Isaiah
Chapter 30
Against the Covenant With Egypt
“Woe to the rebellious children,says the Lord: “they make plans which are not mine, they form alliances I did not inspire, and thus add sin upon sin.
They go down to Egypt without my advice to take refuge in Pharaoh’s protection and seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt.
Therefore Pharaoh’s protection will be your shame and Egypt’s shadow your confusion.
When your officials reach Zoan, and your ambassadors come to Hanes,
they will all be put to shame by a people who can do nothing for them, who can give neither help nor benefit but only disgrace and reproach.”
Against the Alliance with Egypt
An oracle concerning the beasts of the Negeb: Through a distressed and troubled land of lions and lionesses, of vipers and darting snakes, the envoys carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, their treasures upon the humps of camels, to a people that is of no use to them.
Egypt! An illusory and useless help. Because of that I call it: Scarecrow, the Do-Nothing.
Testament of Isaiah
Now go, write it down as a record for them, inscribe it on a scroll, so it will be an everlasting accusation against them.
These are rebellious people, their children deceitful. They do not listen to the Lord’s advice.
To the seers they say: “See not,” and to the prophets: “Do not prophesy the truth. Just tell us pleasant things; see illusions and prophesy deceits.
Stray from the path, turn from the way! Take away from us the Holy One of Israel!”
Therefore, the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you despised this message and resorted instead to lies and abusive taxes, choosing to stay with it,
therefore this guilt of yours will be like a breach on a high wall, cracked and bulging, ready to fall; the crash will come suddenly and instantly.
It will be like the breaking of a potter’s vessel, smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not one shard remains big enough to scoop cinder out of the hearth or ladle water out of the cistern.”
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “Conversion and calmness would have been your salvation, quietness and trust your strength.”
But instead, you said: “No, we will flee on horses!” Very well then, flee! And you added: “We will ride on swift steeds.” Your pursuer will be swifter.
At the threat of one, a thousand will flee; at the threat of five, all will flee, till what is left of you will be like a staff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.
Conversion of the People
Yet the Lord waits to give you grace; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him.
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. When you cry, he will listen; when he hears, he will answer.
When the Lord has given you the bread of anguish and the water of distress, he, your teacher will hide no longer.
Your own eyes will see him, and your ear will listen to his words behind you: “This is the way, walk in it.”
You will see the uncleanliness of your idols and images overlaid with silver and gold. You will throw them out like a menstrual cloth. “Away with you then!” you will say to them.
He will then give rain for the seed you sow and make the harvest abundant from the crops you grow. On that day, your cattle will graze in wide pastures.
Your beasts of burden will eat silage tossed to them with a pitchfork and shovel.
For on the day of the great slaughter, when fortresses fall, streams of water will flow on every mountain and lofty hill.
When the Lord binds up the wounds of his people and heals the bruises inflicted by his blows, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven times greater, like the light of seven days.
Theophany and Punishment of Assyria
Look, from afar the Name of the Lord is coming, burning in anger, with a heavy hand. Filled with fury are his lips, like a consuming fire is his tongue.
Like a rushing torrent is his breath, rising up to the neck, shaking the nations as in a sieve of destruction, putting the bit of his bridle between the jaws of the people causing them to err and stray.
You will sing, as on the night of a holy solemnity; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes, with timbrels and lyres. to the mountain of the Lord to the mighty One of Israel.
The Lord will make his majestic voice heard and show his arm descending in devastating fury and consuming fire, with sweeping wind and crashing thunder.
At the voice of the Lord, Assyria will be battered; at the blows of his rod, it will be shattered.
At every beat of the punishing rod the plagues will fall on him. For the Lord will fight him with outstretched hand.
The pyre has long been ready, prepared for the king. Broad and deep is its fire pit, piled up with dry grass and wood. The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, will set it ablaze.
Commentaries
Various Oracles.
Chapters 28-33 mainly describe the events caused by the Assyrians between 701 and 691 B.C. Some suggest that a common theme throughout this section is the repeated use of the word “woe” at the beginning of each of the six messages: 28:1; 29:1.15; 30:1; 31:1; 33:1.
Against the Covenant With Egypt.
The fourth “woe” of threat now targets Hezekiah, who has chosen to ally with Egypt to face the Assyrians. Judah did indeed turn to Egypt between 703 and 702 B.C., but Isaiah opposes this policy, seeing no need to seek support outside of what the Lord offers. Egypt did promise help, but when the time came, it abandoned Judah (cf. Is 31:1-3).
the Alliance with Egypt.
The mockery of Hezekiah’s ambassadors continues. They are crossing the Negev with Egypt as their final destination. “Rahab,” “Chaos,” and “the Beast of the South” were monsters from ancient mythology; according to popular tradition, these monsters had become harmless (cf. Job 26:12). By exchanging ideas, Egypt, once a mighty empire, is now depicted as harmless.
Testament of Isaiah.
Verse 8 refers to the appearance of the written book of Isaiah’s oracles. The prophet’s words are challenged by those of his audience, who are only willing to listen to what aligns with their plans and desires (10). The rejection of the truth leads to divine judgment (13).
Conversion of the People.
The stubborn people had become blind and deaf (29:18). God, who is faithful to his covenant and compassionate, offers them the gift of conversion and guides them like a teacher (20-21). The people will abandon their idols (22), and God will bless them with rain and an abundance of fruits of the earth and livestock (23).
Theophany and Punishment of Assyria.
This passage reminds us of the looming threat of invasion by Assyria in 701 B.C. The Topheth was historically the place in Jerusalem where children were burned as offerings to the god Moloch (2 Kgs 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31). Isaiah, well-versed in his traditions, predicts that this place is now prepared for the Assyrian king.