Isaiah 19:16 · Bible study
Isaiah 19:16 Commentary: 'Like Women' and the Shaking Hand of God
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore why Isaiah compares Egyptians to women, the meaning of Yahweh's shaking hand, and how this verse reveals God's power to humble the proud.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The verse depicts Egypt's terror before God's active judgment, using the metaphor of women to convey helplessness, and pointing to Yahweh's sovereign power.
- Key words: "like women" (כַּנָּשִׁים) metaphor for timidity; "shaking" (תְּנוּפָה) brandishing or waving; "hand of Yahweh" symbol of divine power.
- Main debate: Whether the comparison to women alludes to an alleged Egyptian custom of effeminacy (Calvin rejects this) or purely describes God's supernatural judgment.
- Theological theme: God's sovereignty over nations; the humbling of human pride before the Lord of Hosts.
- Best use: Teaching on God's judgment and grace, especially in the context of the whole chapter which culminates in Egypt's blessing.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble with fear beneath the uplifted hand of the LORD of Hosts, when He brandishes it against them.
WEB World English Bible 2000
In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble and fear because of the shaking of Yahweh of Armies’s hand, which he shakes over them.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
In that day shall the Egyptians be like unto women; and they shall tremble and fear because of the shaking of the hand of Jehovah of hosts, which he shaketh over them.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
In that day is Egypt like women, And it hath mourned, and been afraid, Because of the waving of the hand of Jehovah of Hosts, That He is waving over it.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
In that day shall Egypt be like unto women; and it shall tremble and fear because of the shaking of the hand of Jehovah of hosts, which he shaketh over it.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
In that day Egypt shall be like unto women, and they shall be amazed, and afraid, because of the moving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which he shall move over it.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
En aquel día serán los Egipcios como mujeres; porque se asombrarán y temerán, en la presencia de la mano alta de Jehová de los ejércitos, que él ha de levantar sobre ellos.
Naquele dia os egípcios serão como mulheres; e tremerão e temerão por causa do mover da mão do SENHOR dos exércitos, que moverá contra eles.
En ce jour, l’ Égypte sera comme des femmes:
Zu der Zeit wird Ägypten sein wie Weiber und sich fürchten und erschrecken, wenn der HERR Zebaoth die Hand über sie schwingen wird.
Te dien dage zullen de Egyptenaars zijn als de vrouwen; en zij zullen beven en vrezen vanwege de beweging van de hand des HEEREN der heirscharen, welke Hij tegen hen bewegen zal.
In quel giorno, l’Egitto sarà come le donne: tremerà, sarà spaventato, vedendo la mano dell’Eterno degli eserciti che s’agita, minacciosa contro di lui.
Dnia onego będzie Egipt podobny niewiastom; bo się lękać i strachać będzie przed podniesieniem ręki Pana zastępów, którą on podniesie przeciwko niemu.
В тот день Египтяне будут подобны женщинам, и вострепещут и убоятся движения руки Господа Саваофа, которую Он поднимет на них.
到那 日，埃及人 必 像婦人一樣，他們必因 萬軍 之耶和華 在埃及以上 所 掄的 手，戰兢 懼怕。
In that day the Egyptians will be like women: and the land will be shaking with fear because of the waving of the Lord's hand stretched out over it.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 19:16
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse depicts the complete collapse of Egyptian pride under God's judgment. The comparison "like women" (כַּנָּשִׁים) is a cultural metaphor for timidity and helplessness, not a statement about women's nature. Barnes notes that Hebrews often used this comparison to express great consternation (Jer 51:30; Nah 3:13). Calvin argues the prophet is not describing an ordinary custom but a supernatural dread that strips the Egyptians of their courage. The phrase "shaking of the hand of Yahweh of Armies" (תְּנוּפַת יַד־יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת) points to God's active judgment. Gill connects it to the brandishing of a rod or sword, and the Cambridge Bible sees an allusion to Moses's rod over the Red Sea (Exodus 14). The "in that day" phrase marks a specific divine visitation, recurring throughout the chapter. The consensus stands: God's power humbles the proud, causing even the strongest nations to tremble.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse unambiguously describes the Egyptians' terror in response to God's judgment, using the image of women as a culturally understood symbol of helplessness and fear.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The comparison to women | All commentators agree the phrase conveys extreme fear, timidity, and helplessness in the face of judgment. | Some interpreters see an allusion to an Egyptian custom where men performed women's roles (Calvin rejects this); others argue it purely describes the terror God imposes, without reference to cultural practices. |
| The shaking of God's hand | The shaking hand is universally understood as a gesture of judgment and threat. | Gill and the Cambridge Bible connect it specifically to Moses' rod over the Red Sea; Barnes and others see it as a general symbol of threatening power. |
| The meaning of 'in that day' | Christians across traditions see this as a prophetic marker for a time of divine intervention. | Some read it as a specific historical judgment (the Assyrian or Babylonian invasions); others see an eschatological horizon that points to the final judgment and the conversion of the nations. |
| The role of Judah (v. 17) | Judah becomes an object of fear to Egypt, showing God's people as agents of divine purpose. | This is interpreted either literally (Egypt fears Judah's military power) or symbolically (the God of Judah terrifies Egypt, and the land itself causes dread). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The oracle against Egypt in Isaiah 19 unfolds in several movements. Verses 1-15 describe a series of calamities: civil war, failed counsel, dried-up waters, exhausted resources. The tide turns in verse 16. "In that day" (בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא), a signature phrase in Isaiah's prophecies, signals a decisive moment. The Egyptians, who boasted of ancient wisdom (19:11-13) and military strength, are reduced to a state of trembling. The comparison "like women" draws on a cultural stereotype of timidity; the same image appears in Jeremiah 51:30 and Nahum 3:13. Calvin notes that the Egyptians considered themselves warlike, so this humiliation is especially striking.
The "shaking of the hand of Yahweh of Armies" echoes earlier passages: Isaiah 11:15 where God waves His hand over the River (the Euphrates), and Isaiah 30:32 where brandishing weapons accompany judgment. The hand of Yahweh is a symbol of His active power. The verb מֵנִיף (brandishing) is a participle, indicating ongoing action. Gill suggests that the image recalls Moses shaking his rod over the Red Sea (Exodus 14), a paradigmatic act of divine deliverance and judgment. The Cambridge Bible explicitly connects this to the Exodus plagues, when the Egyptians begged the Israelites to leave (Ex 10:7, 11:3, 12:33). That historical memory would have intensified the threat.
The immediate context for Isaiah's audience was the Assyrian crisis. Egypt often served as a false hope for Judah (Isa 30-31). Prophecy against Egypt carried a double message: God would judge reliance on human alliances and show He alone is sovereign over all nations. The terror described here is not merely political; it is the fear of the Lord, the proper response to His holiness and power.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The minor variation between singular 'Egypt' (WEB, KJV) and plural 'Egyptians' (ASV, YLT) does not affect the meaning; both refer to the nation collectively, and the Masoretic Text supports the singular form with consistent witness. Clarke mentions a manuscript with plural spellings, but this is not considered a variant of substance.
Reception History
Early Christian interpreters often read this verse allegorically, seeing the terror of Egypt as a type of the world's fear before Christ. During the Reformation, Calvin and the Geneva Bible emphasized God's sovereignty and the humbling of human pride. In the Wesleyan tradition, John Wesley and Adam Clarke used the verse to highlight the fear of the Lord as a path to repentance. Modern commentaries are careful to explain the cultural metaphor 'like women' to avoid misunderstanding its intent. The verse's location before the promise of Egypt's blessing (19:18-25) has been cherished across traditions as a pattern of judgment followed by salvation, pointing ultimately to the gospel hope for all nations.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's judgment strips human pride. The Egyptians, proud and powerful, become "like women", a culturally understood emblem of helplessness and fear.
- God's presence inspires terror. They tremble and fear because the Lord of Armies has turned His hand against them.
- God's hand is active and sovereign. The shaking hand is not passive; it is a direct, personal action. This war is entirely the Lord's (Calvin).
Five-point outline
- The setting: "In that day", an appointed time of divine visitation.
- The comparison: "like women", a cultural expression of timidity and vulnerability.
- The reaction: "tremble and fear", a visceral, undignified response.
- The cause: "the shaking of the hand of Yahweh of Armies", judgment wielded by the highest authority.
- The agent: "which He shakes over them", God personally executes this judgment, not merely human armies.
Illustration hooks
- A confident executive receives news that their company has collapsed overnight; the people who once feared them now see only panic.
- A natural disaster strips away all human defenses, the same people who built skyscrapers now flee for shelter.
- A small child bravely talks back to a parent until a single stern look sends them running to hide.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still judge nations like this today, or is this only for ancient times?
- How can we reconcile this picture of God's terrifying power with the message of His love in Christ?
- Why does Isaiah use such strong language for Egypt, and what does that say about God's concern for all people?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows a dramatic reversal: Egypt, once a source of human confidence, becomes a trembling nation. As you read Isaiah 19:16-17, consider how the prophet portrays both judgment and the possibility of transformation. The chapter ends with surprising hope for Egypt (vv.18-25). Let the tension between judgment and grace guide your discussion.
Discussion questions
- What words and images stand out to you in this verse? What feelings do they evoke?
- Why does Isaiah choose the comparison "like women"? How would the original audience have heard this in their cultural context?
- What does the "shaking of the hand of Yahweh of Armies" communicate about God's character and power? Where else in Scripture do we see this image?
- How does the context of Egypt's failed wisdom (19:11-15) set up the terror described here?
- How does verse 17 (Judah becoming a terror) intensify the shock of this judgment?
- In what ways do we, like Egypt, place our trust in human strength, wisdom, or alliances instead of God?
- How does the rest of Isaiah 19 (especially vv.18-25) reshape your understanding of this judgment? What hope emerges from the terror?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 48:6 | Trembling took hold of them there, pain, as of a woman in travail. |
| Isaiah 10:32 | This very day he will halt at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. |
| Isaiah 11:15 | Yahweh will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his scorching wind he will wave his hand over the River, and will split it into seven streams, and cause men to march over in sandals. |
| Isaiah 30:17 | One thousand will flee at the threat of one. At the threat of five, you will flee until you are left like a beacon on the top of a mountain, and like a banner on a hill. |
| Isaiah 30:30 | Yahweh will cause his glorious voice to be heard, and will show the descent of his arm, with the indignation of his anger and the flame of a devouring fire, with a blast, storm, and hailstones. |
| Isaiah 30:32 | Every stroke of the rod of punishment, which Yahweh will lay on him, will be with the sound of tambourines and harps. He will fight with them in battles, brandishing weapons. |
| Jeremiah 30:5 | For Yahweh says: “We have heard a voice of trembling; a voice of fear, and not of peace. |
| Jeremiah 30:7 | Alas, for that day is great, so that none is like it! It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he will be saved out of it. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the Hebrew verb can be read as a plural, supported by some manuscripts and ancient versions. He points out that the text likely refers to the Egyptians themselves rather than Egypt as a land. But he adds that either reading is grammatically valid.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that the comparison of Egypt to women is a Hebrew idiom for extreme timidity and terror, not a comment on women themselves. He also notes that the shaking of the hand is a gesture of threatening or punishment, not a random movement.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator clarifies that the phrase "like women" describes timidity and faint-heartedness, and "shake the hand" refers to repeated blows from God. He connects this terror to the Exodus plagues, when God's strokes made His people an object of fear to their enemies.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that Egypt will be reduced to a state of weakness and terror, comparing them to frightened women. Their fear comes directly from the Lord of hosts shaking His hand over them as a gesture of impending judgment.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that Egypt's weakness is compared to women, meaning they become fearful and devoid of wisdom. The shaking of the Lord's hand signifies a threatening gesture that terrifies them, possibly recalling Moses' rod over the Red Sea and signaling that judgment is imminent.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights that describing soldiers as women underscores their utter timidity and helplessness, not any feminine quality. The shaking of the hand is not a friendly gesture but a sign of God's judgments carried out through invading armies.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlight that Egypt's reaction to God's judgments is utter terror: the plagues reduce them to timidity like women, and even the mention of Judah's land sends them into panic. The Egyptians recognize Jehovah as the source of these blows, their faith in idols wavers, and they seek to avert further disaster with gifts.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange observes that Egypt has given up its hope of being saved by its own wisdom and now trembles at the threatening gesture of Jehovah’s hand. Even the mere mention of Judah strikes terror into Egypt, because they know the power of Judah’s God and fear the full completion of His already partly fulfilled decree.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws attention to the utter helplessness of Egypt's wisest counselors and most cherished idols when the Lord appears. Their boasted wisdom turns to foolishness, their gods tremble, and every human resource fails—all because the Sovereign rides on a cloud, not a chariot, showing His absolute command over even the mightiest nation.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the women's fear springs from recognizing they face not only human enemies but the Lord of hosts Himself, who now opposes them as He did their ancestors. This divine intervention, not mere human warfare, is what makes them feeble and fearful.