Isaiah 30:4
New International Version
Though they have officials in Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,

New Living Translation
For though his power extends to Zoan and his officials have arrived in Hanes,

English Standard Version
For though his officials are at Zoan and his envoys reach Hanes,

Berean Standard Bible
For though their princes are at Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,

King James Bible
For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

New King James Version
For his princes were at Zoan, And his ambassadors came to Hanes.

New American Standard Bible
“For their officials are at Zoan And their ambassadors arrive at Hanes.

NASB 1995
“For their princes are at Zoan And their ambassadors arrive at Hanes.

NASB 1977
“For their princes are at Zoan, And their ambassadors arrive at Hanes.

Legacy Standard Bible
For their princes are at Zoan And their messengers reach Hanes.

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

Christian Standard Bible
For though his princes are at Zoan and his messengers reach as far as Hanes,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For though his princes are at Zoan and his messengers reach as far as Hanes,

American Standard Version
For their princes are at Zoan, and their ambassadors are come to Hanes.

Contemporary English Version
The king's power reaches from the city of Zoan as far south as Hanes.

English Revised Version
For his princes are at Zoan, and his ambassadors are come to Hanes.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Although Pharaoh's officials are in Zoan and his messengers have reached Hanes,

Good News Translation
Although their ambassadors have already arrived at the Egyptian cities of Zoan and Hanes,

International Standard Version
And it will turn out that his officials are at Zoan, and his envoys will reach Hanes.

Majority Standard Bible
For though their princes are at Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,

NET Bible
Though his officials are in Zoan and his messengers arrive at Hanes,

New Heart English Bible
For their princes are at Zoan, and their ambassadors have come to Hanes.

Webster's Bible Translation
For his princes were at Zoan, and his embassadors came to Hanes.

World English Bible
For their princes are at Zoan, and their ambassadors have come to Hanes.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For his princes were in Zoan, "" And his messengers reach Hanes.

Young's Literal Translation
For in Zoan were his princes, And his messengers reach Hanes.

Smith's Literal Translation
For his chiefs were in Zoan, and his messengers will reach to Hanes.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For thy princes were in Tanis, and thy messengers came even to Hanes.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For your leaders were at Tanis, and your messengers have traveled even as far as Hanes.

New American Bible
When his princes are at Zoan and his messengers reach Hanes,

New Revised Standard Version
For though his officials are at Zoan and his envoys reach Hanes,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For while Pharaoh is in Zoan, his princes and ambassadors shall act deceitfully.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because he is in Tsuan, and his Princes and his profane Messengers shall grow weary with labor
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For his princes are at Zoan, And his ambassadors are come to Hanes.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For there are princes in Tanes, evil messengers.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Worthless Treaty with Egypt
3But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame, and the refuge of Egypt’s shade your disgrace. 4For though their princes are at Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes, 5everyone will be put to shame because of a people useless to them. They cannot be of help; they are good for nothing but shame and reproach.”…

Cross References
Jeremiah 2:18
Now what will you gain on your way to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?

Ezekiel 17:15
But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’

2 Kings 18:21
Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

Hosea 7:11
So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove—calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.

2 Kings 17:4
But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.

Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.

Jeremiah 37:5-7
Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem. / Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet: / “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says that you are to tell the king of Judah, who sent you to Me: Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to help you, will go back to its own land of Egypt.

Isaiah 36:6
Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

Lamentations 4:17
All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us.

Ezekiel 29:6-7
Then all the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD. For you were only a staff of reeds to the house of Israel. / When Israel took hold of you with their hands, you splintered, tearing all their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke, and their backs were wrenched.

Isaiah 19:11-13
The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”? / Where are your wise men now? Let them tell you and reveal what the LORD of Hosts has planned against Egypt. / The princes of Zoan have become fools; the princes of Memphis are deceived. The cornerstones of her tribes have led Egypt astray.

Isaiah 20:5-6
Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed. / And on that day the dwellers of this coastland will say, ‘See what has happened to our source of hope, those to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’”

Isaiah 31:3
But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish together.

Isaiah 36:9
For how can you repel a single officer among the least of my master’s servants when you depend on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?

Acts 7:22
So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.


Treasury of Scripture

For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

his princes

Isaiah 57:9
And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.

2 Kings 17:4
And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

Hosea 7:11,12,16
Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria…

Zoan

Isaiah 19:11
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?

Numbers 13:22
And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

Ezekiel 30:14
And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No.

Hanes

Jeremiah 43:7
So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.

Tahpanhes

Ezekiel 30:18
At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt: and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.

Jump to Previous
Ambassadors Arrive Arrived Chiefs Embassadors Envoys Messengers Officials Princes Reach Representatives Zoan Zo'an
Jump to Next
Ambassadors Arrive Arrived Chiefs Embassadors Envoys Messengers Officials Princes Reach Representatives Zoan Zo'an
Isaiah 30
1. The prophet threatens the people for their confidence in Egypt
8. And contempt of God's word
18. God's mercies toward his church
27. God's wrath and the people's joy, in the destruction of Assyria














For though
This phrase introduces a contrast, indicating a situation that is contrary to what might be expected. In the context of Isaiah 30, it suggests a divergence between the actions of the people and the will of God. The Hebrew word for "though" (כִּי, ki) often introduces a reason or explanation, setting the stage for understanding the futility of relying on human alliances instead of divine guidance.

their princes
The term "princes" refers to the leaders or officials of Judah. In Hebrew, the word used is "שָׂרֵיהֶם" (sarim), which denotes rulers or those in authority. This highlights the political maneuvering of Judah's leaders, who sought alliances with foreign powers like Egypt, rather than trusting in God's protection and provision.

are at Zoan
Zoan, known in Hebrew as "צֹעַן" (Tso'an), was an ancient city in Egypt, also known as Tanis. It was a significant political and cultural center. The mention of Zoan underscores the historical context of Judah seeking help from Egypt, a nation with a long history of interactions with Israel, often marked by tension and conflict. This reflects the misguided trust in political alliances rather than in God.

and their envoys
Envoys, or "מַלְאָכָיו" (mal'akhav) in Hebrew, were messengers or ambassadors sent to negotiate or establish treaties. The use of this term indicates the formal and deliberate efforts of Judah's leaders to secure military and political support from Egypt, highlighting their reliance on human wisdom and diplomacy over divine counsel.

have arrived in Hanes
Hanes, or "חָנֵס" (Chanes) in Hebrew, is another location in Egypt, though its exact historical identification is less certain than Zoan. The mention of Hanes, alongside Zoan, emphasizes the extent of Judah's diplomatic outreach. It serves as a reminder of the futility of seeking security in earthly powers, as these efforts are ultimately in vain without God's blessing.

(4) His princes were at Zoan . . .--Better, are, in the vivid use of the historic present of prophecy. Zoan, the Tanis of the Greeks, was one of the oldest of Egyptian cities. Hanes, identified with the Greek Heracleopolis, as lying in the delta of the Nile, would be among the first Egyptian cities which the embassy would reach.

Verse 4. - His princes were at Zoan. "Zoan" is undoubtedly Tanis, which is now "San," a heap of ruins in the Delta, where some interesting remains of the shepherd-kings have been discovered. It was a favorite capital of the monarchs of the nineteenth dynasty, and seems to have been the scene of the struggle between Moses and the Pharaoh of the Exodus (Psalm 78:12, 43). It then declined, but is said to have been the birthplace of the first king of the twenty-first dynasty. In the Ethiopian period it rose once more to some importance, and was at one time the capital of a principality (see G. Smith's 'Asshur-bani-pal,' pp. 21, 26, 32). The "princes" here spoken of are probably Hezekiah's ambassadors. His ambassadors came to Hanes. "Hanes" has been generally identified with the modern Esnes, a village between Memphis and Thebes, which is thought to mark the site of Hera-cleopolis Magna. But it has been well remarked that the Jewish envoys would scarcely have proceeded so far. Mr. R.S. Peele suggests, instead of Esnes, Tahpenes, or Daphnae ('Dict. of the Bible,' vol. 1. p. 753); but that name is somewhat remote from Hanes. Perhaps it would be best to acknowledge that "Hanes" cannot at present be identified. It was probably not very far from Tanis.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For though
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

their princes
שָׂרָ֑יו (śā·rāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

are
הָי֥וּ (hā·yū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

at Zoan
בְצֹ֖עַן (ḇə·ṣō·‘an)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6814: Zoan -- a place in Egypt

and their envoys
וּמַלְאָכָ֖יו (ū·mal·’ā·ḵāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4397: A messenger, of God, an angel

have arrived
יַגִּֽיעוּ׃ (yag·gî·‘ū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5060: To touch, lay the hand upon, to reach, violently, to strike

in Hanes,
חָנֵ֥ס (ḥā·nês)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2609: Hanes -- a place in Egypt


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 30:4 For their princes are at Zoan (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 30:3
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