Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Assyria » Israel condemned for trusting to
For they have gone up to Assyria,
Like a wild donkey wandering alone and taking her own way;
Ephraim has hired lovers (pagan allies).
When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his wound,
Then Ephraim went to Assyria [instead of the Lord]
And sent to [Assyria’s] great King Jareb [for help].
But he cannot heal you
Nor will he cure you of your wound [received in judgment].
Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without heart or good sense;
They call to Egypt [for help], they go to Assyria.
false Confidence » In man
The king is not saved by the great size of his army;
A warrior is not rescued by his great strength.
When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his wound,
Then Ephraim went to Assyria [instead of the Lord]
And sent to [Assyria’s] great King Jareb [for help].
But he cannot heal you
Nor will he cure you of your wound [received in judgment].
Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without heart or good sense;
They call to Egypt [for help], they go to Assyria.
Men of low degree are only a breath (emptiness), and men of [high] rank are a lie (delusion).
In the balances they go up [because they have no measurable weight or value];
They are together lighter than a breath.
Stop regarding man, whose breath [of life] is in his nostrils [for so little time];
For why should he be esteemed?
Thus says the Lord,
“Cursed is the man who trusts in and relies on mankind,
Making [weak, faulty human] flesh his strength,
And whose mind and heart turn away from the Lord.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in man.
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help. When his breath leaves him, he returns to his earth; in that very day his [previous] thoughts, plans, and purposes perish.
the Simple » The simple deceived by
Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without heart or good sense;
They call to Egypt [for help], they go to Assyria.
The naive or inexperienced person [is easily misled and] believes every word he hears,
But the prudent man [is discreet and astute and] considers well where he is going.
And among the naive [the inexperienced and gullible],
I saw among the youths
A young man lacking [good] sense,
“How long, O naive ones [you who are easily misled], will you love being simple-minded and undiscerning?
How long will scoffers [who ridicule and deride] delight in scoffing,
How long will fools [who obstinately mock truth] hate knowledge?
“O you naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled], understand prudence and seek astute common sense;
And, O you [closed-minded, self-confident] fools, understand wisdom [seek the insight and self-discipline that leads to godly living].
A prudent and far-sighted person sees the evil [of sin] and hides himself [from it],
But the naive continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin].