Isaiah 30:2 (KJV)

Passage

That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

Nearby Context

Isaiah 30:1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

Isaiah 30:2 That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

Isaiah 30:3 Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

Isaiah 30:4 For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Woe to the rebellious children saith the..." into verse 3's "Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be...", so "walk" and "down" 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 "walk" and "down" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.