Discovery BoxIsaiah 30:1-2 
Context30:1 “The rebellious 1 children are as good as dead,” 2 says the Lord,
“those who make plans without consulting me, 3
who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, 4
and thereby compound their sin. 5
30:2 They travel down to Egypt
without seeking my will, 6
seeking Pharaoh’s protection,
and looking for safety in Egypt’s protective shade. 7
Isaiah 31:1
Context31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, 8
those who rely on war horses,
and trust in Egypt’s many chariots 9
and in their many, many horsemen. 10
But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel 11
and do not seek help from the Lord.
1 tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”
2 tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”
3 tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”
4 tn Heb “and pouring out a libation, but not [from] my spirit.” This translation assumes that the verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “pour out,” and that the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה (massekhah) means “libation.” In this case “pouring out a libation” alludes to a ceremony that formally ratifies an alliance. Another option is to understand the verb נָסַךְ as a homonym meaning “weave,” and the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה as a homonym meaning “covering.” In this case forming an alliance is likened to weaving a garment.
5 tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”
6 tn Heb “those who go to descend to Egypt, but [of] my mouth they do not inquire.”
7 tn Heb “to seek protection in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek refuge in the shade of Egypt.”
8 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”
9 tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”
10 tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”
11 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
