Isaiah 18

to (he ten tribes shall stand solitary and destitute of inhabitants, all the country about them being destroyed. Which they left because of the children of Israel. The sense is hero imperfect: most expositors understand the words of the Assyrians, that they left some cities with a few inhabitants in the kingdom of Israel, that a Temnant of that people might be preserved. (Sec ver. 6.) Bat the copy vrhich the Scptuagint followed, instead of the Hebrew words hachoresh vehaamir, i. e. bough and tippermost branchy read HachiviVehaemori, i. e. the Hivites and Amorties: for they translate the verse thus, The cities shall be forsaken, as when the Hivites and the Amorites forsook them, because of the children of Israel. Which reading gives a plain and full sense to the text. We justly esteem the present Hebrew text as a very correct copy; but we need not ascribe such a degree of infallibility to it, as to reject a better Teading, when it is suggested by the ancient versions. For such a concession does no more weaken the authority of the Old Testament, than the various readings of the Greek copies invalidate that of the New. Ethiopia and Egypt were the Jews’ confederates when they were invaded by Sennacherib. (See xx. 5. 2 Kings xviii. 21. compared with 2 Kings xix. 9.) But it is a great question among learned men, whether by Ethiopia, called Chush in the Hebrew, be meant Arabia, lying eastward of Egypt, and therefore joined with Sc1)a, xliii. 3. or Ethiopia, properly so called, lying westward of it: if we understand it of the latter, as Huetius does, (Comment, in Origcn. p. 43. 50.) we must then understand the forcmentioned text, (2 Kings xix. 9.) of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, (called Tarkon, in Strabo, lib. i. xv.) coming to fight against Sennacherib, and sending forces to assist the Egyptians and the Jews: and this sense Archbishop Usher follows in his Annals of the Old Testament, ad A. M. 3294. But in which sense soever we take the word Chush, this prophecy relates to Egypt, in conjunction with Ethiopia, or Arabia; and the prophet shews, that although the designs of the Jews’ • allies in their favour should prove abortive, yet God will defend his own dwelling-place Without their assistance. [Ethiopia and Egypt w r ere united into one kingdom, by Sabacon, tkc king of Ethiopia, called So, 2 Kings xvii. 4. who slew Bocchoris, and conquered Egypt in the last year of king Ahaz. See Usher’s Annals, ad A. M. 3277.] Which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia.) Or rather, Which borders upon the rivers of Ethiopia; the Hebrew signifies indifferently either cis or trans, the hither, or farther side of a river.

Isaiah 18:1

rr OE to the land shadowing with wings. It is generally agreed that this is a description of Egypt: some understand the words of their ships, with spreading sails like wings; others of the protection she boasted that she could give to her allies: but the Hebrew, tsiltsel, which our English renders shadowing, docs properly signify a sort of timbrel, called in.Latin sistrnm, which was an instrument of music peculiar to the Egyptians in their sacrifices to Tsis; and the words, tsiltsel kenaphim, are interpreted a loinged cymbal by Huetius, (Demonstr. Evang. prop.iv. cap. 4. n. 10.) which he tells us is an exact description of tho sistrum, and supposes the expression to be a periphrasis of Egypt, called here the land famous for its winged cymbals. The ingenious Mr. Reeves, in his notes upon Minucius Felix, cap. 21. expounds the phrase, shadowing ivith wings, of a swallow that used to be pictured over the statue of lsis with expanded wings. Le Moyne,in hisVaria Sacra, (par. ii. p. 4.) thinks, that by the word kenaphim, wings, the prophet denotes the idol which the Egyptians called Kneph, who was represented with wings, and an egg coming out of his mouth, to signify the creation of the world, by the word and decree of God; the world itself being represented by lsis: this Knephis mentioned hy Plutarch, in his book do Isidc et Ostride, and is calle’d Kv5$><c, by Strabo, lib. xvii.

Isaiah 18:2

That sendeth ambassadors by sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the tvaters. To encourage their confederates with promises of assistance. But the Hebrew tsirhn, which our English renders ambassadors, does likewise signify idols, and so it is translated xlv. 16. Following this sense, Bochart and Le Moyne understand the words of the image of Isis, which the Egyptians used to carry from place to place t>y water, in a sort of paper vessel or ship: Lucan, speaking of their little boats, saith, Conseritur 6/- bula Memphitis cymba papyro, (lib. iv.) Go, ye swift messengers, to anation scattered and peeled, &c] These words may be understood of the ambassadors, which the Ethiopians, in conjunction with the Egyptians, sent to the Assyrians, by way of bidding them defiance; and then by a land scattered and peeled, must be understood Assyria, which, though formerly terrible to all its neighbours, yet now was distracted with foreign wars, and exhausted of its soldiers: if we follow this sense, the latter part of the verse may most properly be rendered as our margin reads it, whose land the rivers despise; that is, the Ethiopians, and those that dwell among the rivers thereabout, arc not afraid of the Assyrian power. This sense our translators prefer, and understand tsirim, ambassadors, and melachim, messengers, as meant of the same persons, and likewise supply the word, saying, to make the following sentence the substance of what the ambassadors were supposed to speak. But others think that the words are a message from God, to denounce judgment against the Ethiopians, who are called a people terrible from their beginning, because they had invaded Judea several times with formidable aimies: (see 2 Chron. xii. 3. xiv. 9.) and that the purport of the words is to acquaint them, that they should be scattered and peeled, meted out and trodden down; that the forces of the Assyrian, compared to an overflowing river, (see xvii. 12.) should overrun and destroy them; which was fulfilled, as appears from xx. 4. This sense I prefer, because it agrees better with the seventh verse, where the same words are repeated; and with Ezek. xxx. 9. where God saith, Messengers shall go from me in ships, to make the careless Ethiopians afraid; which place plainly alludes to these words of Isaiah.

Isaiah 18:3

All ye inhabitants of the world, see ye, when he lifted up an ensign upon the mountains, &c. To set up a banner, and to blow a trumpet, are usual signals of war: the prophet saith here, that God himself will remarkably espouse the cause of his people, and exhorts all people to take notice of his proceedings.

Isaiah 18:4

I will take my rest, and consider in my dwellingplace. Or, I will liave a regard for my set dwelling (as the margin reads), and defend it, though without using any visible means, or the outward assistance of any of my people’s confederates, such as the Ethiopians were, which is. meant by Gods taking his rest; i.e. not going out witli their armies, according to the former interpretation of the words. Like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in Hie heat of harvest.’] Or, Like a clear heat after rain, as the margin reads; the vicissitude of rain and sunshine is very agreeable, and contributes that warmth and moisture which make all vegetables grow and flourish: (see 2 Sam. xxiii. 4.) such refreshment will God afford his people in their calamities, and not unlike that which a dripping cloud gives when it falls in a soft dew, and abates the burning heat of the harvest-time. (See xxv. 5. xxxii. 2.)

Isaiah 18:5

For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect [or while the bud is growing to maturity. , and the sour grape is ripening in the flower.] Before the designs of the Ethiopians, and their confederates the Egyptians, could come to maturity, they should prove abortive, just as if one should cut off the bearing branches of a vine, before the grapes are fit to be gathered. The word harvest is applied to the time of gathering in of the summer-fruits, as well as of corn. (See xvi. 9. xvii. 11.) Ver. G. They shall be left together tinto the fowls of the mountahis, and to the beasts of the earth, &c] Their armies shall become & prey unto the wild beasts and the birds of prey: (compare Ezek. xxxix. 17.) as if a garden or vineyard should be destroyed, and laid open to all the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field, to come and feed there all the year round. (Compare Ezek. xxxi. 13.) Ver. 1: In that time.] There is no necessity of supposing this to be meant of the same time specified in the foregoing part of the chapter, as hath been shewed in the note upon iv. 2. Shall the present [or a present] be brought to the Lord of hosts, &c] Bringing of presents was a solemn expression of that homage which is due from subjects or tributaries to their princes. (See 2 Sam. viii. 2. Psal. Ixxii. 10.) So here it implies, that the Ethiopians shall make their due acknowledgments to God as their sovereign, which is consonant to other prophecies concerning them. (See Psal. Ixviii. 31. Zcph. iii. 10.) This we may suppose to have been partly verified at the destruction of Sennacherih, the common enemy to them and the Jews, upon which re r markable turn of affairs, many of the neighbouring nations congratulated Hezekiah’s victory, and magnified the power of God which so evidently interposed for his deliverance. (See 2 Chron. xxxii. 23.) But the words are chiefly to be understood of the calling of those nations to the gospel. The conversion of the gentiles is elsewhere expressed, by their bringing offerings to God’s temple or altar, because that was the most solemn part of religious worship that was practised among the Jews. (See lx. 6. 9. Psal. Ixvii. 29. Micah iv. 13.) Wc may observe, that several other prophecies which threaten destruction to nations or cities, conclude with a gracious promise, that God will remember them in due time, and acknowledge them for his people. (Sec xix. 18, &c. xxiii. 18. Jcr. xlviii. 47. xlix. 39.)

Therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips. Or rather with foreign slips, Such as for their rarity are fetched from foreign parts.

In the day shalt thou make thy plants to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish, &c. The ^sense depends upon the former verse, and both together import thus much; Because thou hast forsaken the true God, to follow idols, nothing shall thrive with thee: although, like an industrious gardener, thou procurest the choicest plants, and takest the greatest care to make them grow, watering and trimming at all seasons of the day, yet when thou expectest to reap the fruit of thy labours (so our margin very fitly translates jom nachalah, the day of inheritance, or of enjoying what we have taken pains for), thou shalt find nothing but loss and disappointment. The Hebrew language wants tho potential mood, which is often supplied by the future tense, as it seems to be here: so the words might be rendered more plainly, thus, Thou mayest plant pleasant plants, and mayest set it with foreign slips, in the day thou mayest make thy plant to grow, and in the morning thou mayest make thy seed to flourish; but, &c. When the Hebrews would signify doing a thing speedily with care and diligence, they often express it by doing it in the morning. Sec 1. 4. Psal. xlvi. 5. where our translation reads, God shall help her, and that right early: but it is in the Hebrew, when the morning appeareth.

Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noke like the noise of the seas. As multitudes arc compared to waters, (seeltev. xvii. 15.) so great armies are resembled to inundations, because they overrun all that comes in their way, and carry every thing before them. (See note on viii. 7.)

As the cltajf of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. The Jews used to thrash their corn upon hills, and places exposed to the wind, (sec xli. 14. 2 Chron. iii. 1.) which dispersed the chaff, and blew it away. The word galgal, which our text translates rolling thing, is better rendered thistle-down in the margin; the word signifies any straws or motes, which are driven about with the wind. Compare Psal. Ixxjriii. 13. where our English reads, make them like a ivheel; but it should he translated, make them like thistledown: for the word both there and here is joined with stubble, as an equivalent expression.

Behold at even-tide trouble; and in the morning he is not. This fitly represents the condition of Sennacherib’s arm)’, which caused great consternation over night, but were all destroyed before next morning. (Sec 2 Kings xix. 35.)