Isaiah 19:20

It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of Hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, He will send them a savior and defender to rescue them.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The prophet Isaiah delivers a future declaration concerning Egypt, situated in the prophetic timeframe of "that day" immediately following the judgment described in Isaiah 19:19.

The words — The Hebrew אֹת ('ot) translates literally as "sign" and עֵד ('Ed) as "witness," designating the altar and pillar as tangible markers pointing to Yahweh.

The thread — The pattern of crying out in distress and receiving deliverance appears in Psalms 50:15, while the challenge to present a case before God who foretold such events runs through Isaiah 45:21.

Why it lands — The text demands that readers recognize divine rescue follows human desperation and respond with concrete acknowledgment and obedience rather than passive observation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְהָיָ֨הve./ha.Yahand/ it will become לְא֥וֹתle./'ot<into>/ a sign וּלְעֵ֛דu./le./'Edand/ <into>/ a witness לַֽיהוָ֥הla./Yah.wehto/ Yahweh צְבָא֖וֹתtze.va.'otof hosts בְּאֶ֣רֶץbe./'E.retzin/ [the] land of מִצְרָ֑יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgypt כִּֽי־ki-that יִצְעֲק֤וּyitz.'a.Kuthey will cry out אֶל־'el-to יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahweh מִפְּנֵ֣יmi./pe.Nei<from>/ because of לֹֽחֲצִ֔יםlo.cha.Tzimoppressors וְיִשְׁלַ֥חve./yish.Lachand/ he may sendלָהֶ֛םla./Hemto/ themמוֹשִׁ֥יעַmo.Shi.a'a deliverer וָרָ֖בva./Ravand/ [one who] contends וְהִצִּילָֽם׃ve./hi.tzi.La/mand/ he will rescue/ them

King James Version

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 saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.

Cross-references

Psalms 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
Titus 2:13 as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 45:21 Speak up and present your case—yes, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago? Who announced it from ancient times? Was it not I, the LORD? There is no other God but Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is none but Me.
Luke 2:11 Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!
Exodus 2:23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.
Exodus 3:7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
Joshua 4:20 And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.
Joshua 22:27 Rather, let it be a witness between us and you and the generations to come, that we will worship the LORD in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings.’ Then in the future, your descendants cannot say to ours, ‘You have no share in the LORD!’
Joshua 22:34 So the Reubenites and Gadites named the altar Witness, for they said, “It is a witness between us that the LORD is God.”
Joshua 24:26 Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the LORD.