Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.
Look, you're trusting in Egypt, which is like leaning on a broken stick for support. When someone tries to lean on a broken reed, it will snap and stab right through their hand. That's exactly what Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is like to everyone who puts their trust in him.
The writer is warning that trusting in Egypt for help is dangerous and foolish—like leaning on a broken stick that will only end up hurting you.
📚 Historical Context
This was spoken by the Assyrian commander Rabshakeh during his siege of Jerusalem around 701 BC, when King Hezekiah was considering an alliance with Egypt against the powerful Assyrian empire. Egypt had a history of making promises of military support to smaller nations but often failed to follow through effectively, leaving their allies vulnerable to conquest.
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