Isaiah 19:13
13 The princes [sar] of Zoan [Tso`an] are become fools [ya'al],
the princes [sar] of Noph [Noph] are deceived [nasha']; they
have also seduced [ta`ah] Egypt [Mitsrayim], even they that are the stay [pinnah] of the tribes [shebet]
thereof. KJV-Interlinear
13 The princes of Zoan have acted
foolishly, The princes of Memphis are deluded; Those who are the cornerstone of
her tribes Have led Egypt astray. NASB
As we have already
seen, the cities of Zoan and now mentioned, Noph, were two of the principal
cities in the very early days of ancient Egypt.
Today their exact locations are only estimated, with Noph perhaps being
the same as Memphis and/or Ghizeh, but that is not the point in this verse.
They were the seat of
government and authority and counsel for the entire nation and region, and as
such were bound with the responsibility and leadership of its citizens.
These two cities are in
ruins. The leadership of Egypt is
identified with ruin.
The repetition of the
name of the city of Zoan and the repetition of the reference to the princes as
fools, emphasizes the total and complete failure and stupidity with which they
lead and counsel.
The reference to the
city of Noph adds even more ambiguity to the nature of their leadership.
The stay, means
cornerstone, or the foundation upon which Egypt rested and depended.
Thus a nation of fools,
was led by a government of fools, who were all fooled by the very foundation of
foolish wisdom, which is not wisdom.
This results is total the failure of the nation and the eventual
destruction of the nation, not due to natural events, not because of weather,
not because of environment, not because of anything except negative attitude
toward Christ and doctrine.
Truth is rejected and that
is the principle cause of all failure.
