Discovery BoxIsaiah 19:16-17 
Context19:16 At that time 1 the Egyptians 2 will be like women. 3 They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. 4 19:17 The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord who commands armies is planning to do to them. 5
1 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.
2 tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.
3 sn As the rest of the verse indicates, the point of the simile is that the Egyptians will be relatively weak physically and will wilt in fear before the Lord’s onslaught.
4 tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.
5 tn Heb “and the land of Judah will become [a source of] shame to Egypt, everyone to whom one mentions it [i.e., the land of Judah] will fear because of the plan of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] which he is planning against him.”
