CHAP. XIX. V. 1. When the Lord by ‘ the wea-terrible majesty, as ‘* riding ona swift cloud,” (A@arz. Ref,) their idols would not be able to afford them any protection ; nay, they would become the derision -and contempt of the victors: and even the evil spirits, which were worshipped through the lifeless images, would be filled with consternation ; while the courage of their worshippcrs would melt, as wax before the fire. (Adarg. Ref. Notes, Jer. xliii. g—13. xliv. 29, 30. xlvi, Ls. xxix.—xxxil. Zech, xiv. 16—19.)
V. 2, 3. Not many years after the destruction of Sennacherib’s army, the affairs of Egypt were reduced to the
utmost contusion and anarchy, by intestine contentions : these ended, after some years, in the tyranny of twelve princes, who divided the land among them; till at length Psammitichus overcame all the rest, and possessed the sole dominion for fifty-four years. (Marg. Ref) Some other dreadful civil contests, which took place in Egypt, and tended to its subjection urider foreign conquerors, may also be predicted: but inall these difficulties, both the courage and conduct of the people failed ; and their magicians could afford them no more help than their idols did. (Notes, 11—14. xlvii, 12-15. Ex. vii. +—12.)
V. 4. Not long after the death of Psammitichus, Nebu-ehadnezzar conqucred’ Egypt ; and he and his successors ; and afterwards the Persian kinys, ruled over that counuy, with despotick sway and most grievous and crucl oppres-x .
h seeon viii. 19.— a fierce king shall rule over them, saith
*¢ pons of his indignation,” should come into Egypt with
ship the Lord, and share the blessings of | sea, and the river shall be wasted and
dried up. 6 And they shall turn the rivers far away; ‘and the brooks of defence Shall ee Nge sie, be emptied and dried up, ™ the reeds and "s\t06 sitet" flags shall wither. | Oaiv.4. Be. au, 7 ‘The paper-reeds by the brooks, by 1#eb. shai "ner the mouth of the brooks, and " every ok. vii ah. thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, xvi 10. ia:. be driven away, and | be no more. a Noe 8 The °fishers also shall mourn, and. 2% "7... all they that cast angles into the brooks, ar" sounds. shall lament, and they that spread nets q ts°%i. 19. viii, upon the waters shall languish. tr, of living Q Moreover, they that ° work in finer! 15 xxix, 1, flax. and they that weave * net-works i 1% aii shall be confounded. Jer. xix. 7. Ez. 10 And they shail be broken in the,** Jo T purposes thereof, all that ° make sluices #2, Pe
and ponds + for fish. ie nae aL:
11 Surely 'the princes of *Zoan are ix. %. “Se: ° ° X. 1. G1.
fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors Gen xis, «9. . . tlh... - t Kgs iv. 3%
of Pharaoh is become ‘brutish: how act vi. a )! . xv. 2: alvil. 16 say ye unto Poaraoh, “Lam the son of 5's, sede. ix the wise, the son of ancient kings? Ion bee 12 Where are they? * where are thy 2,0 7
wise men? and Y let them tell thee now, %™- 9 se.
sion, till the days of Alexander the Great. The word rene
dered ‘a lord,” may more properly be translated dards: and be interpreted of allthe usurpers, conquerors, and oppressors,, who successively tyrannized over Egypt. But some consider Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, and Ochus, or Darius No-thus, ‘* as the cruel lord and fierce king,” particularly in. tended, § whe are both branded in history, for cruel tyrants ‘and monsters of men.’ (Bp. Newson.) The old translation renders it, ‘* a mighty king.” Indeed the word admits of that nrcaning ; and then Alexander, the powerfid deliverer of Evypt from the oppression of the Persian kings, under whom and his successors, the Egyptians were greatly favoured, may be pointed out, § I will shut up the Evyptians in the hands ‘ of severe lords, till a mighty king shall rule over them.’ (Note, Ez. xxix. 14, 15.)
V. 5—10. The inundations of the Nile failing, the communication of the interior parts of the country .with other nations by the sea, might be cut off; the remaining. waters would become putrid; the brooks, which were the fences of the ficlis, or of the cities, would dry up: even. the papyrus, and other aquatick plants which were a considerable article in the commerce of the Egyptians, would. wither ; the corn sown by the brooks, as well as the productions of the higher grounds, would be destroyed: and. their gainful fisheries and manufactures would be ruined, for want of materials, or purchasers. (15. Notts, Ex. vii, 216. Lz. xxx. 12.) This may be unJerstuod literally of a dread. ful famine; or figuratively, of the decay of their prosperity, and the drying up of all the sources of their wealth, through thetr civildistractions. The Septuagint render the last clause, ‘All they who make barley-wine shall be gti.ved in soul
"= Seeon tt.
B.C. 710.
a Jer. i. 16. xlvi. p hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.
@Or, gevernors. Nuns Eris ds
Uy. uIV. 17 e z e Som. wv, 38 fools, the princes of * Noph are deceived ; ¢ 'pet.il.7. they have also seduced Egypt even they
10. 14. xivil. 1a. that are * the stay of the tribes thereof. soar Jobxif 4 The Loxp ° hath mingled a t per-ie “verse spirit in the midst thereof: and Vareeilie. “they have caused Egypt to err in every RaiK.. Jobat work thereof, “asa drunken man stag-af, rit gereth in his vomit.
exile. prov. 15 Neither “shall there be any work
47. Hog. ie 1 for Haypt, which the head or tail, branch
©. »,, oF rush, may do.
“avi. @ 3c. = 96 In that day shall Egypt be ‘like
RX. 5—-7. 1. 97. ji. 30. Nah. hii. 13,
SS ca ES ES RES ie
The Egyptians had few vines; and the use of ferm-nted liquor from barley, or other. grain, was vcry general among them. (Marg. Ref.’
V. 11—14. The Esyptians pretended to an antiquity far beyond any of the neighbouring nations ; and their kings (of
whom Pharaoh was the common name,) were descended, as
they boasted, from a royal race which had continued for some thousand yeats. This was altogether fabulous ; bat doubtless Egypt was renowned for wisdom and scicnce, b¢ for: any other nation, at leastin the countries of which the records are much known.
Yet now their princes and counsellors, who should have been the stay, or * pillars,” of the land, and all its tribes, were hecome foolish and brutish ; and whilst they flattered their king, as, the son of wise, as well as ancient, kings, they seduced him into foolish measures: or, while they boasted of the wisdom and dignity of their own anccstors, they could neither foresce nor prevent the calamities, which God had purposed to bring upon them.
If there were any possessed of ,this wisdom, where were they to be found ?— Indeed the’Lord would give them up to thcir own perverse schemes, and to quarrel with each other, as their private interests, or humours, led them; till the Jand would be reduced, by their ficrce and bloody contests, to the condition of a drunken. man, who can scarcely stagger along, and is equally the object of contempt an:l pity. (Note, 1, 2. xxviii, 7, 8. xxix. g—12. Marg. Itef.)—Zoan was also called Tanais; and Noph, Memphis. ‘The latter is called AZoph, (which is not unlike Noph,) inthe original of Hos. ix. 6.
V. 15. (Notes, 5—10.—ix. 13-17.) Some explain this,
not of the people wanting employment, but of all orders ia their duty. .
- 16. © When God intends the destruction of any ‘ people, he commonly takes from them their strength and * courage ; so that ‘‘ a thousand shall flee at the rebuke of “one.” This is whut the heathen expressed by a panick © terror: but Isaiah more properly calls it here, ‘‘ the shak- “ing of the hand of the Lorp of hosts :’’ God’s holding ‘ his rod over a people, and still threatening them with * severer judgments.’ (Lowth.) (Marg. Ref. Notes, x. 28 "34. XXX. 15—17. 29 —33-)
» 17. * Considering, through their occasion, the Jews * made not God their defence, but put their trust in them, * and ‘were therefore now punishcd; they,. (the Egyptians, ) ‘ shall fear lest the like light on them.’—The first invasion of Judah by. Sennacherib, when. ‘* he took all its fenced
CHAPTER XIX.
and Jet them know what the Loxp of | unto women: and it shall be afraid and
weer.
~Leeem e
BC.710.
fear because of ‘ the shaking of the hand '%,,%*,2% J
13 The 7 princes of Zoan are become | of the Lorp of hosts, which he shaketh 7 **
over it. 17 And * the land of Judah shall be ag xowi. 1. Jere
ae ay xlbi. 6-13, terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh Shy 8090, Be. mention thereof shall be afraid in him- **:%7 self, " because of the counsel of the Lorp "2°" 3,227:
° ~ ’ Fy 0, Fi ; . of hosts, which he hath determined ss'° %"" : : 19. Ot. ak Aly against it. Beene di ic as 1 k €2% Kyi tie xxvii. 13, 18 @ In ‘that day * shall five cities 1), Ps bevil si, the land of Eeypt ‘speak- the # language + Heb tis. Gen. of Canaan, ™ and swear to the Lorp of mrs, 2% %. cut. x. 80, hosts ; one shall be called, The city of Nie 29 Jr > destruction. | $Or, Hered, ory.
ne ee — _
‘ cities,’”’. prececd his march into E-ypt: and it is probable,, that the rumour of the ravages and craelties, committed in Judah, excited yreat consternation amony the Egyptians. In: like manner the destruction of J-rusalem, and the captivity of the surviving Jews, seem to have preceded the conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar; an! would be heard of with vast alarm by the distressed in'abitants, —.
V. 18. The preceding psuphecy includes a series of years, reaching at izast to the time of Alexander the Great, and the taveur shewn to the Eas ptians by him and his suc-. cessors ;; and some think, that their subsequent servitude to the Romans, Saraccas, an Turks, to this present day, is also preticted.
But, in the mean time, some of them would: become acquainted with the true God, learn the language of Canaan, and ‘‘ swear to the LORD ot hosts:” 7, e. they would learnto speak of God and his word and worship, as the Jews did, and to vow obedience to him: or tonse his name, and to call him to witness in their solemn oaths, as his worshippers. (ole; xlv. 29 —25.) It is not known what five Cities were intended ; and especially, there is consi ‘erable uncertainty respecting that, which would be ‘¢ called the city ‘* of destruction :” though itis commonly supposed to mean Heliopolis, or “the city of the sun; and itis thought that ‘it should be thus read.” (Aficheresh, instead of Hahercsh.) Several cities; however, would be tus favoured, esp ccially: one, that had been notorious for idelatry, or was 2pparently ripe for destructionn—Under the Macedenian kings, who succecded Alexander and reigned in Egypt, peculiar privi- Jeges were cranted to the Jews, and numbers of them settled in that country 5 where they professed their religion, and worshipped Gud in their synagogues.
In process of time the scriptures were translutcu into Greek, which was then understood by numbers in Evypt; and this translation is now called the Septuagint. Thus the natives gradually became acquainted with God, and his truth aud will; and:
probably many were proselyied to the Jewish religion, A:
temple was also built by Onias, at Heliopolis, where a worship was performed, similar to’ that at the temple in Jerusa~ lem: and though this was irregular, and could-by no means be justified, yet it might be ovcr-ruled te draw the attention of the Evyptians to the true religion. (Notes, 4ets i. 4—8: viii, 5—8.) But though these events might bc, in some degree, an accomplishment of the prophecy before us: yet it seems more immediately to rclate to the planting and flourishing of Christianity in gypt, in the primitive ages. —‘ Learned.
B.C. 710. ISA nu ixvi. 28. Gen. ‘xil, 7. xxviii. Seah, a 10 v2 is “Hed. Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof xiii. 10. :
@ lv. 13. Josh. iv.
to the Lorn. . s4, xxiv.26, 27, 20 And it shall be ° for a sign, and for ” vi. -a witness unto the Lorp of hiosts in the
Ex. ij. 23. iii. 7
2Xings xii. 4 land of Egypt: for they shall cry ‘unto
qxonii. 96, xv. the Lonp, because of the oppressors, and
et, 9a, Lukeli.d he shall send them a Saviour, and a
F¥0.1s. 5.1 gam, great one, and he shall deliver them. Sia pei, 21 And‘ the Lorp shall be known to ‘Fab i John Foeypt, and the Egyptians shall know the xvii. S$. Gal. iv. BYP se sii : begs
| 425 iis, yo. ORD in that day, *and shall do sacrifice
Mal i. 11. John and @blation; yea, they ‘ shall vow a vow
_ 2% unto the Lorp, and perform it.
tuiv.s. Bev v4 ©9292 And the Lorp shall smite Egypt,
<a
« men observe, that the Jews’ language ts called the language * of Canaan; and that the Hebrew is the same with the old ‘ Phenician language.’. (Lowth.)
V. 19—22. ‘ It isa judicious observation of Calvin, that the prophets, when they speak of the Gentiles coming into ‘ the church, express their serving the true God, by such acts
' . © ofdevotion, as were most in use in their own time.’ (Low+h.)
(Note, Ez. xl. 1.)—These verses seem typically to describe the effects which followed when the Egyptians were converted to Christianity ; and not merely the proselyting of some of them previously to the worship of the true God. The altar may denote the atonement of Christ, and access to God through him 5 (Notes, Heb. xiti. g—16 ;) and the pillar, either their avowal of the Lord, as the Object of their worship, or his acknowledging of them as his people ; and his ordinances, among them, would be a sign and a witness of their relation to him. (Marg.
Ref.) Their crying unto the: Lord, and his sending them a saviour anda great one, to deliver them from their oppressors, can be interpreted of their deliverance by Alexander the Great from the Persian yoke, only in a very subordinate sense, :f at all; indeed there is little reason to - conclude, that in his days there were many Egyptianss who sought deliverance from God by carnest prayers.
Christ himself and his spiritual redemption no doubt were principally intended: and, probably, some future grand deliverance from oppressors, to whom the Egyptians are or shall be exposed, is specially predicted. (Notes, xi. 11—16. Daa. xi. 40—
45. Lech. X. §—12.) The Lord, however, promised to make himself known unto them, and that they should acknowledge him, and worship him, and pay their vows to him: for his smiting of them would make way for their conversion, prayers, and healing, in answer to them. a.
_ V.23—25. For many ages, the Assyrians, (or the Chal-deans, Persians, and Macedonians, who successively had dominion in the same regions, ) were engaged in hostilities with the Egyptians ; and thcy fortified their countries against each other: (Notes, 2 Chr. xxxv. 20—24. Dan, xi. 1—30. Zech. ix. 8:) but, it is here predicted, that they would unite together, and with Israel, in worshipping the Lorp.; that Israel would prove a blessing between the two nations, by communicating to them the knowledge of ‘God, and his salvation ; (Note, Gen. xii. 1~—3. Zech. viii. 2o—23;) nay; the Lord would pronounce them blessed and shew favour to them, as his people and the work of his hands, new created unto holi-
I A HH. B.C.710..
19 In that day shall ® there ke an altar | “he shall smite and heal it: and *they shall ® 3.3% 0, Put
18. Hos. vy.
to the Lorn, in the midst of the Jand of | return even to the Lorp, and he shall be 15. vie @. Bebe
intreated of them, and shall heal them. xvi. 1 lve 1. 23 In that day ” shall there be a high- Ww. Sig.” acts way out of Egypt to Assyria, and the xsviii. ea, 27.
Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the” <0. "sis Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians, i 6.
2vi. 1s. xlix. 6.
shall serve with the Assyrians. Pt ee ‘24 In that day *shall Israet be the 2: Dsst2' third with Egypt’ and with Assyria, even 2 i i: *a blessing in the midst of the land: Bomek Vets: 25 Whom "the Lorp of hosts shallatv.’s.” Gen bless, saying, ‘ Blessed be Egypt my peo- Zech. vik S) Saying, F ; &YP yP 13. Gal. iii. 4. ple, and Assyria the work of my hands, bi 9 lev. a3,
‘ lxvii. 6, 3. cxv.
15. Eph. i. 3. C xxix. 23, Ps. C. 3. Cxxxviii. 8. Hos. ii. 23. Rom. iii. 99. ix. £4, 25. “Gal. vi. 15. Eph. ii, 10. Phil. i.6. Cal. hi. 10, 13. d See on Deut. xxxii. 9. i a a St ness, even as he had been used to do to Israel his inheritance. The work of my hands, is always used by this prophet, of ‘ those whe covenant with God, and are members of his ‘church. (Lowth.) (Notes, xxix. 22—24. xlv. 1a. Ix. 15— 22.) I apprehend that the grand accomplishment of these verses, and of the latter part of this extraordinary prophecy, is still to be expected.
At the same time, I would observe, that to explain the whole chapter, as predictmg one grand event, supposed to be foretold in very many scriptures; so as to exclude the evsdent literal accomplishment of the former part of the chapter, (as Mr.
Faber does,) is calculated to weaken the evidence from prophecies already fulfilled, to the divine inspiration of the scripture, toconfound the minds of plain readers, and to furnish cavils to those, who say, there is no certainty in prophecy.—It is of immense import. ance to draw the line between what has been fulfilled, and what has not. (Notes, Eph. ii. 1g—22.)
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS, -
When ungodly men escape danger, they think themselves secure: but ‘¢ evil pursueth ginners,”’ and will speedily over. take them: and when the Lord cometh to execute judgment, every false confidence will fail, and every sinner’s heart will melt within him, To punish a guilty nation, the inhabitants need only to be left to themselves, and they will soon be set against one another, ‘* every onc against his brother, or his ‘neighbour: city against city,” and province against province, Thus the righteous Lord weakens and destroys the counsel of offending nations ; and their foolish expedients, for deliverance, involve them in stil] deeper guilt and misery, When collective bodies are thus divided among themselves, and either struggling for power, or aiming to preserve or recover their liberties, without regard to God, he often gives them into the hands of some foreign power, which rules over them ‘< as a cruel lord, and asa fierce king ;” so that the true friends of civil liberty should begin by seeking the favour of God, and liberty from the bondage ef sin.
He can soon cut off those sources of national wealth, which are looked upon as most certain: and whilst kings and nobles are forming and executing their infatuated projects, to aggrandize themselves; the poor are often de. prived of employment and subsistence. Indeed the comfort of the lower orders in society is seldom, if ever, duly regarded by ambitious men: yet, where this is neglected, the counsel:
B. C. 735. | CHAP. XX. |
The prophet goes uncovered and barefoot,
asa sign of the captivity of Egypt and Ethiopia by the Assyrians, 1\—A. He ' predicts the terror of those who had expected help from them, 5, 9.
- ——ee
e@ @ Kings xviii. 17. bi can vi. 19. Jer. xxv. 9.
NI the year that * Tartan came unto Am. i. &. Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of © Heh tuehend Assyria sent him,) and fought against fsalah. *y ¢ . d Jer. xii, It. Ashdod, ° and took it x
2, At the same time spake the Lorp
ie. b. Matt. xr. i. &by “Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying,
e 8 king i. ech. x . Matt ili.4.Rev-¢ Jo, and loose ‘the sackcloth from off
" of the wisest is brutish, and tends to deccive, whilst it flatters those who depend upon it: and they become the ruin, who should be the stay of the tribes of the land.
But he leaves rulers to be actuated by a perverse spirit, and to bring pub-lick affairs to the utmost confusion and contempt, in order to punish the lower orders also for their transgressions: and every view of this subject proves, that ‘* righteousness ex- ‘¢ alteth anation, but that sin is the reproach of any people:” (Note, Prov. xiv. 34:) and that invasions, civil wars, and the decay of trade, and the want of employment for the poor, are calls from God to national repentance and reformation.
When he “ shaketh his hand,’”’ and sheweth tokens of indignation; the most courageous become as women ; and he rendereth sinners afraid of those, whom before they despised or oppressed. ‘* The counsel of the Lorp of hosts, which ‘* he hath determined” against all the workers of. iniquity, will make them a terror to themselves and to each other; and every surrounding object a terror to them.—But his severest temporal judgments combine with designs of mercy: and revolutions in mighty kingdoms make way for the success of his gospe].
Already numbers have learned to ‘‘ speak ‘¢ the language of Canaan, and to swear to the Lorp of “¢ hosts ;” to erect altars to his name, ‘and to offer him spiritual sacrifices, in those places which were the most addicted to idolatry ; and every évent of this kind is a proof of the divine original of that blessed book, in which so many prophecies to this effect are contained.—The Lord hath indeed sent a Saviour and a great one, to deliver those, who were oppressed by Satan; all, that cry unto him for that redemp- ‘tion, are made partakers of it; and ere long he will opena way for his gospel into the remotest nations of the earth.
Then hostile nations shall amicably accord in serving him ; shall know, trust, and worship him as ‘* the God and ‘¢ Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ;” he will acknowledge them as ‘* his people, the work of his hands,” and *¢ his cho- ¢¢ sen inheritance:” and it shall then be known, that Israel, which hath been so despised and hated on earth, was indeed blessed of God, and a blessing in the midst of every land.— But, what a change does the grace of God effect upon men’s
_ dispositions, conversation, and behaviour. Bclieving his truth and attending on his ordinances, they learn to speak a new language, sincere, pure, pious, heavenly, and instructive: (Note, Zeph. iti. 9, 10:) they become just, harmless, kind, and peaceable ; and they live in harmony and do good, and aim to,be a blessing to their neighbours, and even to their