Isa 30:1-17 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Isa 30:1-33: 30:1-33 After threatening Judah with judgment because of their stubbornness and their reliance on Egypt (30:1-17 ), God again committed himself to deal compassionately with his people and to break the power of their enemies. Summary for Isa 30:1-5: 30:1-5 This prophecy was against Judah’s dependence on Egypt. It is the fourth of the six woes (see study note on 28:1–33:24). 30:1 The wisdom of the people of Judah was not directed by God’s Spirit (cp. 11:2 ); instead, they had formed alliances that God did not approve of. Although the Assyrian attack on Jerusalem was overwhelming, making an alliance with Egypt demonstrated that the leaders of Judah depended on human resources for their protection rather than on God. Fortunately, Hezekiah later had a change of heart (see chs 36

Summary for Isa 30:1-33: 30:1-33 ^a After threatening Judah with judgment because of their stubbornness and their reliance on Egypt (30:1-17 ^b), God again committed himself to deal compassionately with his people and to break the power of their enemies.
Summary for Isa 30:1-5: 30:1-5 ^c This prophecy was against Judah’s dependence on Egypt. It is the fourth of the six woes (see study note on 28:1–33:24). 30:1 ^d The wisdom of the people of Judah was not directed by God’s Spirit (cp. 11:2 ^e); instead, they had formed alliances that God did not approve of. Although the Assyrian attack on Jerusalem was overwhelming, making an alliance with Egypt demonstrated that the leaders of Judah depended on human resources for their protection rather than on God. Fortunately, Hezekiah later had a change of heart (see chs 36–37 ^f).
30:4 ^g Zoan: See 19:11 ^h. The location of Hanes is uncertain.
Summary for Isa 30:6-7: 30:6-7 ⁱ This taunt was against those who were busy trying to please the Egyptians in order to get Egypt’s military support. 30:6 ^j Caravans moved from Judah through the Negev and the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt to avoid the main coast road that was under Assyrian control. It was a dangerous region, filled with lions and poisonous snakes. People would risk their lives to make a worthless alliance.

• Being weighed down with riches might refer to money being sent to Egypt to buy that nation’s help.
30:7 ^k Harmless Dragon: In ancient mythology, Rahab was the enemy of the good gods and was depicted in fearsome terms, somewhat like a giant crocodile (see 27:1 ^l; 51:9 ^m; Job 41:1-34 ⁿ). By saying that Egypt was harmless, the prophet meant that it would be of no help to Judah.
Summary for Isa 30:8-11: 30:8-11 ^o God instructed the prophet to write down the vision for future generations. The present generation was rebellious; they rejected God’s word in favor of the false prophets’ fantasies (see 8:16-17 ^p).
30:11 ^q Stop telling us: The people of Judah did not want to be confronted about sin or judgment.
Summary for Isa 30:12-17: 30:12-17 ^r Judgment would suddenly overtake the people of Judah because they were content with their fantasy world, and they refused God’s path to rest and quietness. 30:12 ^s The whole society accepted oppression and lies. People reinforced each other’s delusions, so it was considered acceptable to trust that Egypt would protect them from Assyria, even though that was a lie. It was also considered legal and legitimate to oppress the poor by taking their land.
30:15 ^t The people of Judah needed to repent of their sinful ways (30:12-14 ^u), returning to the Lord, in order to be rescued.

• Trust in the Lord would bring quietness and confidence, unlike their frantic negotiations with Egypt.
30:16 ^v Judah’s reliance on Egypt to supply swift horses (see Ps 33:17 ^w) amounted to a rejection of God’s help and threatened to bring about its fall.
30:17 ^x One ... Five: This curse is the opposite of God’s blessing for obedience (Lev 26:8 ^y; Deut 32:30 ^z).

• The Assyrians had dominated the rest of the land of Judah, leaving Jerusalem isolated like a lonely flagpole on a hill.