3 All ye inhabitants H3427 of the world, H8398 and dwellers H7931 on the earth, H776 see H7200 ye, when he lifteth up H5375 an ensign H5251 on the mountains; H2022 and when he bloweth H8628 a trumpet, H7782 hear H8085 ye.
And he will lift up H5375 an ensign H5251 to the nations H1471 from far, H7350 and will hiss H8319 unto them from the end H7097 of the earth: H776 and, behold, they shall come H935 with speed H4120 swiftly: H7031
LORD, H3068 when thy hand H3027 is lifted up, H7311 they will not see: H2372 but they shall see, H2372 and be ashamed H954 for their envy H7068 at the people; H5971 yea, the fire H784 of thine enemies H6862 shall devour H398 them.
[[A Psalm H4210 of Asaph.]] H623 The mighty H410 God, H430 even the LORD, H3068 hath spoken, H1696 and called H7121 the earth H776 from the rising H4217 of the sun H8121 unto the going down H3996 thereof.
Lift ye up H5375 a banner H5251 upon the high H8192 mountain, H2022 exalt H7311 the voice H6963 unto them, shake H5130 the hand, H3027 that they may go H935 into the gates H6607 of the nobles. H5081
The noise H6963 of a multitude H1995 in the mountains, H2022 like as H1823 of a great H7227 people; H5971 a tumultuous H7588 noise H6963 of the kingdoms H4467 of nations H1471 gathered together: H622 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 mustereth H6485 the host H6635 of the battle. H4421
Shall a trumpet H7782 be blown H8628 in the city, H5892 and the people H5971 not be afraid? H2729 shall there be evil H7451 in a city, H5892 and the LORD H3068 hath not done H6213 it? Surely the Lord H136 GOD H3069 will do H6213 nothing, H1697 but he revealeth H1540 his secret H5475 unto his servants H5650 the prophets. H5030 The lion H738 hath roared, H7580 who will not H3808 fear? H3372 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 hath spoken, H1696 who can but prophesy? H5012
And the LORD H3068 shall be seen H7200 over them, and his arrow H2671 shall go forth H3318 as the lightning: H1300 and the Lord H136 GOD H3069 shall blow H8628 the trumpet, H7782 and shall go H1980 with whirlwinds H5591 of the south. H8486
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 18
Commentary on Isaiah 18 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 18
Whatever country it is that is meant here by "the land shadowing with wings,' here is a woe denounced against it, for God has, upon his people's account, a quarrel with it.
Isa 18:1-7
Interpreters are very much at a loss where to find this land that lies beyond the rivers of Cush. Some take it to be Egypt, a maritime country, and full of rivers, and which courted Israel to depend upon them, but proved broken reeds; but against this it is strongly objected that the next chapter is distinguished from this by the title of the burden of Egypt. Others take it to be Ethiopia, and read it, which lies near, or about, the rivers of Ethiopia, not that in Africa, which lay south of Egypt, but that which we call Arabia, which lay east of Canaan, which Tirhakah was now king of. He thought to protect the Jews, as it were, under the shadow of his wings, by giving a powerful diversion to the king of Assyria, when he made a descent upon his country, at the time that he was attacking Jerusalem, 2 Ki. 19:9. But though by his ambassadors he bade defiance to the king of Assyria, and encouraged the Jews to depend upon him, God by the prophet slights him, and will not go forth with him; he may take his own course, but God will take another course to protect Jerusalem, while he suffers the attempt of Tirhakah to miscarry and his Arabian army to be ruined; for the Assyrian army shall become a present or sacrifice to the Lord of hosts, and to the place of his name, by the hand of an angel, not by the hand of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, v. 7. This is a very probable exposition of this chapter. But from a hint of Dr. Lightfoot's, in his Harmony of the Old Testament, I incline to understand this chapter as a prophecy against Assyria, and so a continuation of the prophecy in the last three verses of the foregoing chapter, with which therefore this should be joined. That was against the army of the Assyrians which rushed in upon Judah; this is against the land of Assyria itself, which lay beyond the rivers of Arabia, that is, the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, which bordered on Arabia Deserta. And in calling it the land shadowing with wings he seems to refer to what he himself had said of it (ch. 8:8), that the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel! The prophet might perhaps describe the Assyrians by such dark expressions, not naming them, for the same reason that St. Paul, in his prophecy, speaks of the Roman empire by a periphrasis: He who now letteth, 2 Th. 2:7. Here is,