Isaiah 11:15
And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching breath, and strike it into seven channels, and he will lead people across in sandals.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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While the verse paints a grand picture of God's power to make paths where none exist, the most profound detail is the seemingly simple "and he will lead people across in sandals." This isn't just about dry ground; it emphasizes that the journey will be so safe and easy, people won't even get their footwear wet, showing God's meticulous care in removing every obstacle for His returning people.
This passage is part of a larger prophecy describing the glorious return of God's exiled people, promising a new era of peace and divine intervention. Isaiah uses vivid imagery of past miracles, like the parting of the Red Sea and the drying up of rivers, to assure the people that God will miraculously remove all obstacles impeding their return from exile, whether from Egypt or Assyria, and establishing a clear path for them.
Why would God dry up a sea and a river? It's more than just clearing a path; it's about demonstrating His overwhelming power to rescue and restore.
Isaiah 11:15 uses vivid imagery to paint a picture of God's mighty intervention. The "tongue of the Egyptian sea" likely refers to a bay of the Red Sea, and the "river" could be the Nile or the Euphrates. The imagery of drying up these bodies of water and striking the river into seven streams is a powerful echo of the Exodus, when God miraculously parted the Red Sea for His people.
This isn't just about geographical obstacles. It's a metaphor for God's ability to remove any barrier—political, spiritual, or personal—that stands in the way of His people's restoration and journey toward Him. The "scorching breath" and "mighty wind" emphasize the supernatural force at play, ensuring a safe passage "dry-shod" (in sandals, meaning without getting feet wet).
This signifies that when God decides to act on behalf of His people, no obstacle is too great. He doesn't just clear the path; He transforms the landscape itself to ensure their safe return and flourishing.
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Imagine a highway carved through impossible terrain. Isaiah paints a picture of God creating such a path for His returning people, transforming danger into ease.
The ultimate purpose behind God's miraculous intervention described in Isaiah 11:15 is to provide a "highway" for His people. This highway is not just a physical route but a path of holiness and safety, enabling their return from exile and their restoration.
The "making men go over dry-shod" emphasizes the ease and safety of this divine provision. It implies that their journey, whether from Egypt in the past or from distant lands in the future, would be devoid of the usual perils and difficulties associated with crossing bodies of water or treacherous terrain.
This points to a future restoration where God removes all hindrances to His people's spiritual journey. It's about God not only overcoming external barriers but also making the path toward Him and His promises accessible and secure, marked by His presence and protection.
Understand the original words
charam · Hebrew Verb
To devote to destruction or dry up completely. Used of God, it signifies His absolute power to remove obstacles to His purposes.
ruach · Hebrew Noun
The life-giving or destructive power of God, often represented as wind or Spirit. Here it signifies God's divine energy or word that affects the natural world to clear a path for His people.
Isaiah 11:15 echoes the miraculous parting of the Red Sea during the Exodus, portraying a future divine intervention that will facilitate the return of exiled Israelites. This imagery connects the historical deliverance from Egypt with the promised messianic era, signifying God's power to overcome any obstacle for His people's restoration.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God miraculously parts the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to escape from Egyptian bondage. This event becomes a foundational miracle and a powerful symbol of God's deliverance.
c. 722 BC
Assyrian Exile of Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants. This marks a significant scattering of God's people.
c. 586 BC
Babylonian Exile of Southern Kingdom
The Neo-Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the people of Judah. This event profoundly shapes Jewish identity and eschatological hopes.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon and issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
c. 6th-5th century BC— this verse
Post-Exilic Return and Rebuilding
The Jewish remnant returns from Babylonian exile, facing challenges in rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple. This period sees the prophetic focus shift towards future restoration and the coming Messiah.
This passage directly parallels Isaiah's imagery, describing God's mighty wind drying up the Red Sea to create a dry path for His people to escape Egypt, mirroring the miraculous crossing described here.
Joshua 3:15-17This passage shows God stopping the Jordan River, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground into the Promised Land, echoing the theme of divine intervention making an impossible path for His people.
Nehemiah 9:11This verse recounts God's power in dividing the Red Sea and leading the Israelites through it, reinforcing the foundational miracle that Isaiah's prophecy alludes to and expands upon.
Isaiah 19:5-8This passage describes the drying up of the Nile River, portraying a similar divine act of judgment and deliverance over Egyptian waterways, connecting the theme of God's power over Egypt's natural barriers.
Zechariah 10:10-11This prophecy speaks of God bringing His people back from Egypt and Assyria, drying up the Nile and the Euphrates to create pathways, much like Isaiah's vision of removing obstacles for the returning exiles.
wesleyIsaiah 11:15: "And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod."
11:15 Destroy - Shall not only divide it, as of old, but dry it up, that it may be an high - way. The sea - The Red Sea, which may well be called the Egyptian sea, both because it borders upon Egypt, and because the Egyptians were drowned in it, which is called a tongue in the He…
barnesIsaiah 11:15: "And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod."
And the Lord - The prophet goes on with the description of the effect which shall follow the return of the scattered Jews to God. The language is figurative, and is here drawn from that which was the great storehouse of all the imagery of the Jews - the deliverance of their fathe…
While the verse paints a grand picture of God's power to make paths where none exist, the most profound detail is the seemingly simple "and he will lead people across in sandals." This isn't just about dry ground; it emphasizes that the journey will be so safe and easy, people won't even get their footwear wet, showing God's meticulous care in removing every obstacle for His returning people.
This passage is part of a larger prophecy describing the glorious return of God's exiled people, promising a new era of peace and divine intervention. Isaiah uses vivid imagery of past miracles, like the parting of the Red Sea and the drying up of rivers, to assure the people that God will miraculously remove all obstacles impeding their return from exile, whether from Egypt or Assyria, and establishing a clear path for them.
This passage is part of a larger prophecy describing the glorious return of God's exiled people, promising a new era of peace and divine intervention. Isaiah uses vivid imagery of past miracles, like the parting of the Red Sea and the drying up of rivers, to assure the people that God will miraculously remove all obstacles impeding their return from exile, whether from Egypt or Assyria, and establishing a clear path for them.
"And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching breath, and strike it into seven channels, and he will lead people across in sandals." — While the verse paints a grand picture of God's power to make paths where none exist, the most profound detail is the seemingly simple "and he will lead people across in sandals." This isn't just abo…
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