Focused Passage

Isaiah 30:1-7

Woe to the Rebellious Children: False Help from Egypt and the LORD’s Gracious Waiting

Isaiah 30 moves from a woe against Judah’s rebellious alliance with Egypt, to the people’s refusal to hear the LORD’s instruction, to the collapse of their false confidence, to the LORD’s gracious promise of mercy, guidance, restoration, and final judgment against Assyria.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin.

2 They 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.

3 But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame, and the refuge of Egypt’s shade your disgrace.

4 For though their princes are at Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,

5 everyone will be put to shame because of a people useless to them. They bring neither help nor benefit, but only shame and disgrace.”

6 This is the burden against the beasts of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lioness and lion, of viper and flying serpent, they carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people of no profit to them.

7 Egypt’s help is futile and empty; therefore I have called her Rahab Who Sits Still.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Woe ה֣וֹי H1945 Interjection to the rebellious סֽוֹרְרִים֙ H5637 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural children בָּנִ֤ים H1121 Noun - masculine plural declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular to those who carry out לַעֲשׂ֤וֹת H6213 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct a plan עֵצָה֙ H6098 Noun - feminine singular [that is] not וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Mine מִנִּ֔י H4480 Preposition | first person common singular who form וְלִנְסֹ֥ךְ H5258 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct an alliance מַסֵּכָ֖ה H4541 Noun - feminine singular but against וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle My will רוּחִ֑י H7307 Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular . . . לְמַ֛עַן H4616 Conjunction heaping up סְפ֥וֹת H5595 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct sin חַטָּ֖את H2403 Noun - feminine singular upon עַל־ H5921 Preposition sin חַטָּֽאת׃ H2403 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 2

Original words

They set out הַהֹלְכִים֙ H1980 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural to go down לָרֶ֣דֶת H3381 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct to Egypt מִצְרַ֔יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular without לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle asking שָׁאָ֑לוּ H7592 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural My advice וּפִ֖י H6310 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular to seek shelter לָעוֹז֙ H5756 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct under Pharaoh’s פַּרְעֹ֔ה H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular protection בְּמָע֣וֹז H4581 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct and take refuge וְלַחְס֖וֹת H2620 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct in Egypt’s מִצְרָֽיִם׃ H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular shade בְּצֵ֥ל H6738 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 3

Original words

But Pharaoh’s פַּרְעֹ֖ה H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular protection מָע֥וֹז H4581 Noun - masculine singular construct will become וְהָיָ֥ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular your לָכֶ֛ם Preposition | second person masculine plural shame לְבֹ֑שֶׁת H1322 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular and the refuge וְהֶחָס֥וּת H2622 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular of Egypt’s מִצְרַ֖יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular shade בְּצֵל־ H6738 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct your disgrace לִכְלִמָּֽה׃ H3639 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 4

Original words

For though כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction their princes שָׂרָ֑יו H8269 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular are הָי֥וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural at Zoan בְצֹ֖עַן H6814 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular and their envoys וּמַלְאָכָ֖יו H4397 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular have arrived יַגִּֽיעוּ׃ H5060 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural in Hanes חָנֵ֥ס H2609 Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 5

Original words

everyone כֹּ֣ל H3605 Noun - masculine singular will be put to shame הִבְאִישׁ H887 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular because of עַל־ H5921 Preposition a people עַ֖ם H5971 Noun - masculine singular vvv לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle useless יוֹעִ֣ילוּ H3276 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural to them לָ֑מוֹ Preposition | third person masculine plural They bring neither לֹ֤א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle help לְעֵ֙זֶר֙ H5828 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular nor וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle benefit לְהוֹעִ֔יל H3276 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct but כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction only shame לְבֹ֖שֶׁת H1322 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular and וְגַם־ H1571 Conjunction disgrace לְחֶרְפָּֽה׃ס H2781 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 6

Original words

[This is] the burden מַשָּׂ֖א H4853 Noun - masculine singular construct against the beasts בַּהֲמ֣וֹת H929 Noun - feminine plural construct of the Negev נֶ֑גֶב H5045 Noun - proper - feminine singular Through a land בְּאֶרֶץ֩ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of hardship צָרָ֨ה H6869 Noun - feminine singular and distress וְצוּקָ֜ה H6695 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular of lioness לָבִ֧יא H3833 Noun - masculine singular and lion וָלַ֣יִשׁ H3918 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular . . . מֵהֶ֗ם Preposition-m | Pronoun - third person masculine plural of viper אֶפְעֶה֙ H660 Noun - masculine singular and flying מְעוֹפֵ֔ף H5774 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular serpent וְשָׂרָ֣ף H8314 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular they carry יִשְׂאוּ֩ H5375 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural their wealth חֵֽילֵהֶ֗ם H2428 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural on עַל־ H5921 Preposition the backs כֶּ֨תֶף H3802 Noun - feminine singular construct of donkeys עֲיָרִ֜ים H5895 Noun - masculine plural and their treasures אֽוֹצְרֹתָ֔ם H214 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural on וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the humps דַּבֶּ֤שֶׁת H1707 Noun - feminine singular construct of camels גְּמַלִּים֙ H1581 Noun - masculine plural to עַל־ H5921 Preposition a people עַ֖ם H5971 Noun - masculine singular of no לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle profit to them יוֹעִֽילוּ׃ H3276 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Verse 7

Original words

Egypt’s וּמִצְרַ֕יִם H4714 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular help יַעְזֹ֑רוּ H5826 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural is futile הֶ֥בֶל H1892 Noun - masculine singular and empty וָרִ֖יק H7385 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular therefore לָכֵן֙ H3651 Adverb I have called קָרָ֣אתִי H7121 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular her לָזֹ֔את H2063 Preposition-l | Pronoun - feminine singular Rahab רַ֥הַב H7293 Noun - proper - masculine singular Who הֵ֖ם H1992 Noun - proper - masculine singular Sits Still שָֽׁבֶת׃ H7674 Noun - proper - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Hebrew Rahab-hem-shebeth

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.