CHAPTER XVIII. ANALYSIS. "THE Xviiith chapter of Isaiah," says Bishop Horsley, "is one of the most obscure passages of the ancient prophets. It has been considered as such by the whole succession of interpreters from Jerome to Bishop Lowth." "The object of it," says Bishop Lowth; "the end and design of it; the people to whom it is addressed; the history to which it belongs; the person who sends the messengers; and the nation to whom they are sent, are all obscure and doubtful. Much of the obscurity lies in the bighly figurative cast of the language; and in the ambiguity of some of the principal words, arising from the great variety of the senses often comprehended under the primary meaning of a single root." Lowth supposes that Egypt is the country referred to; and that the prophecy was delivered before the return of Sennacherib's expe..ition to Egypt; and that it was designed to give to the Jews, and perhaps likewise to the Egyptians, an intimation of the destruction of their great and powerful enemy. Taylor, the Editor of Calmet's Dictionary, supposes that it relates to a people lying in southern, or upper Egypt, or the country above the cataracts of the Nile, i. e. Nubia; and that the people to whom the message is sent are those who were situated north on the river Nile, where the various streains which go to form the Nile become a single stream or river; and that the people to whom the message is sent, as a people "scattered and peeled,” or as he renders it, "a people contracted and deprived," i. e. in their persons, is descriptive of the Pigmies as they are described by Homer, Strabo, and others. See this muller says of this prophecy, that "it is involved in so many, and so great difficulties view drawn out in the FRAGMENTS appended to Calmet's Dic. No. ccexxii. Rosenthat on account of unusual expressions and figurative sentences, and the history of those times is so little known to us, that it is impossible to explain, and unfold it. We seem to be reading mere enigmas, in explaining which, although many learned interpreters have taken great pains, yet scarcely two can be found who agree." Gesenius connects it with the closing verse of the previous chapter and so does also Vitringa. Gesenius supposes that it refers to a nation in distant Ethiopia in alliance with Israel. To this, says he, and to all the nations of the earth, the prophet addresses himself in order to draw their attention to the sudden overthrow which God would bring upon the enemy, after he has quietly looked upon their violence for a long time. According to this view, the prophecy belongs to the period immediately preceding the 14th year of Hezekiah, when the Assyrian armies had already overrun, or were about to overrun Palestine on their way to Egypt, and the prophet confidently predicts their destruction. At this time, he remarks, Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, with a part of Egypt, had armed himself against the Assyrians; for which purpose he had probably entered into an alliance with the Hebrews. To this friend and ally of Israel, the prophet gives the assurance that God was about to destroy completely the common enemy, the Assyrian. By some, the land here referred to has been supposed to be Egypt; by others Ethiopia in Africa; by others Judea; by others the Roman empire; and others have supposed that it refers to the destruction of Gog and Magog in the times of the Messiah. Vitringa supposes that the prophecy must be referred either to the Egyptians or the Assyrians, and as there is no account, he says, of any calamity coming upon the Egyptians like that which is described in ver. 4-6, and as that description is applicable to the destruction of the Assyrians under Sennacherib, he regards it as referring to him. Calvin says that many have supposed that the Troglodytes of upper Egypt are meant here, but that this is improbable, as they were not known to have formed any alliances with other nations. He supposes that some nation is referred to here in the vicinity of Egypt and Ethiopia, but what people he does not even conjecture. Amidst this obscurity and diversity of opinion, it may seem rash to hazard a conjecture in regard to the situation of the nation who sent the messengers, and the nation to whom they were sent. And it is obviously improper to hazard such a conjecture without a careful ex- . amination of the phrases and words which occur in the prophecy. When that is done; when the characteristics of the nation have been fully determined, then perhaps we may be able to arrive at some satisfactory conclusion in regard to this very difficult portion of the Bible. The prophecy consists of the following parts: (1) The prophet addresses himself to the nation here described as a "land shadowing with wings," and as sending embassadors, in a manner designed to call their attention to the great evenis soon to occur. Vs. 1. 2. (2.) He addresses all the nations, calling upon them also to attend to the same subject. Ver. 3. (3.) He says that God had revealed to him, that destruction should come upon the enemies here referred to, and that the immense host should be left to the beasts of the earth, and to the fowls of the mountains. Vs. 4-6. (4.) The consequence, he says, of such events would be, that a present would be brought to JEHOVAH from the distant nation "scattered and peeled," and whose land the rivers had spoiled. Ver. 7. 1 Wo to the land shadowing with | wings which is beyond the rivers z of Ethiopia: ch. 20. 3--5. Ezek. 30. 4-9. Zeph. 2. 12. New Translation. VISION XIII. CHAP. XVIII. Nubia, or Ethiopia. 1. Ho! land of rustling wings! Which borders on the rivers of Cush; ATT: 1. Wo to the land (in). This word, as has been already remarked (Note ch. xvii. 12), may be a mere interjection or salutation, and would be appropriately rendered by "Ho!" Or it may be a word denouncing judgment, or wrath, as it is often used in this prophecy. Note ch. v. 8. Shadowing with wings. by tziltzāl kenâphâim. This is one of the most difficult expressions in the whole chapter; and one to which as yet, probably, no satisfactory meaning has been applied. The LXX render it, 'Ouai yns #hoiwv πλοίων Tréguyes. Ah! wings of the land of ships. The Chaldee, "Wo to the land to which they come in ships from a distant country, and whose sails are spread out as an eagle which flies upon its wings," &c. Grotius renders it, "the land whose extreme parts are shaded by mountains." The word rendered "shadowed," by tziltzăl, occurs only in this place, and in Job xli. 7, where it is translated fish-spears -a spear used in taking fish-but as we know nothing of the form of it, that place throws no light on the meaning of the word here. The word is derived evidently from 33 tzâlăl, which has three signifi. cations. 1. To be shady, dark, obscure, and hence its derivatives are applied to any thing that is shady, or obscure; any thing that makes a shade, or shadow,-particularly shady trees, Job xl. 21, 22 ;—the shades of night, Cant. ii. 17, iv. 6; or any sha ow, or shade, however caused; that is, any thing that produces obscurity, or darkness-as a tree, a rock, a wing, a night, &c. 2. It means to tingle, spoken of the ears (1 Sam. iii. 11, 2 Kings xxi. 13); to quiver, spoken of the lips (Hab. iii. 16); and hence its derivatives are applied to any thing that makes a sound by tinkling-an instrument of music; a cymbal made of two pieces of metal that are struck together. 2 Sam. vi. 5, Ps. cl. 5, Neh. xii. 27, 1 Chron. xv. 16, xvi. 42, xxv. 6, 2 Chron. v. 12. 3. It means, to sink. Ex. xv. 10. From the sense of making a shade, a derivative of the verb by tzelâtzâl—the same as used here except the points-it is applied to locusts, because they appear in such swarms as to obscure the rays of the sun, and produce an extended shade or shadow over a land as a cloud does; or because they make a rustling with their wings. The word here used, therefore, may mean either shaded, or rustling, rattling in the manner of a cymbal, or other tinkling instrument. It may be added that the word may mean a double shade, being a doubling of the word by tzel a shade or shadow, and it has been supposed by some to apply to Ethiopia as lying between the tropics, having a double shadow; that is, so that the shadow of objects is cast one half of the year on the north side, and the other half on the south. The word wings is applied in the Scriptures to the following things, viz. (1.) The wings of a fowl. This is the literal, and common signification. (2.) The skirts, borders, or lower parts of a garment-from the resemblance to wings. 1 Sam. xxiv. 5, 11, Num. xv. 38, Zech. viii. 13. Also a bed covering. Deut. xxxiii. 1. (3.) The extremities or borders of a country-the end, or boundary of a country or of the world. Isa. xxiv. 16, Job xxxvii. 3, Eze. xvii. 3, 7. (4.) The wing or extremity of an army-as we use the word wing. Dan. ix, 27, Isa. viii. 8, Jer. xlviii. 40. (5.) The wings-i. e. the expanding rays of the morning because the light expands or spreads out. Ps. cxxxix. 9, Mal. iv. 2. (6.) The wind-from its rapid motion. Hos. iv. 19, Ps. xviii. 10, 21, civ. 3. (7.) The battlement or pinnacle of the temple. Dan. ix. 27. Comp. Matth. iv. 5. (8.) Protection-as wings are a protection to young birds in their nest. See Matth. xxiii. 37, Ps. xci. 4, xviii. 8, xxxvi. 7, lxi. 4, xci. 4. It has been proposed by some to apply this description to ships, or the sails of vessels, as if a land was designated which was covered with sails, or the wings of vessels. So the LXX, and the Chaldee. But there is no instance in which the word wings is so applied in the Scriptures. The expression here used may therefore be applied to many things; and it is not easy to determine its signification. The general idea is, that of something that abounds in the land that is stretched out or expanded, and that, as it were, covers it, and so abounds as to make a VOL. II.* 3 shade or shadow every where. And it may be applied, (1) to a nation that abounds with birds or fowls, so that they might be said to shade the land; or (2) to a nation abounding with locusts, shading the land or making a rustling noise; or (3) to a nation furnishing protection or stretching out its wings, as it were, for the defence of a feeble people. So Vitringa interprets this place, and supposes that it refers, to Egypt, as being the nation where the Hebrews sought protection. Or (4) to a country or people that is shaded with trees, mountains, or hills. So Grotius supposes it means here, and thinks that it refers to Ethiopia, as being bounded by high hills or mountains. (5) It may mean a people distinguished for navigation—abounding in sails of vessels-as if they were every where spread out like wings. So the LXX and the Chaldee understand this; and the interpretation bas some plausibility from the fact that light vessels are immediately mentioned. (6) The Editor of Calmet's Dictionary supposes that it refers to the winged Cnephim which are sculptured over the temple gates in upper Egypt. They are emblematic representatives of the god Cneph to which the temples are dedicated, and abound in upper Egypt. The symbol of the wings is supposed to denote the protection which the god extended over the land. (7) Gesenius (Commentary on Isaiah) renders it, "land rustling with wings," and supposes that the word rendered "shadowing" denotes the rustling sound that is made by the clangor of weapons of war, and that it refers to armies. Amidst this variety of interpretation, it is perhaps not possible to determine the meaning of the phrase. It has no parallel expression to illustrate it; and its meaning must be left to conjecture. Almost any one of the above significations will suit the connection; and it is not very material which is chosen. The one that, perhaps, best suits the connection is that of the LXX and the Chaldee, which refers it to the multitude of ships that expand their sails, and as it were cover the whole nation with a shade. ¶ Which is beyond. meebhĕr. This does not of necessity mean beyond, though that is its usual signification. It properly means from the passing, the passages, the crossing over, of a river; and may be rendered beyond, or what is on the other side; or over against. It sometimes means on this side, as if used by one living on the other side. 1 Kings iv. 24, Deut. iv. 49, Josh. xiii. 27, in which places it has not the sense of beyond, but means either on this side, or lying alongside. The sense here is, probably, that this country was situated not far from the rivers of Cush-probably 2 That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation 3 scattered and 3 or, out spread and polished. peeled, to a people terrible from their 1of line. line, and treading under foot, or, that meteth out New Translation. 2. Which sendeth ambassadors by the sea; And in vessels of papyrus on the face of the waters. To the nation extended and fierce, To the people terrible from the first and hitherto, To a nation extending its limits-a victorious people ;- beyond them, but still it is implied that they were not far beyond them, but were rather at their passings over, or crossing-places; that is, near them. The rivers of Ethiopia. Heb. Rivers of Cush. On the meaning of the word Cush, see Note ch. xi. 11. It is sometimes applicable to Ethiopia or Nubia—that is, the portion of Egypt above the cataracts of the Nile. Comp. Jer. xiii. 23. "Can the Ethiopianthe Cushite-change his skin?" See also Ezek. xxix. 10. This word does not determine with certainty the country to which reference is made --for the country of Cush may mean that east of the Euphrates, or southern Arabia, or southern Egypt. Egypt and Cush are connected sometimes. Isa. xx. 3, 2 Kings xix. 9, Ps. lxviii. 31, Isa. xliii. 3, Nah. iii. 9. Comp. Dan. xi. 43. The probability from the use of this word is, that some part of upper Egypt is intended. Ethiopia in part lies beyond the most considerable of the streams that make up the river Nile-as the Astaboras and other branches of the Nile. 2. That sendeth ambassadors. That is accustomed to send messengers. What was the design of their thus sending ambassadors does not appear. The prophet simply intimates the fact; a fact by which they were known-perhaps for purposes of commerce, or to acknowledge their dependence, or to seek protection. Bochart renders the word ambassadors by images, and supposes that it denotes an image of the god Osiris made of the papyrus; but there does not seem to be any reason for this opinion. The word tzir, may mean an idol or image, as in Isa. xlv. 16, Ps. xlix. 15. But it usually denotes ambassadors, or messengers, Josh. ix. 4, Prov. xxv. 13, xiii. 17, Jer. xlix. 14, Obad. i., Isa. lvii. 9. ¶ By the sea. What sea |