The word sea,

is here meant cannot be accurately determined. --is applied to various collections of water, and may be used in reference to a sea, a lake, a pond, and even a large river. It is often applied to the Mediterranean-and where the phrase great sea occurs it denotes that. Num. xxxiv. 6, 7, Deut. xi. 24. It is applied to the lake of Gennesareth or the sea of Galilee, Num. xxxiv. 11; to the Salt Sea, Gen. xiv. 3; to the Red Sea often, Ex. xiii. 10, Num. xiv. 25, xxi. 4, xxxiii. 10, &c. &c. It is also applied to a large river, as e. g. the Nile, Isa. xix. 5, Neh. iii. 8; and to the Euphrates, Jer. li. 36. So far as this word is concerned, therefore, it may denote either the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Nile, or the Euphrates. If the country spoken of is Upper Egypt or Nubia, then we are naturally led to suppose that the prophet refers either to the Nile or the Red Sea. Even in vessels of bulrushes. The word rendered bulrushes gömês, is derived from the verb gâmâ, to swallow, sip, drink; and is given to a reed or bulrush, from its imbibing water. It is applied in the Scriptures to the Egyptian papyrus-a plant which grew on the banks of the Nile, and from which we have derived our word paper. "This plant," says Taylor, (Heb. Con.) " grew in moist places near the Nile, and was four or five yards in height. Under the bark it consisted wholly of thin skins, which being separated and spread out were applied to various uses. Of these they made boxes and chests, and even boats, smearing them over with pitch." These laminae or skins also served the purpose of paper, and were used instead of parchment, or plates of lead and copper, for writing on. The word is translated bulrushes in Ex. ii. 3, where the little ark is described in which Moses was laid near the Nile; the rush in Job viii. 11; and rushes, Isa. xxxv. 7. It does not elsewhere occur. That the ancients were in the practice of making light boats or vessels from the papyrus is well known. Thus Theophrastus in the History of Plants, 4, 9, says that "the papyrus is useful for many things. For from this they make vessels," or ships, λoia. Thus Pliny, 13, 11, s. 22, says, ex ipso quidem papyro navigia texunt'from the papyrus they weave vessels.' Again 6, 56, s. 57. “Even now," says he, "in the Britannic ocean useful vessels are made of bark ; on the Nile from the papyrus, and from reeds and rushes." So Lucan, Pharsa, 4, 36. "At Memphis boats are made of the papyrus." In our own country, also, it will be remembered, the native Indians were accustomed to make canoes or vessels of the bark of the birch,

with which they often adventured on even dangerous navigation. The circumstance here mentioned of the xa gömse, the papyrus, seems to fix the scene of this prophecy to the region of the Nile. This reed grew nowhere else; and it is natural therefore to suppose that some nation living near the Nile is intended. Taylor, the Editor of Calmet, has shown that the inhabitants of the upper regions of the Nile were accustomed to form floats of hollow earthen vessels, and to weave them together with rushes, and thus to convey them to lower Egypt to market. He supposes that by "vessels of bulrushes," or rush floats, are meant such vessels. For a full description of the floats made in upper Egypt with jars, see Pococke's Travels, Vol. 1. p. 84, Ed. London 1743. Mr. Bruce in his Travels mentions vessels made of the papyrus in Abyssinia. Upon the waters. The waters of the Nile, or the Red Sea. ¶ Saying. This word is not in the Hebrew, and the introduction of it by the translators gives a peculiar, and probably an incorrect sense to the whole passage. As it stands here, it would seem to be the language of the inhabitants of the land who sent the ambassadors, usually saying to their messengers to go to a distant nation; and this introduces an inquiry into the characteristics of the nation to whom the ambassadors are sent, as if it were a different people from those who are mentioned in ver. 1. But probably the words which follow are to be regarded as the words of the prophet, or of God (ver. 4), giving commandment to those messengers to return to those who sent them, and deliver the message which follows: 'You send messengers to distant nations. You send them in ships upon the rivers. Return, says God, to the land which sent you forth-to the people scattered and peeled, and announce to them the will of God. Go rapidly in your light vessels, and bear this message, for it shall speedily be executed, and I will sit calmly and see it done.' Ver. 4-6. A remarkably similar passage, which throws great light on this, occurs in Ezek. xxx. 9: "In that day shall messengers go forth from me (God) in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them as in the day of Egypt; for lo, it cometh." Go, ye swift messengers. Heb. light messengers. This is evidently addressed to the boats. Achilles Tatius says that they were frequently so light and small that ¶ To a nation. they would carry but one person. What nation this was is not known. The obvious import of the pas. sage is, that it was some nation to whom they were accustomed to

Rosenmüller.

send ambassadors, and that it is here added merely as descriptive of the people. Two or three characteristics of the nation are here mentioned from which we may better learn what people are referred to. Scattered. memushshakh. This word is derived from mâshăkh, to seize, take, hold fast; to draw out, extend, or prolong ; to make double or strong; to spread out; and it may evidently be applied in various ways. The LXX render it, Ovos μeréwgov 'a lofty nation.' The Chaldee, "a people suffering violence." The Syriac, "a nation distorted." The Vulgate, "a people convulsed, and lacerated." It may denote a people spread out over a great extent of country; or a people drawn out in length-i. e. extended over a country of considerable length, but of comparatively narrow breadth, as Egypt is. So Vitringa understands it. Or it may mean a people strong, valiant (comp. Eccl. 11. 3). So Gesenius understands it. This best suits the connexion, as being a people "terrible hitherto." Perhaps all these ideas may be united by the supposition, that the nation was drawn out or extended over a large region, and was therefore a powerful or mighty people. The idea of its being scattered is not the idea in the text. Probably the idea in all this passage is that of a people extending themselves; or drawing out their power, and thus rendering themselves formidable. Taylor renders it, "a people of short stature; contracted in height; that is, dwarfs." But the idea in the text is not one that is descriptive of individuals but of the collected nation; the people. And peeled. in morât, from ? mârăt, to make smooth, or sharpen as a sword, Ezek. xxi. 14-33; then to make smooth the head of any one, to pluck off his hair, Ezra ix. 3, Neh. xiii. 25, Isa. 4-6. The LXX render it évov λaòv xai xaλeróv, a foreign and wicked people. The Vulgate, "to a people lacerated." The Syriac renders the whole verse, go swift messengers to a people perverse and torn; to a people whose strength has been long since taken away; a people defiled and trodden down; whose land the rivers have spoiled." The word here used is capable of two significations. It may denote a people who are shaved or made smooth by removing the hair from the body. It is known to have been the custom with the Egyptians to make their bodies smooth by shaving off the hair, as Herodotus testifies, 11, 37. Or it may be translated, as Gesenius proposes, a people valiant, fierce, bold, from the sense which the verb has to sharpen a sword, Ezek. xxi. 15, 16. The former is the most obvious interpretation, and agrees best with the proper mean.

ing of the Hebrew word; the latter would, perhaps, better suit the connexion. The Editor of Calmet supposes that it is to be taken in the sense of diminished, small, dwarfish, and would apply it to the pigmies of Upper Egypt. ¶ To a people terrible. That is, warlike, fierce, cruel. Heb. A people feared.' If the Egyptians are meant it may refer to the fact that they had always been an object of terror and alarm to the Israelites from their early oppressions there bcfore their deliverance under Moses. From their beginning hitherto. Heb. From this time, and formerly.' It has been their general character; that by which they have been known-a fierce, harsh, oppressive nation. Gesenius, however, renders this, "to the formidable nation (and) further beyond ;" and supposes that two nations are referred to, of which the most remote and formidable one, whose land is washed by streams, is the proper Ethiopian people. By the other he supposes is meant the Egyptian people. But the scope of the whole prophecy rather requires us to understand it of one people. A nation meted out. Heb. of line, line,' qăv-qăv. Vitrin

ga renders this," a nation of precept and precept;" that is, whose religion abounded with rites and ceremonies, and an infinite multitude of precepts or laws which prescribed them. Michaelis renders it, "a nation measured by a line;" that is, whose land had been divided by victors. Doederlin renders it, "a nation which uses the line;" i. e. as he supposes, which extended its dominion over other provinces. The word qăv, means properly a cord, a line, particularly a measuring line, Ezek. xlvii. 3, 2 Kings xxi. 13, "I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria," i. e. I will destroy it like Samaria. And hence the phrase here may denote a people accustomed to stretch out such lines over others; that is, to lay them waste. It is applied usually to the line connected with a plummet which a carpenter uses to mark out his work (comp. Job xxxviii. 5, Isa. xxviii. 17, xxxviv. 11, Zeph. ii. 1); or to a line by which a land or country—a farm, &c., is measured by the surveyor. Sometimes it means a precept, or rule, as Vitringa has rendered it here. Comp. Isa. xxviii. 10. But the phrase to stretch out a line; or to measure a people by a line, is commonly applied to their destruction, as if a conqueror used a line to mark out what he had to do. See this use of the word in 2 Kings xxi. 13, Isa. xxviii. 17, xxxiv. 11, Lam. ii. 8, Zech. i. 16. This is probably its sense here-a nation terrible in all its history, and which had been distinguished for stretching lines over others; that is, for

marking them out for destruction, and dividing them as it pleased. It is therefore a simple description, not of the nation as being itself measured out, but as extending its dominion over others. ¶ And trodden down. msbhúsâ. Marg. And treading under foot, or that meteth out and treadeth down.' The margin here, as is frequently the case, is the more correct rendering. Here it does not mean that they were trodden down, but that it was a characteristic of their nation that they trod down others; that is, conquered and subdued other nations. Thus the verb is used in Isa. liii. 6, xiv. 25, Jer. xii. 10, Isa. lxiii. 18, Ps. xliv. 6. Some, however, have supposed that it refers to the fact that the land was trodden down by their feet, or that the Egyptians were accustomed to lead the waters of the Nile, when it overflowed, by treading places for it to flow in their fields. But the former is the more correct interpretation. ¶ Whose land the rivers have spoiled. Margin, Despise. The Hebrew word bâzenu, occurs nowhere else. The Vulgate renders it diripuerunt, carry away. The Chaldee reads it," whose land the people plunder." The word is probably of the same signification as bâzăz, to plunder, lay waste. So it was read by the Vulgate and the Chaldee; and this reading is found in four MSS. The word is in the present tense, and should be rendered not "have spoiled," but spoil. It is probably used to denote a country, the banks of whose rivers are washed away by the floods. This description is particularly applicable to Nubia or Abyssinia-the region above the cataracts of the Nile. One has only to look at a map to see how applicable it is; and to remember that these streams continually wash away the banks and bear the earth to deposit it on the lands of lower Egypt, to see that the prophet had this region particularly in his eye. He could not have meant Egypt proper, because instead of spoiling the lands, or washing them away, the Nile constantly brings down a deposit from the upper regions that constitutes its great fertility. The rivers that are here mentioned are doubtless the various branches of the Nile. See Bruce's Travels, ch. iii., and Burckhardt's Travels in Nubia. The Nile is formed by the junction of many streams or branches rising in Abyssinia-the principal of which are the Atbara; the Astapus or Blue River; and the Astasobas or White River. The principal source of the Nile is the Astapus or Blue River which rises in the Lake Coloe, which Bruce supposes to be the head of the Nile. This river on the west, and the various branches of the Atbara on the east, near