Isaiah 19:23

 Isaiah 19:23

In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.

a. ASV: In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians shall worship with the Assyrians.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: In that day is a highway out of Egypt to Asshur, And come in have the Assyrians to Egypt, And the Egyptians into Asshur, And the Egyptians have served with the Assyrians. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. NLT:  In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will move freely between their lands, and they will both worship God.  [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

e. The Milstein Edition, Later Prophets, Isaiah. With Rabbinic Commentary: On that day there will be a road from Egypt to Assyria; Assyria will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and Egypt will serve [HASHEM] with Assyria [THE ARTSCROLL SERIES\MILSTEIN EDITION THE LATTER PROPHETS, ISAIAH Ⓒ Copyright 2013 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ltd.]

f. Peshitta Eastern Text: In that day there shall be a highway from Egypt to Assyria and from Assyria to Egypt, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve Assyrians. [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT.Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

1. “In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria…”

a. [In] that [Strong: 1931 hûwʼ, hoo; of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is הִיא hîyʼ; he a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular; he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are:—he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.]

b. day [Strong: 3117 yôwm, yome; from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb):—age, always, chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), elder, × end, evening, (for) ever(-lasting, -more), × full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, old, outlived, perpetually, presently, remaineth, × required, season, × since, space, then, (process of) time, as at other times, in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), × whole ( age), (full) year(-ly), younger.]

c. [there] shall be [Strong: 1961 hâyâh, haw-yaw; a primitive root (compare H1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):—beacon, × altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, × have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, × use.]

d. highway [Strong: 4546 mᵉçillâh, mes-il-law'; from H5549; a thoroughfare (as turnpiked), literally or figuratively; specifically a viaduct, a staircase:—causeway, course, highway, path, terrace.]

e. [out of] Egypt [Strong: 4714 Mitsrayim, mits-rah'-yim; dual of H4693; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt:—Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.]

f. [to] Assyria [Strong: 804 ʼAshshûwr, ash-shoor'; or אַשֻּׁר ʼAshshur; apparently from H833 (in the sense of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its empire:—Asshur, Assur, Assyria, Assyrians.]

2. “...and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.”

a. [and the] Assyrian [Strong: 804 ʼAshshûwr, ash-shoor'; or אַשֻּׁר ʼAshshur; apparently from H833 (in the sense of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its empire:—Asshur, Assur, Assyria, Assyrians.]

b. [shall] come [Strong: 935 bôwʼ, bo; a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications):—abide, apply, attain, × be, befall, besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, × certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, × doubtless again, eat, employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, have, × indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, × (well) stricken (in age), × surely, take (in), way.]

c. [into] Egypt [Strong: 4714 Mitsrayim, mits-rah'-yim; dual of H4693; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt:—Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.]

d. [and the] Egyptians [Strong: 4714 Mitsrayim, mits-rah'-yim; dual of H4693; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt:—Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.]

e. [into] Assyria [Strong: 804 ʼAshshûwr, ash-shoor'; or אַשֻּׁר ʼAshshur; apparently from H833 (in the sense of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its empire:—Asshur, Assur, Assyria, Assyrians.]

f. [and the] Egyptians [Strong: 4714 Mitsrayim, mits-rah'-yim; dual of H4693; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt:—Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.]

g. [shall] serve [Strong: 5647 ʻâbad, aw-bad'; a primitive root; to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.:—× be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er), transgress (from margin), (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper,]

h. with [Strong: 854 ʼêth, ayth; probably from H579; properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.:—against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.]

i. [the] Assyrians [Strong: 804 ʼAshshûwr, ash-shoor'; or אַשֻּׁר ʼAshshur; apparently from H833 (in the sense of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its empire:—Asshur, Assur, Assyria, Assyrians.]

1). The Chosen People, Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.: No other nation on the face of the earth is so bound up with the history of Israel and the Kingdom of God through the ages as the nation of Egypt.  There are in excess of seven hundred references found in the Bible, with some 125 of those references found in the formula: I am the Lord your God who brought you up from the land of Egypt”. This passage in Isaiah 19 preserves for us one of the most amazing expressions, not only of international understanding found in the Bible, but one that specifically envisages the divine use of heavy judgment on that nation for the purpose of bringing about that nation’s healing and conversion as a people. Verses 23-25 in particular offer hope and promise to Egypt. In these verses, God announces that he will make a “highway from Egypt to Assyria,.” which today is modern Iraq. But what is meant here goes beyond the existence of an international roadway that connects the old Mesopotamian Valley nation with Egypt; it no doubt included trade and cultural interaction, but now it would involve especially the joint worship of these three nations, who have had a record of bitter hostility and violence with one another throughout historyImagine representatives of currently Muslim countries participating in joint worship services to the Lord God in Israel! The direction of the flow of worshippers wil go in both directions, from Iraq to Egypt and from Egypt to Iraq, both with Israel!The final announcement in verse 24, 25 seems to be more breathtaking than all the precious promises: These same three nations, who up to this point in history have been at such terrible odds with each other and the great disturbers of the peace of the rest of the world will turn around and suddenly become a blessing on earth (v. 24). What is more, God will bless each of the three nations individually. He will call Egypt, “My people.” Assyria/iraq will be named “My handiwork;” and Israel will be known by God as, “My inheritance,” (V. 25). Those are the names that had at one time or another been the exclusive names for Israel, but now were being shared with her former enemies! The picture that God paints as to what will happen in the final days is startling, to say the least. The three formerly deadlocked nations, Israel, Egypt, and iraq will be changed by the grace of God to function as a blessing to all the world. God will include all the nations of the world in His triumph. Even Egypt, that was once most hospitable to Israel, will be converted in the end times, as Jews and Arabs go to the house of God together, What a day that will be!