Isaiah 31:3 “But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit…”

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 together.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

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.

World English Bible

Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, both he who helps shall stumble, and he who is helped shall fall, and they all shall be consumed together.

American Standard Version

Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit: and when Jehovah shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall stumble, and he that is helped shall fall, and they all shall be consumed together.

Geneva Bible 1599

Now the Egyptians are men, and not God, and their horses flesh and not spirite: and when the Lord shall stretch out his hand, the helper shall fall, and hee that is holpen shall fall, and they shall altogether faile.

Darby Translation

And the Egyptians are men, and not God, and their horses flesh, and not spirit; and Jehovah shall stretch forth his hand, and he that helpeth shall stumble, and he that is helped shall fall, and they all shall perish together.

Young's Literal Translation

And the Egyptians [are men], and not God, And their horses [are] flesh, and not spirit, And Jehovah stretcheth out His hand, And stumbled hath the helper, And fallen hath the helped one, And together all of them are consumed.

Bible in Basic English

For the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses are flesh, and not spirit: and when the Lord's hand is stretched out, the helper and he who is helped will come down together.

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Cross references

“the Egyptians”

Psalm 9:20 Ezekiel 28:9 Isaiah 36:6 Psalm 146:3–5 2 Thessalonians 2:4–8 Deuteronomy 32:30

Psalm 9:20 · BSB

Lay terror upon them, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah

Ezekiel 28:9 · BSB

Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’ in the presence of those who slay you? You will be only a man, not a god, in the hands of those who wound you.

Isaiah 36:6 · BSB

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 in him.

Psalm 146:3–5 · BSB

Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.

2 Thessalonians 2:4–8 · BSB

He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Deuteronomy 32:30 · BSB

How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?

“their horses”

Psalm 33:17

Psalm 33:17 · BSB

A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.

“stretch”

Isaiah 9:17 Jeremiah 15:6 Ezekiel 20:33 Ezekiel 20:34

Isaiah 9:17 · BSB

Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men; He has no compassion on their fatherless and widows. For every one of them is godless and wicked, and every mouth speaks folly. Despite all this, His anger is not…

Jeremiah 15:6 · BSB

You have forsaken Me, declares the LORD. You have turned your back. So I will stretch out My hand against you and I will destroy you; I am weary of showing compassion.

Ezekiel 20:33 · BSB

As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will rule over you.

Ezekiel 20:34 · BSB

With a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered.

“both”

Jeremiah 37:7–10

Jeremiah 37:7–10 · BSB

“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says that you are to tell the king of Judah, who sent you to Me: Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to help you, will go back to its own land of Egypt.

Also

Isaiah 30:7 Isaiah 30:5 Isaiah 36:9

Isaiah 30:7 · BSB

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

Isaiah 30:5 · BSB

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

Isaiah 36:9 · BSB

For how can you repel a single officer among the least of my master’s servants when you depend on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

2Yet He too is wise and brings disaster; He does not call back His words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked and against the allies of evildoers.

4For this is what the LORD has said to me: “Like a lion roaring or a young lion over its prey— and though a band of shepherds is called out against it, it is not terrified by their shouting or subdued by their clamor— so the LORD of Hosts will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and its heights.

Read Isaiah 31