What does Isaias Chapter 31 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The chapter’s sequence retains its particular images and conditions. Edition interpretations remain separately attributed rather than certified claims. Promises and warnings retain their scope without invented scenes or universal practical guarantees.

Chapter breakdown

Isaias 31 condemns seeking Egyptian help through plentiful chariots and strong horsemen without seeking the Holy One. The wise one brings evil and retains his words against wicked house and helpers. Egypt is man, horses flesh rather than spirit; lowered divine hand brings helper and helped down together in confusion.

The Lord's fight at Sion is compared with lion and whelp unafraid of shepherds' voices or numbers, and Jerusalem's protection with flying birds, delivering, passing over and saving. Mother birds, nests and universal invincibility are not specified. Israel is called back from deep revolt, with handmade silver and gold idols discarded.

Assyria falls by a sword not of man, flees not at the sword's face, and its young become tributaries. Strength departs with dread and princes flee in fear before the Lord whose fire is at Sion and furnace at Jerusalem. Youth tribute is retained rather than replacing it with vanished elite troops. The oracle is not generalized into a prohibition on every military resource.

The story inside

Opening: The chapter’s sequence retains its particular images and conditions. Development: Edition interpretations remain separately attributed rather than certified claims. Conclusion: Promises and warnings retain their scope without invented scenes or universal practical guarantees.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The chapter’s sequence retains its particular images and conditions.
2
Edition interpretations remain separately attributed rather than certified claims.
3
Promises and warnings retain their scope without invented scenes or universal practical guarantees.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 81063–81066
31:1. Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, trusting in horses, and putting their confidence in chariots, because they are many: and in horsemen, because they are very strong: and have not trusted in the Holy One of Israel, and have not sought after the Lord.
Lines 81072–81075
31:3. Egypt is man, and not God: and their horses, flesh, and not spirit: and the Lord shall put down his hand, and the helper shall fall, and he that is helped shall fall, and they shall all be confounded together.