XIX. Chapter Judah with Fire and Sword; at fuch a Time they could not but be under difinal Apprehenfion, and jealous of the growing Power of a barbarous Tyrant already too strong for them. Gataker, Vatablus, Sandius. Ver. 17. And the land of Judah fhall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the Lord of hofts, which he bath determined against it.] The Land of Judah was to be a Terror to the Egyptians, not by the Force of its Arms, but the Greatnefs of its Sufferings, ftrange Accounts of unheard of Cruelties committed there by the Affyrians fhould continually alarm them, the very Recital whereof fhould make them look pale and tremble; when they behold the Land of Judah over-run by the Affyrian Forces they shall be difmay'd, lying next in the way of the Conqueror, having incurr'd his Difpleasure by coafederating with the Jews his Enemies. Ver. 18. In that day fhall five cities in the land of Egypt Speak the language of Canaan, and fear to the Lord hosts: one fhall be called the city of deftruction.] In that day all along fignifies at that time, or about that time, and cannot with any Propriety of Speech be understood of a Time at the Distance of feveral Hundred Years, as it is (a) Munster, by them (a) who understand this Prophecy fpiritually, of the Converfion of the Egyptians to Chianity; but this is taking a Latitude not allowable in any other Book, and fuch as cannot be defended or juftify'd, there not being a Word which fhould make one fufpect that the Prophet thought of any fuch thing; for this Reafon I adhere to those who keep to the Connexion of thefe Words with the former, In that Day, while Sennacherib is ravaging Judea, shall five cities in the land of Egypt fpeak the Language of Canaan, that is, many fews fhall feek Shelter in the Cities of Egypt, and there propagate both their Language and Religion, which is the meaning of fwearing. to the Lord of hofts; the Danger they have efcap'd fhall make the Jews live answerably to their Religion, which fhall have fuch an Influence on the idolatrous Natives as to make Converts of them, engage them to understand the Language of Canaan, that they may read the Law, and be throughly inftructed in the Principles of the Mofaic Grotius, Clarius. Inftitution; and here it is to be observ'd that the Prophet Chapter ufes a certain Number for an uncertain one, Five for XIX. many, and one religious Act, viz. that of fwearing to the Lord, for all others. The City of Deftruction. The Words in the Original may be differently read, Nir Keres, or Nir Heres; if we read Heres our Tranflation is right, but then we are at a lofs, not being able to difcover what City is meant, or why it is fo call'd by the Prophet, which makes others think the Initial Letter of the controverted Word fhould be Cheth, Cheres, the Sun, and then probably the Prophet means the famous Heliopolis, where was the most Lib. 17. pompous and refin'd Idolatry, call'd by Strabo the City of the Priests, from the great Number of them employ'd. about the Sacrifices, and other fuperftitious Rites. Ver. 19. In that day fhall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord.] That is, the Jews, who in thofe perilous Times fhall retire to Egypt, fhall, by the Permiffion of the Government, erect a Monument, as a public Testimony of their Gratitude to God for delivering them from the Affyrian Oppreffor, which is all the Prophet means by an Altar in the midft of Egypt, fuch a one as the Children of Reuben and their Brethren built on the Borders of Jordan, fofh. 22. 26. not for burnt-offerings, nor for facrifice, but that it may be a witness between us and you, and our generations after us, that we belong to the Lord, and have a Right to facrifice to him as well as our Brethren, whofe Portion was allotted them in a better Country on the other fide Jordan: Onias thinking to fulfil this Prophecy literally ask'd Leave of Ptolomee Philometor to erect an Altar in Egypt after the Likeness of that in Jerufalem, but the Jews of beft Sense "were against it, and Andronicus Meffalanus inform'd the fofeph. Antiq. King that the Prophet Haiah, alledg'd by Onias, could . 13. c. 4. 6. have no fuch meaning, because the Temple of Jerufalem was the only Place fet apart for his Worship and Service. Ver. 20. And it shall be for a fign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt for they fhall cry unto the Lord, because of the appreffors, and he shall send them a Saviour, and a great one, and he fhall deliver them.] This Monument was to be a public Teftimony in the Land of Egypt, that there were fome of his People there not afraid U to Chapter to make public Profeffion of his Name in the Heart of an XIX. idolatrous Kingdom, for they fhall make humble Supplication to the Lord to put a Stop to the Affyrian Oppreffion, and not fuffer him to make any farther Progress with his depopulating Army: And he shall fend them a Saviour, meaning the destroying Angel, which made that Slaughter in the Army which foon put an end to the Fears of the Egyptians as well as the Jews, who fled to them for Shelter. Ver. 21. And the Lord fhall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians fhall know the Lord in that day, and fhall do facri fice and oblation, yea, they fhall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it So notable an Overthrow as that of One Hundred and Eighty Five Thoufand Men ftruck dead in a Moment without the appearance of any Caufe, could not but raise in the Minds of thinking Men a great Idea of God's Power, and the Egyptians, who were fo nearly concern'd, could not but be fenfibly affected with fo furprizing an Event, which would naturally work upon fome of them to turn to the Lord, who was able to do fo great Things for those that ferv'd him; this the Prophet means when he fays, The Lord fhall be known in Egypt, as he explains himself afterward, he fhall be known fo as to be worshipped, and become the Object of their Devotion, their Vows and Sacrifices; and accordingly we read in the Hiftory of thofe Times, that many brought gifts unto the Lord to Jerufa2 Chron. 32. lem, fo that he was magnify'd in the fight of all nations from thenceforth. 23. Ver. 22. And the Lord fhall fmite Egypt, he shall fmite and heal it, and they fhall return even to the Lord, and he fall be intreated of them, and fhall heal them.] This is a way of fpeaking among the Jews, which may be render'd, fays Grotius, Et fanabit Dominus Egyptum a Plaga qua cam percufferat, meaning their Civil Wars, to which he should put an End, by reducing them into one Government under Pfammiticus. Ver. 23. In that day fhall there be a highway out of Egypt to Affyria, and the Affyrian fhall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Affyria, and the Egyptians fhall ferve with the Affyrians.] That is, when Pfammiticus fhall be fettled in. the quiet Poffeffion of his Kingdom, Peace fhall be eftablish'd, and interrupted Trade revive between Egypt and Allyria, XIX. Affyria, and ancient Animofities be bury'd in a free Inter- Chapter courfe of open Commerce; and what is ftranger ftill, they fhall both confpire in doing all imaginable kind Offices to the Jews. They fhall ferve with the Affyrians, Non eos deinceps timebunt fed potius colent magnoq; ftudio complectentur, as Forerius thinks the Word may fignify, or as (a) others, (a) Vatablus, they shall serve the fame God with the Affyrian. Ar.Montanus, 2 Kings 20. Ver. 24. In that day fhall Ifrael be the third with Egypt, Santius. and with Affyria, even a bleffing in the midst of the land:] By Ifrael the Prophet means the Kingdom of Judah, which, fays the Prophet, fhall come in and make up this Triple Alliance, and all the Earth fhall be fenfible of the Happinefs which the Agreement of thefe contending Kingdoms fhall produce; this League lafted all Hezekiah's Reign. Ver. 25. Whom the Lord of hofts fhall blefs: faying, Blessed 12, 19. be Egypt my people, and Affyria the work of my hands, and Ifrael mine inheritance.] For the Lord of Hofts fhall blefs him, that is, each of thefe People, and as a Token of his Kindness to the Egyptians he gives them the Title of my People, which was in a manner appropriated to the Seed of Jacob, becaufe at this time a great many of the Egyptians turn'd from Idolatry to the Worship of the true God. My People, the Work, of mine Hands, and mine Inheritance, are all fynonymous Expressions, and denote the Favour of God to be in a peculiar manner fhew'd to them to whom they are apply'd. The ARGUMENT of Chapter XX. Sanctius thinks the Allyrian King here mention'd under the Name of Sargon was Salmanafar, who in the Sixth of Hezekiah took Samaria, and entirely fubverted the Ringdom of Ifrael, at which time he might make an Incurfion into the Territories of the Philistines, and fend Tartan with a fe parate Army to befiege Azotus, which Sennacherib had ne ver an Opportunity of doing, not after the Reduction of Egypt and Ethiopia, becaufe upon his Return his Army was mira culously defeated, and he forc'd to fly to Affyria, where he was murder'd by his Sons; not before, because we find him U 2 employ'd employ'd in ravaging Judea, at a great distance from Azotus, which lay out of his way: This Reasoning of Sanctius is not. conclufive, for why could not Sennacherib befiege Azotus. as well as his Predeceffor? Why,when he first came into Judea. with an Army of above 200000 Men, could not be spare a Body to act feparately, and take in that Town, while the reft were bufy in plundering the open Towns of Judea? It is not. eafy to determine pofitively which of these Two Kings is here meant, but I think it more probable it should be Sennacherib than his Predeceffor, because Tartan, who is faid to be fent by Sargon here, is in the Hiftory faid to be fent by Sennacherib, tho' not against the fame Place, however this be Ifaiah foretels here that the Egyptians and Ethiopians fhall be carry'd away into Captivity, for this probable Reafon, to prevent Hezekiah and his Subjects from running into the 2 Kings 6.14. fatal Error of his Predeceffor, of confiding in his Allies more 2 Kings 18. 17. Chapter than in God. Verfe 1. CHAP. XX. N the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod (when Sargon the king of Affyria fent him) and fought. against Ashdod, and took it,] It is impoffible to fix the Time of the Date of this Prophecy, because we have no Account of the taking of this City, and confequently the Time of the Accomplishment of it must be uncertain alfo, an exact Account of which it would have been eafy to have given, had the Hiftorians in those early Times been as particular as they now are, and their Writings been handed down to us without any Lofs. Ver. 2. At the fame time fpake the Lord by Ifaiah the fon of Amoz, faying, Go, and loose the fackcloth from off thy Loins, and put off thy fhoe from thy foot and he did fo, walking naked and barefoot.] Sackcloth was the ufual Drefs of (a) Munfter. Perfons in Affliction, and fome (a) think the Prophet at this Time wore that courfe Garment upon the Account of the Captivity of his Brethren of the Ten Tribes; but (b) Forerius. others (b) are of Opinion that it was the ordinary Habit of the Prophets, made of Camels or Goats Hair, fuch as Elias wore when it was faid of him, he was an hairy man, 2 Kings 1. 8. which being a loose upper Coat was ty'd about the middle Gataker. 24 |