Isaiah 18
DOYLYVer. 1. Woe to the land] The Hebrew particle here used does not necessarily imply a threat, is sometimes an exclamation of surprise, and often simply compellative of persons at a distance. It may be rendered, “Ho! land,” or, “Ho to the land,” &c. Bp. Horsley, Vitringa, Bp. Lowth.
— — land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia.] The mention of the rivers of Ethiopia has led almost all expositors to look to Egypt as the country addressed. Some have understood by the wings of Egypt, ridges of mountains running from south to north, on either side of the Nile, somewhat resembling a pair of pinions; others take the wings for the sails of numerous vessels, overshadowing the surface of the ocean; others, and Bp. Lowth among them, giving a different sense to the doubtful word rendered by our translators “shadowing,” translate, “land of the winged cymbal,” which they suppose a poetical periphrasis for the Egyptian sistrum, frequently used in their idolatrous rites. Our translators appear to me very judiciously to have taken the word in the sense of “shadowing.” The shadow of wings is an usual image in the prophetic language for protection afforded by the stronger to the weak; and in this passage may be intended to characterize some great people, who should be famous for the aid and protection they should afford their friends and allies. The land of Cush (properly that district of Arabia, where the sons of Cush first settled) is in Holy Writ taken largely for a great tract of country, comprehending much more than the proper territory of the Cushites, extending east at least as far as the Tigris, and having for its western boundary the Nile; so that according as we understand the Prophet to speak of the African or the Asiatic Cush, the land beyond its rivers is to be looked for far to the west or far to the east of Palestine. Which of these is meant, it must be left for time to shew. Bp. Horsley.
— saying, Go, ye swift messengers,] The word “saying” is not in the original, or old versions. It should seem that the command is God’s, issued by his prophet; and that the messengers, to whom the command is given, are the very people summoned in the first verse to attend. Bp. Horsley.
— to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto;] The time present in prophetic vision is not the time of the delivery, but that of the fulfilment, of the prophecy. Now the people of Egypt has long ceased to be of any consideration: but the people of the Jews has been from their very beginning, are at this day, and will be to the end of time, a people venerable in a religious sense, awfully “remarkable” (so the word might be rendered rather than “terrible”) on account of the special Providence visibly attending them: and all the other particulars of the description here given of the people, to whom messengers are sent, agree accurately with the character and conduct of the Jews in their present state of dispersion. Bp. Horsley.
— whose land the rivers have spoiled!] That is, armies of conquerors, which long since have spoiled the land of the Jews. The inundation of rivers is a frequent image for the ravages of armies of foreign invaders.
We have in ver. 1, 2, seen messengers summoned, a command given to them to go swiftly with the message, the people described to whom it was to be carried: it might be expected we should next have the message given to the messengers in precise terms. The scene is suddenly closed with ver. 2, before the messengers set out, before even the message is given: but the new objects which are immediately brought in view, evidently represent, under the usual emblems of sacred prophecy, other parts of the same entire action; and declare the purport, the season, and the effect of the message. Ver. 3, an ensign or standard is lifted up on the mountains; a trumpet is blown on the hills; the standard of the cross of Christ; the trumpet of the Gospel. The resort to the standard, the effect of the summons, in the end will be universal. Bp. Horsley.
sour grape is ripening in the flower.] Rather, “and the blossom is become a swelling grape.” Bp. Lowth.
The harvest and gathering of the fruits is the constant image of that season, when God shall gather his elect from the four winds of heaven. This is to be immediately preceded by a pruning of the useless shoots and unfruitful luxurious branches: see John xx. 1, 2, God, in the latter ages, will purify his church by such signal judgments as shall strike all nations with religious awe. Bp. Horsley. See note on chap. xxvii. 4, 5.
The interpretation of this confessedly obscure and very difficult chapter has been given above according to the hypothesis of Bp. Horsley. The explanation of Bp. Lowth supposes, that the prophecy was delivered before Sennacherib’s return from his Egyptian expedition; and that it was designed to give to the Jews, and perhaps likewise to the Egyptians, an intimation of God’s counsels, in regard to the destruction of their great and powerful enemy. He accordingly explains the “people” and “nation” spoken of in ver. 2, to be the Egyptians: by “the standard” and “the trumpet” in ver. 3, he understands the meteors, the thunder, the lightning, &c., which accompanied the destruction of Sennacherib’s army, as described chap. xxix. 6; xxx. 30, 31; x. 16, 17: and he states the subject of the fourth and following verses of the chapter to be, that God would comfort and support his own people, though threatened with immediate destruction by the Assyrians; that Sennacherib’s great designs and mighty efforts should be frustrated; that the chief part of his army should be made a prey for the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, ver. 5, 6; and that Egypt, being delivered from his oppression, and avenged of the wrongs which she had suffered, should return thanks to God for the wonderful deliverance, both of herself and of the Jews, from this most powerful adversary. This interpretation of Bp. Lowth corresponds in its outline with that proposed by Vitrings. Edit.
Chap. XIX. ver. 1. The burden of Egypt.] This
THE burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.
— the idols of Egypt shall be moved] When God executes his judgments upon a heathen nation, He is said to punish the idols of that people: see chap. xxi. 9; Exod. xii. 12; Jer. li. 44. W. Lowth. The same thing is foretold as to be performed by Nebuchadnezzar, Jer. xlii. 11, &c.; Ezek. xxx. 13. The phrase used here of the Lord’s “ruling upon a swift cloud” implies, that the conquest should be swift and sudden. Bp. Newton. This prophecy of the utter overthrow of heathen superstition is applicable also to the Gospel times, and signifies that after great desolation and confusion the Egyptians should learn to know the Lord: see ver. 21. Dr. Berriman.
Isaiah 18:2
- — vessels of bulrushes] It is well known that the Egyptians commonly used on the Nile a light sort of ships, or boats, made of the reed papyrus. Bp. Lowth. See notes on Exod. ii. 3; and Job ix. 26.
If Egypt is the country spoken to, “vessels of bulrushes” might be understood of those light skiffs; but if the country spoken to be distant from Egypt, those vessels may only be used as an apt image of quick-sailing vessels of any material. Bp. Horsley.
Isaiah 18:4
- — I will consider in my dwelling place] Rather read, with the margin, “I will regard my set dwelling.” The sentiment is, that, notwithstanding a long suspension of extraordinary manifestations of God’s power, which is here described under the image of that stillness and stagnation of the atmosphere which takes place in extreme heats, his providence is not asleep; He is all the while keeping his eye fixed upon his prepared habitation, regarding the conduct and the fortunes of his people, and at all times directing every thing, though often by a silent and secret operation, to their ultimate prosperity, and to the universal establishment of the true religion. Bp. Horsley.
— like a clear heat upon herbs,] The marginal reading, “after rain,” seems to make better sense. W. Lowth, Bp. Lowth.
- — afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the An access thereby to the church. The confusion of Egypt.
bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches.
- — a cruel lord:] Nebuchadnezzar; and afterwards the whole succession of Persian kings, who in general grievously oppressed the country; especially Cambyses and Ochus, who are branded in history as cruel tyrants, and monsters of men. Bps. Lowth and Newton.
Isaiah 18:5
- And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the rivers shall be wasted and dried up.] By “the sea” here is to be understood the Nile; and the second part of the verse to be taken as no more than the Prophet’s interpretation of the first. Jeremiah speaks thus of the