Isaiah 30:2 (GNV)

Passage

Which walke forth to goe downe into Egypt (and haue not asked at my mouth) to strengthen them selues with the strength of Pharaoh, and trust in the shadowe of Egypt.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 30:1 Wo to the rebellious children, sayth the Lord, that take counsell, but not of me, and couer with a couering, but not by my spirit, that they may lay sinne vpon sinne:

Isaiah 30:2 Which walke forth to goe downe into Egypt (and haue not asked at my mouth) to strengthen them selues with the strength of Pharaoh, and trust in the shadowe of Egypt.

Isaiah 30:3 But the strength of Pharaoh shalbe your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

Isaiah 30:4 For his princes were at Zoan, and his Ambassadours came vnto Hanes.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "walke", "forth", "downe", "egypt", "haue", "asked", "mouth", and "strengthen". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "walke" and "forth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Wo to the rebellious children sayth the..." into verse 3's "But the strength of Pharaoh shalbe your...", so "walke" and "forth" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "walke" and "forth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.