Isaiah 30:2 (YLT)

Passage

Who are walking to go down to Egypt, And My mouth have not asked, To be strong in the strength of Pharaoh, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 30:1 Woe <FI>to<Fi> apostate sons, The affirmation of Jehovah! To do counsel, and not from Me, And to spread out a covering, and not of My spirit, So as to add sin to sin.

Isaiah 30:2 Who are walking to go down to Egypt, And My mouth have not asked, To be strong in the strength of Pharaoh, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt.

Isaiah 30:3 And the strength of Pharaoh Hath been to you for shame, And the trust in the shadow of Egypt confusion,

Isaiah 30:4 For in Zoan were his princes, And his messengers reach Hanes.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Woe FI to Fi apostate sons The..." into verse 3's "And the strength of Pharaoh Hath been...", so "walking" 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 "walking" and "down" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.