Tag Archives: Isaiah 30:3

The Shame of Trust: Syntax, Irony, and Political Theology in Isaiah 30:3

וְהָיָ֥ה לָכֶ֛ם מָעֹ֥וז פַּרְעֹ֖ה לְבֹ֑שֶׁת וְהֶחָס֥וּת בְּצֵל־מִצְרַ֖יִם לִכְלִמָּֽה׃ (Isaiah 30:3) And the stronghold of Pharaoh shall become for you a shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Mitsrayim a disgrace. Contextual Introduction Isaiah 30:3 forms part of a prophetic denunciation of Judah’s reliance on Mitsrayim (Egypt) for political and military security. Instead of trusting in YHWH, the leaders of Judah turn to Pharaoh for protection against Assyria, a decision that Isaiah condemns as both faithless and futile. The verse plays on the language of safety and refuge, flipping it into irony and disgrace.… Learn Hebrew
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