a treaty made and a God not consulted, for they went down to Egypt "without asking My advice". The shelter they sought in Pharaoh ends as "your shame".
This site's exposition
without asking My advice
The road to Egypt is always a going down in Scripture, from Abraham's famine to the grain bought by Jacob's sons. Barnes took the travellers here to be Judah's envoys, the princes found at Zoan in verse 4. The first fault named is the question never asked.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 30, Verse 1 and following) Woe to the rebellious children, says the Lord, who make plans that are not from me, who weave a web without my Spirit, adding sin upon sin. You who walk to go down to Egypt, without consulting me, hoping for help from Pharaoh's strength and relying on the protection of Egypt's shadow. But Pharaoh's strength will be your shame, and the trust in Egypt's shadow will bring you disgrace. For there will be princes in Tanis, and your messengers have reached Hanes.
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 12 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Scripture is the mouth of God. Hence Isaiah: "Woe to you who walk to go down into Egypt," that is, to secular sciences, "and have not asked at My mouth," that is, Sacred Scripture. We need not go down to other sciences in order to …
669. Second, he sets out the execution of this counsel as to walking the way: who walk, which is deformed by contempt of divine counsel; who have not asked at my mouth, the prophet: if you will separate the precious from the vile, you shall …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
A terrible threatening against those who slighted the good advice which God by his prophets gave them for the repose of their minds in that distress, assuring them that whatever became of others the judgment would certainly overtake them,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
That walk to go down to Egypt - Hebrew, ‘Going in the descent to Egypt.’ That is, they do it by their ambassadors Isa 30:4. The journey to Egypt from Palestine is always represented as going down Gen 12:10; Gen 42:3; Gen 43:15; Num 20:15; Deu 10:22. To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh - To form an alliance with Pharaoh, that thus they might be able to repel the threatened invasion. Pharaoh was the general name of the kings of Egypt, in the same manner as Caesar was the common name of the emperors of Rome.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
walk--are now setting out, namely, their ambassadors (Isa 30:4). Pharaoh--the generic name of the kings of Egypt, as Cæsar was at Rome. The word in Egyptian means "king" [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 8.6,2].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַהֹלְכִים֙ | haholekhim | who go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לָרֶ֣דֶת | laredet | to go down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| מִצְרַ֔יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| וּפִ֖י | ufi | and mouth my | H6310 → | 498 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁאָ֑לוּ | shaalu | they have consulted | H7592 → | 171 times |
| לָעוֹז֙ | laoz | to take refuge | H5756 → | |
| בְּמָע֣וֹז | bemaoz | in [the] refuge of | H4581 → | 36 times |
| פַּרְעֹ֔ה | paroh | Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| וְלַחְס֖וֹת | velachsot | and to seek refuge | H2620 → | 37 times |
| בְּצֵ֥ל | betzel | in [the] shadow of | H6738 → | 49 times |
| מִצְרָֽיִם׃ | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
הַהֹלְכִים֙who go
haholekhimH1980 →1546 times
לָרֶ֣דֶתto go down
laredetH3381 →381 times
מִצְרַ֔יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
וּפִ֖יand mouth my
ufiH6310 →498 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
שָׁאָ֑לוּthey have consulted
shaaluH7592 →171 times
לָעוֹז֙to take refuge
laozH5756 →
בְּמָע֣וֹזin [the] refuge of
bemaozH4581 →36 times
פַּרְעֹ֔הPharaoh
parohH6547 →274 times
וְלַחְס֖וֹתand to seek refuge
velachsotH2620 →37 times
בְּצֵ֥לin [the] shadow of
betzelH6738 →49 times
מִצְרָֽיִם׃Egypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 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
Isaiah 36:6Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 29:6–7
Then all the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD. For you were only a staff of reeds to the house of Israel.
- 2 Kings 18:21
Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust…
- Isaiah 31:3
But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish…
- Ezekiel 29:6–7
Through
Jeremiah 43:7So they entered the land of Egypt because they did not obey the voice of the LORD, and they went as far as Tahpanhes.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 2:16
The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head.
- Jeremiah 44:1
This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in the land of Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis—and in the land of Pathros:
- Jeremiah 2:16
Through
Numbers 27:21He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will…
it leads to
- Exodus 28:30
And place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the judgment of the…
- Joshua 9:14
Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not seek the counsel of the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 28:6
He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.
- Exodus 28:30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About Isaiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 12; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.