2 Kings 18:21
BSB · Public Domain (CC0)“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.”
A short, plain-language explanation of 2 Kings 18:21 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.
“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.”
Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)“Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.”
King James Version · Public Domain“Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.”
American Standard Version · Public Domain“`Now, lo, thou hast trusted for thee on the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; which a man leaneth on, and it hath gone into his hand, and pierced it! --so <FI>is<Fi> Pharaoh king of Egypt to all those trusting on him.”
Young's Literal Translation · Public DomainOther passages that echo 2 Kings 18:21 — 8 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 2 Kings 17:4But 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 30:1“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin.
- Isaiah 30:2They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shade.
- Isaiah 30:7Egypt’s help is futile and empty; therefore I have called her Rahab Who Sits Still.
- Isaiah 31:1Woe 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.
- Isaiah 36:6Look 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.
- Jeremiah 46:17There they will cry out: ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt was all noise; he has let the appointed time pass him by.’
- Ezekiel 29:6Then 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.
Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).