Isaiah 30:3
Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.
Original Language Analysis
וְהָיָ֥ה
H1961
וְהָיָ֥ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 9
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
מָע֥וֹז
Therefore shall the strength
H4581
מָע֥וֹז
Therefore shall the strength
Strong's:
H4581
Word #:
3 of 9
a fortified place; figuratively, a defense
לְבֹ֑שֶׁת
be your shame
H1322
לְבֹ֑שֶׁת
be your shame
Strong's:
H1322
Word #:
5 of 9
shame (the feeling and the condition, as well as its cause); by implication (specifically) an idol
Cross References
Isaiah 20:5And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.Romans 5:5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.Romans 10:11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Historical Context
This prophecy was fulfilled precisely. When Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah in 701 BCE, Egypt sent a relief force under Tirhakah, but it was ineffective (2 Kings 18:21 records Sennacherib's taunt: Egypt is a "broken reed" that pierces the hand of anyone leaning on it). Judah's Egyptian alliance brought no deliverance—only shame when Egypt couldn't help. Ultimate deliverance came not through Egyptian chariots but through divine intervention (Isaiah 37:36—the angel of the LORD struck down 185,000 Assyrians). Trusting God would have avoided the shame of failed human alliances.
Questions for Reflection
- How have you experienced the shame of trusting something or someone other than God, only to have it fail you?
- Why does trusting created things instead of the Creator always lead to 'confusion' and disappointment?
- What does this verse teach about the consequences of seeking security in worldly power rather than divine protection?
Analysis & Commentary
Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame (וְהָיָה לָכֶם מָעוֹז פַּרְעֹה לְבֹשֶׁת/vehayah lakhem ma'oz par'oh leboshet)—Ironic reversal: what they sought for strength (ma'oz, stronghold/refuge) becomes their shame (boshet, disgrace/humiliation). The very thing trusted for security produces embarrassment. Boshet also carried connotations of worthless idols (Jeremiah used it as substitute for Baal's name).
And the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion (וְהַחָסוּת בְּצֵל מִצְרַיִם לִכְלִמָּה/vehachsut betsel mitsrayim likhlimah)—Khelimah means disgrace, dishonor, confusion—the shame of exposed folly. Their refuge becomes their ruin. This prophetic principle appears throughout Scripture: whatever we trust instead of God will ultimately fail and shame us (Psalm 20:7-8; Jeremiah 17:5-6). The shadow they sought for protection becomes the shadow of death.