Isaiah 19:25

 Isaiah 19:25 

Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work 

of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.

a. ASV: For that Jehovah of hosts hath blessed them, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. [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 Jehovah of Hosts did bless it, saying, 'Blessed is My people -- Egypt, And the work of My hands -- Asshur, And Mine inheritance -- Israel!'  [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:  Whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people and Assyria the work of My hands and Israel My heritage.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. NLT: For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will say, “Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!” [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: For HASHEM, Master of Legions, will bless them saying, ‘Blessed is My people, Egypt; and the work of My hands, Assyria; and My heritage, Israel.’  [THE ARTSCROLL SERIES\MILSTEIN EDITION THE LATTER PROPHETS, ISAIAH Ⓒ Copyright 2013 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ltd.]

f. Peshitta Eastern Text: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel my heritage.  [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. “Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying Blessed be Egypt my people…”

a. Whom [Strong: 834 ʼăsher, ash-er'; a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:—× after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]

b. [the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.]

c. [of] hosts [Strong: 6635 tsâbâʼ, tsaw-baw'; or (feminine) צְבָאָה tsᵉbâʼâh; from H6633; a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship):—appointed time, (+) army, (+) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war(-fare). 

d. [shall] bless [Strong: 1288 bârak, baw-rak'; a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):—× abundantly, × altogether, × at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, × greatly, × indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, × still, thank.]

e. saying [Strong: 559 ʼâmar, aw-mar'; a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):—answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.]

f. Blessed [Strong: 1288 bârak, baw-rak'; a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):—× abundantly, × altogether, × at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, × greatly, × indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, × still, thank.]

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

h. [my] people [Strong: 5971 ʻam, am; from H6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:—folk, men, nation, people.]

2. “...and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.”

a. [and] 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.]

b. [the] work [Strong: 4639 maʻăseh, mah-as-eh'; from H6213; an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property:—act, art, bakemeat, business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, × well, (handy-, needle-, net-) work(ing, -manship), wrought.]

c. [of my] hands [Strong: 3027 yâd, yawd; a primitive word; a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote [as follows]:—( be) able, × about, armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, × bounty, broad, (broken-) handed, × by, charge, coast, consecrate, creditor, custody, debt, dominion, × enough, fellowship, force, × from, hand(-staves, -y work), × he, himself, × in, labour, large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, × mine, ministry, near, × of, × order, ordinance, × our, parts, pain, power, × presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, swear, terror, × thee, × by them, × themselves, × thine own, × thou, through, × throwing, thumb, times, × to, × under, × us, × wait on, (way-) side, where, wide, × with (him, me, you), work, yield, × yourselves.

d. [and] Israel [Strong: 3478 Yisrâʼêl, yis-raw-ale'; from H8280 and H410; he will rule as God; Jisraël, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:—Israel.]

e. [mine] inheritance [Strong: 5159 nachălâh, nakh-al-aw'; from H5157 (in its usual sense); properly, something inherited, i.e. (abstractly) occupancy, or (concretely) an heirloom; generally an estate, patrimony or portion:—heritage, to inherit, inheritance, possession.]

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!