Isaiah 31:3 net — The Egyptians are mere humans, not God; their horses are made of flesh, not spirit. The LORD will strike with his hand;…

NET Bible

"The Egyptians are mere humans, not God; their horses are made of flesh, not spirit. The LORD will strike with his hand; the one who helps will stumble and the one being helped will fall. Together they will perish."

— Isaiah 31:3, NET Bible

Read in Another Translation

5 of 21 translations

Isaiah 31:3 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.”

  • ASV

    “Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit: and when Jehovah shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall stumble, and he that is helped shall fall, and they all shall be consumed together. ”

  • WEB

    “Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When Yahweh stretches out his hand, both he who helps shall stumble, and he who is helped shall fall, and they all shall be consumed together.”

  • DRB

    “Egypt is man, and not God: and their horses, flesh, and not spirit: and the Lord shall put down his hand, and the helper shall fall, and he that is helped shall fall, and they shall all be confounded together.”

  • BBE

    “For the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses are flesh, and not spirit: and when the Lord's hand is stretched out, the helper and he who is helped will come down together.”

  • KJVA

    “Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.”

Isaiah 31 — Context

1

Egypt Will Disappoint Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, those who rely on war horses, and trust in Egypt’s many chariots and in their many, many horsemen. But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel and do not seek help from the LORD.

2

Yet he too is wise and he will bring disaster; he does not retract his decree. He will attack the wicked nation, and the nation that helps those who commit sin.

3

The Egyptians are mere humans, not God; their horses are made of flesh, not spirit. The LORD will strike with his hand; the one who helps will stumble and the one being helped will fall. Together they will perish.

4

The Lord Will Defend Zion Indeed, this is what the LORD has said to me:“The LORD will be like a growling lion, like a young lion growling over its prey. Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it, it is not afraid of their shouts or intimidated by their yelling. In this same way the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will descend to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill.

5

Just as birds hover over a nest, so the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; as he passes over he will rescue it.

6

You Israelites! Return to the one against whom you have so blatantly rebelled!

Isaiah 31:3 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Isaiah 31:3 say?
Isaiah 31:3 in the NET Bible reads: “The Egyptians are mere humans, not God; their horses are made of flesh, not spirit. The LORD will strike with his hand; the one who helps will stumble and the one being helped will fall. Together they will perish.”
Where is Isaiah 31:3 in the Bible?
Isaiah 31:3 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Isaiah, chapter 31, verse 3.
Who wrote Isaiah?
Isaiah is traditionally attributed to Isaiah son of Amoz. Many critical scholars propose multiple authors ("Deutero-" and "Trito-Isaiah") for chapters 40–66; conservative scholarship holds to single Isaianic authorship. It was written c. 740–680 BC.
What is the book of Isaiah about?
Isaiah is the most quoted prophet in the New Testament — a sweeping vision of God's holiness, Judah's sin, coming judgment, and a promised Servant who would bear the iniquity of many. From "Holy, holy, holy" to "by his stripes we are healed," Isaiah speaks the gospel before the gospel.
What are the major themes of Isaiah?
Isaiah explores themes including Holiness, Judgment, Servant of the LORD, Hope, Salvation, Restoration. These themes shape the meaning and context of Isaiah 31:3.
What translation should I read Isaiah 31:3 in?
Isaiah 31:3 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Isaiah 31:3?
Isaiah 31:3 reads (NET): “The Egyptians are mere humans, not God; their horses are made of flesh, not spirit. The LORD will strike with his hand; the one who helps will stumble and the one being helped will fall. Together they will perish.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
GodsGoodBook logo

GodsGoodBook

Making God's Word accessible to everyone

Experience the Bible like never before with multiple translations, powerful search tools, and features to make God's Word personal to you. Completely free, forever.

Features

15+ Bible Translations
Powerful Search Tools
Highlight & Annotate
Share Verses
100% Free Forever
© 2025 GodsGoodBookVersion 1.8.2