Isaiah – Chapter 30

Old Testament33 Verses

Chapter Summary

"Woe to you, apostate children, saith the Lord, that you would take counsel, and not of me: and would begin a web, and not by my spirit,…" — so begins Isaiah 30. Pharaoh stands at the center of this chapter. Across its 33 verses, two threads run through the text: sin and divine judgment and holiness. Read slowly, this chapter rewards the kind of prayerful attention the Church calls lectio divina.

1Woe to you, apostate children, saith the Lord, that you would take counsel, and not of me: and would begin a web, and not by my spirit, that you might add sin upon sin:

2Who walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth, hoping for help in the strength of Pharao, and trusting in the shadow of Egypt.

3And the strength of Pharao shall be to your confusion, and the confidence of the shadow of Egypt to your shame.

4For thy princes were in Tanis, and thy messengers came even to Hanes.

5They were all confounded at a people that could not profit them: they were no help, nor to any profit, but to confusion and to reproach.

6The burden of the beasts of the south. In a land of trouble and distress, from whence come the lioness, and the lion, the viper and the flying basilisk, they carry their riches upon the shoulders of beasts, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels to a people that shall not be able to profit them.

7For Egypt shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this: It is pride only, sit still.

8Now therefore go in and write for them upon box, and note it diligently in a book, and it shall be in the latter days for a testimony for ever.

9For it is a people that provoketh to wrath, and lying children that will not hear the law of God.

10Who say to the seers: See not: and to them that behold: Behold not for us those things that are right: speak unto us pleasant things, see errors for us.

11Take away from me the way, turn away the path from me, let the Holy One of Israel cease from before us.

12Therefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel: Because you have rejected this word, and have trusted in oppression and tumult, and have leaned upon it:

13Therefore shall this iniquity be to you as a breach that falleth, and is found wanting in a high wall, for the destruction thereof shall come on a sudden, when it is not looked for.

14And it shall be broken small, as the potter's vessel is broken all to pieces with mighty breaking, and there shall not a sherd be found of the pieces thereof, wherein a little fire may be carried from the hearth, or a little water be drawn out of the pit.

15For thus saith the Lord God the Holy One of Israel: If you return and be quiet, you shall be saved: in silence and in hope shall your strength be. And you would not:

16But have said: No, but we will flee to horses: therefore shall you flee. And we will mount upon swift ones: therefore shall they be swifter that shall pursue after you.

17A thousand men shall flee for fear of one: and for fear of five shall you flee, till you be left as the mast of ship on the top of a mountain, and as an ensign upon a hill.

18Therefore the Lord waiteth that he may have mercy on you: and therefore shall he be exalted sparing you: because the Lord is the God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

19For the people of Sion shall dwell in Jerusalem: weeping thou shalt not weep, he will surely have pity on thee: at the voice of thy cry, as soon as he shall hear, he will answer thee.

20And the Lord will give you spare bread, and short water: and will not cause thy teacher to flee away from thee any more, and thy eyes shall see thy teacher.

21And thy ears shall hear the word of one admonishing thee behind thy back: This is the way, walk ye in it: and go not aside neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

22And thou shalt defile the plates of thy graven things of silver, and the garment of thy molten things of gold, and shalt cast them away as the uncleanness of a menstruous woman. Thou shalt say to it: Get thee hence.

23And rain shall be given to thy seed, wheresoever thou shalt sow in the land: and the bread of the corn of the land shall be most plentiful, and fat. The lamb in that day shall feed at large in thy possession:

24And thy oxen, and the ass colts that till the ground, shall eat mingled provender as it was winnowed in the floor.

25And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every elevated hill rivers of running waters in the day of the slaughter of many, when the tower shall fall.

26And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days: in the day when the Lord shall bind up the wound of his people, and shall heal the stroke of their wound.

27Behold the name of the Lord cometh from afar, his wrath burneth, and is heavy to bear: his lips are filled with indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire.

28His breath as a torrent overflowing even to the midst of the neck, to destroy the nations unto nothing, and the bridle of error that was in the jaws of the people.

29You shall have a song as in the night of the sanctified solemnity, and joy of heart, as where one goeth with a pipe, to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the Mighty One of Israel.

30And the Lord shall make the glory of his voice to be heard, and shall shew the terror of his arm, in the threatening of wrath, and the flame of devouring fire: he shall crush to pieces with whirlwind, and hailstones.

31For at the voice of the Lord the Assyrian shall fear being struck with the rod.

32And the passage of the rod shall be strongly grounded, which the Lord shall make to rest upon him with timbrels and harps, and in great battles he shall overthrow them.

33For Topheth is prepared from yesterday, prepared by the king, deep, and wide. The nourishment thereof is fire and much wood: the breath of the Lord as a torrent of brimstone kindling it.

Important Verses in Isaiah 30

Woe to you, apostate children, saith the Lord, that you would take counsel, and not of me: and would begin a web, and not by my spirit, that you might add sin upon sin:

Isaiah 30:1

Therefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel: Because you have rejected this word, and have trusted in oppression and tumult, and have leaned upon it:

Isaiah 30:12

For thus saith the Lord God the Holy One of Israel: If you return and be quiet, you shall be saved: in silence and in hope shall your strength be. And you would not:

Isaiah 30:15

Therefore the Lord waiteth that he may have mercy on you: and therefore shall he be exalted sparing you: because the Lord is the God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

Isaiah 30:18

Historical Context

Isaiah belongs to the Old Testament and was composed for judah in crisis, the exiles in Babylon, and all who await the Messiah. Chapter 30 of 66 stands in the central portion of the book, where decisive events or teachings take shape. It is a prophetic oracle addressed to Israel in a moment of covenant crisis or renewal with 33 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. The chapter focuses on Pharaoh, whose actions and words drive the passage forward. The chapter begins: "Woe to you, apostate children, saith the Lord, that you would take counsel, and not of me: and would begin a web, and…" The final verse reads: "For Topheth is prepared from yesterday, prepared by the king, deep, and wide. The nourishment thereof is fire and much…" Read against its original backdrop, Isaiah prophesied in Jerusalem during the Assyrian crisis, calling kings to trust God rather than alliances. Catholic tradition dates the book to the period described in its introduction: Isaiah's ministry about 740-700 BC; the book's later chapters address the exile and return (6th century BC).

Who Wrote It

The prophet Isaiah of Jerusalem; chapters 40-66 continue his message through inspired disciples

When It Was Written

Isaiah's ministry about 740-700 BC; the book's later chapters address the exile and return (6th century BC)

Catholic Commentary

At the literal level, this oracle names the sins, judgments, or promises relevant to its original hearers. A pivotal line is verse 1: "Woe to you, apostate children, saith the Lord, that you would take counsel, and not of me: and would begin a web, and not by my spirit, that you might add sin…" The passage repeatedly touches on sin and divine judgment.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 1700). Here, Isaiah's prophecies are fulfilled in Christ, especially the Suffering Servant (CIC 601). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize sin and divine judgment as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that God's salvation reaches to the ends of the earth. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, Isaiah 30 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • 'Be holy, for I am holy': God calls His people to be set apart for Him in every area of life.
  • Faith is a gift and a decision: entrusting ourselves entirely to God and to His promises.

People in This Chapter

Pharaoh2 mentions

Reflection for Today

Catholic exegesis approaches Isaiah Chapter 30 with reverence, seeking both the literal sense and the spiritual meaning ordered to Christ.

Catholic theology recognizes that judgment, comfort, and messianic hope is not an abstract idea but a reality encountered in prayer, sacraments, and charity. This chapter contributes to that vision by stressing participation in Christ's priestly office through Baptism.

May your reading of Isaiah Chapter 30 become true lectio divina: read the words, meditate on their meaning, respond in prayer, and rest in God's presence. Ask the Holy Spirit to show how God's salvation reaches to the ends of the earth applies to your life today.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Isaiah Chapter 30 about?

Isaiah 30 contains 33 verses. It opens with "Woe to you, apostate children, saith the Lord, that you would take counsel, and not of me: and would begin a web, and…" and closes with "For Topheth is prepared from yesterday, prepared by the king, deep, and wide. The nourishment thereof is fire and much…". The book as a whole is prophetic oracles and poetry.

What is a key verse in Isaiah 30?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "Woe to you, apostate children, saith the Lord, that you would take counsel, and not of me: and would begin a web, and not by my spirit, that you might add sin upon sin:" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Isaiah Chapter 30?

This chapter mentions Pharaoh.

Who wrote Isaiah and when?

The prophet Isaiah of Jerusalem; chapters 40-66 continue his message through inspired disciples. Isaiah's ministry about 740-700 BC; the book's later chapters address the exile and return (6th century BC).

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