Isaiah 19:11


The princes of Zoan are complete fools;
The counsel of the Pharaoh’s wisest advisors has become stupid.
How can you say to Pharaoh,
“I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings?”

Numbers 13:22

When they had gone up into the Negev (the South country), they came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of Anak were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

1 Kings 4:30

Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.

Psalm 78:43


How He worked His miracles in Egypt
And His wonders in the field of Zoan [where Pharaoh resided],

Isaiah 30:4


“For his princes are at Zoan
And his ambassadors arrive at Hanes [in Egypt].

Acts 7:22

So Moses was educated in all the wisdom and culture of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds.

Genesis 41:38-39

So Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this [a man equal to Joseph], in whom is the divine spirit [of God]?”

Psalm 78:12


He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan [where Pharaoh resided].

Job 5:12-13


“He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth.

Job 12:17


“He makes [great and scheming] counselors walk barefoot
And makes fools of judges.

Psalm 33:10


The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He makes the thoughts and plans of the people ineffective.

Psalm 73:22


Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.

Psalm 92:6


A senseless man [in his crude and uncultivated state] knows nothing,
Nor does a [self-righteous] fool understand this:

Proverbs 30:2


Surely I am more brutish and stupid than any man,
And I do not have the understanding of a man [for I do not know what I do not know].

Isaiah 19:3


“Then the spirit of the Egyptians will become exhausted within them and emptied out;
And I will confuse their strategy,
So that they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
And mediums and soothsayers.

Isaiah 19:13


The princes of Zoan have acted like fools,
The princes of Memphis are deluded [and entertain false hope];
Those who are the cornerstone of her tribes
Have led Egypt astray.

Isaiah 29:14


Therefore, listen carefully, I will again do marvelous and amazing things with this people, wonderful and astonishing things;
And the wisdom of their wise men will perish,
And the understanding of their discerning men will be hidden.”

Isaiah 44:25


Frustrating the signs and confounding the omens of boasters (false prophets),
Making fools out of fortune-tellers,
Counteracting the wise
And making their knowledge ridiculous,

Jeremiah 10:14


Every man has become [like a brute] irrational and stupid, without knowledge [of God];
Every goldsmith is shamed by his carved idols;
For his molten images are frauds and lies,
And there is no breath in them.

Jeremiah 10:21


For the shepherds [of the people] have become [like brutes,] irrational and stupid,
And have not searched for the Lord or asked about Him or realized their need for Him;
Therefore they have not been wise and have not prospered,
And all their flocks are scattered.

Jeremiah 49:7


Concerning Edom.
Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman?
Has good counsel vanished from the intelligent and prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?

Ezekiel 7:26

Disaster will come upon disaster and rumor will be heaped on rumor; they will seek a vision from a prophet, but the law and guidance will be lost from the priest and [wise] counsel [will cease] from the elders.

Ezekiel 30:14


“I will make Pathros desolate,
Set fire to Zoan
And execute judgments and punishments on Thebes.

1 Corinthians 1:19-20

For it is written and forever remains written,I will destroy the wisdom of the wise [the philosophy of the philosophers],
And the cleverness of the clever [who do not know Me] I will nullify.”

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellers of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

Bible References

The princes

Isaiah 19:3

“Then the spirit of the Egyptians will become exhausted within them and emptied out;
And I will confuse their strategy,
So that they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
And mediums and soothsayers.
Isaiah 29:14

Therefore, listen carefully, I will again do marvelous and amazing things with this people, wonderful and astonishing things;
And the wisdom of their wise men will perish,
And the understanding of their discerning men will be hidden.”
Isaiah 44:25

Frustrating the signs and confounding the omens of boasters (false prophets),
Making fools out of fortune-tellers,
Counteracting the wise
And making their knowledge ridiculous,
Job 5:12

“He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth.
Job 12:17

“He makes [great and scheming] counselors walk barefoot
And makes fools of judges.
Psalm 33:10

The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He makes the thoughts and plans of the people ineffective.
Jeremiah 49:7

Concerning Edom.
Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman?
Has good counsel vanished from the intelligent and prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
Ezekiel 7:26
Disaster will come upon disaster and rumor will be heaped on rumor; they will seek a vision from a prophet, but the law and guidance will be lost from the priest and [wise] counsel [will cease] from the elders.
1 Corinthians 1:19
For it is written and forever remains written,I will destroy the wisdom of the wise [the philosophy of the philosophers],
And the cleverness of the clever [who do not know Me] I will nullify.”

Zoan

Isaiah 30:4

“For his princes are at Zoan
And his ambassadors arrive at Hanes [in Egypt].
Numbers 13:22
When they had gone up into the Negev (the South country), they came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of Anak were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
Psalm 78:12

He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan [where Pharaoh resided].
Ezekiel 30:14

“I will make Pathros desolate,
Set fire to Zoan
And execute judgments and punishments on Thebes.

Brutish

Psalm 73:22

Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
Psalm 92:6

A senseless man [in his crude and uncultivated state] knows nothing,
Nor does a [self-righteous] fool understand this:
Proverbs 30:2

Surely I am more brutish and stupid than any man,
And I do not have the understanding of a man [for I do not know what I do not know].
Jeremiah 10:14

Every man has become [like a brute] irrational and stupid, without knowledge [of God];
Every goldsmith is shamed by his carved idols;
For his molten images are frauds and lies,
And there is no breath in them.

I am

Genesis 41:38
So Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this [a man equal to Joseph], in whom is the divine spirit [of God]?”
1 Kings 4:30
Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
Acts 7:22
So Moses was educated in all the wisdom and culture of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds.

General references

Exodus 8:4
So the frogs will come up on you and on your people and all your servants.”’”
Job 39:17

For God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
Proverbs 11:14

Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm],
But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory.
1 Corinthians 1:19
For it is written and forever remains written,I will destroy the wisdom of the wise [the philosophy of the philosophers],
And the cleverness of the clever [who do not know Me] I will nullify.”