Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 19:15

"Neither shall there be for Egypt any work, which head or tail, palm-branch or rush, may do." — Isaiah 19:15 (ASV)

Neither shall there be any work — The sense is that there will be such discord that no one, whether a prince, a politician, or a priest, will be able to give any advice or form any plan for the national safety and security that will be successful.

Which the head or tail — High or low; strong or weak; those in office and those out of office; all will be dispirited and confounded.

Rosenmuller understands by the head here, the “political” orders of the nation, and by the tail the “priestly” ranks.

But the meaning is more probably the highest and the lowest ranks—all the politicians, priests, and princes on the one hand, as the prophet had just stated (Isaiah 19:11–15), and all the artisans, fishermen, etc., on the other, as he had stated (Isaiah 19:8–10).

This verse, therefore, is a summing up of all he had said about the calamities that were coming upon them.

Branch or rush — See these words explained in the note at (Isaiah 9:14).