Isaiah 30:4 (YLT)

Passage

For in Zoan were his princes, And his messengers reach Hanes.

Nearby Context

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.

Isaiah 30:5 All he made ashamed of a people that profit not, Neither for help, not for profit, But for shame, and also for reproach!

Isaiah 30:6 The burden of the beasts of the south. Into a land of adversity and distress, Of young lion and of old lion, Whence <FI>are<Fi> viper and flying saraph, They carry on the shoulder of asses their wealth, And on the hump of camels their treasures, Unto a people not profitable.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "zoan", "princes", "messengers", "reach", and "hanes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "zoan" and "princes", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "And the strength of Pharaoh Hath been..." into verse 5's "All he made ashamed of a people...", so "zoan" and "princes" 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 "zoan" and "princes" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.