Isaiah 19:19
ESV
In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border.
NIV
In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border.
NASB
On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a memorial stone to the Lord beside its border.
CSB
On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the center of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord near her border.
NLT
In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the Lord at its border.
KJV
In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord.
NKJV
In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border.
What does Isaiah 19:19 mean?
In a distant future, Egypt will turn to the Lord God of Israel (Isaiah 19:18). After being filled with dread over what the Lord could do to them, the people of Egypt will repent and swear allegiance to the Lord. The God of Israel will become the God of Egypt (Isaiah 19:16–17). This description must be pointing toward the kingdom of the Messiah, who will rule over all the nations from His throne in Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1–5; Revelation 20:1–4). Egypt will be one of those nations. The people will abandon their former gods and even build an altar and a pillar to the Lord in their land. In other words, their commitment to Israel's God, in the form of the Messiah, will be open and public for all the world to see.Once more, Isaiah wants Judah to hold on to courageous trust in the Lord during their difficult season. They are to look forward to the day when all the earth will share their trust in the Messiah King of Israel.
