And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "striking and healing" reveals God's purpose: His discipline isn't meant to destroy but to lead to healing. This shows that even in judgment, God's ultimate aim is restoration, not condemnation, for those who turn back to Him.
And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet has just described a devastating judgment God will bring upon Egypt, leading to internal conflict and suffering. This verse shifts the focus, revealing that God’s ultimate purpose in the "smite" is not destruction but restoration, a pattern where affliction leads to repentance and healing. It concludes a section of prophecy about Egypt and introduces a future vision of peace and reconciliation between Egypt, Assyria, and Israel.
God's discipline isn't just punishment; it's a precise intervention meant to bring about healing and restoration. How does this change the way we view difficult times?
The verse presents a striking paradox: God will 'smite and heal.' This isn't a contradiction but a profound insight into God's methods.
Affliction as a Means to Conversion
The commentators highlight that God's striking (afflicting, punishing) is not an end in itself. Instead, it serves as the necessary precursor to healing and conversion. It's like a surgeon's scalpel – painful, yet essential for removing sickness and restoring health.
This dual action reveals a God whose justice is always intertwined with His mercy, seeking the ultimate good of those He corrects.
What happens when a nation, or an individual, finally turns back to God? This verse promises an immediate and compassionate response.
Ask a follow-up
The latter part of Isaiah 19:22 paints a beautiful picture of God's responsiveness to genuine repentance:
God's Open Ear and Healing Hand
This sequence—return, entreaty, and healing—underscores God's eagerness to forgive and restore those who seek Him with all their hearts.
Understand the original words
nagaph · Hebrew Verb
Divine discipline or judgment intended to humble, correct, or bring an individual or nation to repentance. It is often followed by divine restoration.
rapha' · Hebrew Verb
The act of restoration, physical or spiritual recovery, and restoration to wholeness, brought about by God's power and mercy.
shuv · Hebrew Verb
A turning back or changing of direction, signifying repentance from sin and a restoration of relationship with God.
tachanun · Hebrew Noun
A petition for grace, compassion, or favor from God when one is in a state of need or distress.
Isaiah's prophecy about Egypt's striking and healing points to a future where devastating judgment leads to repentance and a profound return to the Lord, transcending immediate political upheavals and even foreign conquests like those by Assyria, Persia, and Alexander.
c. 740 BC— this verse
Assyrian Dominance and Egyptian Division
Isaiah prophesies during a time when Egypt was divided into various petty kingdoms and struggling with internal divisions, making it vulnerable to external powers like Assyria.
722 BC
Fall of Northern Israel
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, a significant event that would have heightened anxieties for Judah and Egypt about Assyrian expansion.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah, threatening Jerusalem. Egypt's involvement or non-involvement in this conflict is complex and illustrates its fluctuating role as a potential ally or source of instability.
671 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Egypt
Esarhaddon of Assyria invades and conquers much of Egypt, installing his own rulers. This marks a period of foreign domination that profoundly impacted Egypt.
664–627 BC
Saite Dynasty and Resurgence
Under the Saite dynasty, Egypt experiences a period of revival and increased independence, pushing back against Assyrian influence and seeking to re-establish its own power.
c. 550–525 BC
Persian Rise and Egyptian Submission
The Persian Empire rises to power, eventually conquering Egypt under Cambyses II in 525 BC, ushering in another era of foreign rule.
c. 332 BC
Conquest by Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great conquers Egypt, ending Persian rule and beginning the Hellenistic period, which saw the founding of Alexandria and significant cultural exchange.
This verse echoes the same pattern of God striking in order to heal, highlighting that affliction from God often serves a restorative purpose.
Jeremiah 12:15-16These verses describe a similar scenario where God's judgment on a nation leads to their return and healing, showing that divine discipline can ultimately lead to repentance and restoration.
Zechariah 13:8-9This passage parallels the idea of a remnant being refined through suffering, with two-thirds being cut off and one-third being tested and brought through fire, leading to a new relationship with God.
Luke 15:11-32The parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates the heart of God's mercy: even after rebellion and ruin, a return to the Father brings immediate acceptance and joyful restoration, mirroring Egypt's return and healing.
barnesIsaiah 19:22: "And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them."
And the Lord shall smite Egypt - That is, in the manner described in the previous part of this prophecy Isaiah 19:2-10 . And heal it - Or restore it to more than its former splendor and prosperity, as described in the previous verses Isaiah 19:18-20. He shall send it a saviour; he shall open new sources of prosperity; and he…
cambridgeIsaiah 19:22: "And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them."
22 . he shall smite and heal it ] lit. “with a smiting and a healing,” i.e. He will smite only in order to heal ( Hosea 6:1 ). be intreated ] hear their supplications ( Niph. tolerativum ).
The phrase "striking and healing" reveals God's purpose: His discipline isn't meant to destroy but to lead to healing. This shows that even in judgment, God's ultimate aim is restoration, not condemnation, for those who turn back to Him.
The prophet has just described a devastating judgment God will bring upon Egypt, leading to internal conflict and suffering. This verse shifts the focus, revealing that God’s ultimate purpose in the "smite" is not destruction but restoration, a pattern where affliction leads to repentance and healing. It concludes a section of prophecy about Egypt and introduces a future vision of peace and reconciliation between Egypt, Assyria, and Israel.
The prophet has just described a devastating judgment God will bring upon Egypt, leading to internal conflict and suffering. This verse shifts the focus, revealing that God’s ultimate purpose in the "smite" is not destruction but restoration, a pattern where affliction leads to repentance and healing. It concludes a section of prophecy about Egypt and introduces a future vision of peace and reconciliation between Egypt, Assyria, and Israel.
"And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them." — The phrase "striking and healing" reveals God's purpose: His discipline isn't meant to destroy but to lead to healing. This shows that even in judgment, God's ultimate aim is restoration, not condemn…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026