1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.
Now it’s time to talk about Egypt’s punishment for their idolatry. This punishment will also be a sign to Judah that they can’t depend on Egypt like they have always done.
2 And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbor; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.
Their punishment starts with civil war, always a heart-breaker. In fact, there is no mention of foreign armies. They are going to fall from the inside out.
Egypt was then divided into twelve provinces, Psammetichus, the governor of one of them, pitted the others against each other until he was able to take contorol of the whole country.
3 And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.
When the trouble starts the people will go to their normal sources for answers; idols, witch doctors, mediums, etc.
4 And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts.
All their magic won’t do them any good. They will end up with a tyrant ruling over them.
5 And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.
Egypt exists because of the Nile. If it dries up, they are dead.
6 And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defense shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither.
A major part of their defense system is the Nile. It is too big to march an army across. Now if it dries up…
7 The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.
Paper was invented in Egypt by using the reeds that grow along the Nile. They are going to die.
8 The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.
Fish was a major part of any ancient diet, but especially Egypt's. Without the river, there will be no fish.
9 Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded.
Flax, which is used to make fine linen (a major trade item as well as a major source of clothes for the Egyptians), is another plant that grows on the Nile and will die if it dries up. So, now there will be no paper, food, or clothes.
10 And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish.
Evidently they grew fish on fish farms as well as catching them wild. Doesn’t matter. The water for the fish farms comes from the Nile also.
11 Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counselors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?
“You are all stupid.”
12 Where are they? Where are thy wise men? And let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.
All the truly wise men will know that God is punishing Egypt.
13 The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof.
14 The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.
God is causing the “wise men” who do not acknowledge Him to give very stupid advice to their rulers.
15 Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do.
16 In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it.
Women, with their God-given greater compassion, feel all emotions more deeply, including fear. Things are going to get so bad that all the men will be just as afraid. And these men are part of the oldest, strongest army in the world; one renowned for their courage.
17 And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that makes mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it.
Don’t know if this means Judah is supposed to attack or if they are an example of the destruction Assyria will do. Probably the later.
18 In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction.
Some Egyptians, in fear of the future, will turn to the true God, the one Israel/Judah worships.
19 In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD.
20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and He shall send them a savior, and a great one, and He shall deliver them.
God will save and protect those who worship Him.
21 And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it.
These five Egyptian cities will become true God worshipers.
22 And the LORD shall smite Egypt: He shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and He shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them.
God has always held salvation open to any people of any genetics who would choose to worship Him. Israel/Judah had the special assignment of carrying for the Bible, having the lineage of the Messiah, and evangelizing the world. But the Bible has many examples of people from other lands being saved.
23 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.
Instead of being conquered by the Assyrians, God will work it so that Egypt will be their partners.
24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:
25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.”
Egypt will be called God's people, they will be so dedicated to Him, while Assyria is the tool God will use to accomplish His will in the area. Also, the capital city of Assyria, Nineveh, has only recently had a major revival and conversion to true God- worship at the preaching of Jonah.
God is not promising a restoration of riches or even a return of the Nile, but the true blessing of salvation.
We are not aware of any event in history that matches this prophecy, but we don't know everything yet.
The salvation part may be from the time shortly after Christ when Christians fleeing persecution by the Jews evangelized Egypt, or maybe when those running from Assyria and Babylon fled to Egypt they brought the knowledge of the true God, causing a revival. In fact, Onias, son of a high priest, an exile in Egypt, built a temple there to worship God in claiming Isaiah's prophecy was his motivation/command to build.