tion to whom the messengers are sent; are all obscure and doubtful. 1. The winged cymba.] 'byby. I adopt this as the most probable of the many interpretations that have been given of these words. It is Bochart's: see Phaleg. iv. 2. The Egyptian Sistrum is expressed by a periphrasis; the Hebrews had no name for it in their language, not having in use the instrument itself. The cymbal they had; an instrument in its use and sound not much unlike to the sistrum; and to distinguish from it the sistrum, they called it the cymbal with wings. The cymbal was a round hollow piece of metal, which being struck against another, gave a ringing sound: the sistrum was a round instrument, consisting of a broad rim of metal, through which from side to side ran several loose lamina, or small rods, of metal, which, being shaken, gave a like sound: These projecting on each side, had somewhat of the appearance of wings; or might be very properly expressed by the same word which the Hebrews used for wings, or for the extremity, or a part of any thing projecting. The sistrum is given in a medal of Adrian, as the proper attribute of Egypt. See Addison on Medals, Series iii. No. 4. where the figure of it may be seen. In opposition to other interpretations of these words which have prevailed, it may be briefly observed, that bby is never used to signify shadow, nor applied to the sails of ships. If therefore the words are rightly interpreted the winged cymbal, meaning the sistrum, Egypt must be the country to which the prophecy is addressed: And upon this hypothesis the version and explanation must proceed. I further suppose, that the prophecy was delivered before Senacherib's return from his Egyptian expedition, which took up three years; and that it was designed to give to the Jews, and perhaps likewise to the Egyptians, an intimation of God's counsels in regard to the destruction of their great and powerful enemy. Ibid. Which borders on the rivers of Cush] What are the rivers of Cush, whether the eastern branches of the lower Nile, the boundary of Egypt towards Arabia, or the parts of the upper Nile towards Ethiopia, it is not easy to determine. The word 7 signifies either on this side or on the further side: I have made use of the same kind of ambiguous expression in the translation. 2.-in vessels of papyrus] This circumstance agrees perfectly well with Egypt. It is well known, that the Egyptians commonly used on the Nile a light sort of ships, or boats, made of the reed papyrus. "Ex ipso quidem papyro navigia texunt:" Plin. xiii. 11. "Conseritur bibula Memphitis cymba papyro." Luc. iv. 136. Ibid. Go, ye swift messengers-] To this nation before mentioned, who, by the Nile, and by their numerous canals, have the means of spreading the report, in the most expeditious manner, through the whole country; go, ye swift messengers, and carry this notice of God's designs in regard to them. By the swift messengers are meant, not any particular persons specially appointed to this office, but any the usual conveyers of news whatsoever, travellers, merchants, and the like, the instruments and agents of common fame: these are ordered to publish this declaration made by the Prophet throughout Egypt, and to all the world; and to excite their attention to the promised visible interposition of God. Ibid. -stretched out in length] Egypt, that is, the fruitful part of it, exclusive of the deserts on each side, is one long vale, through the middle of which runs the Nile, bounded on each side to the east and west by a chain of mountains, seven hundred and fifty miles in length; in breadth, from one to two or three days' journey: even at the widest part of the Delta, from Pelusium to Alexandria, not above two hundred and fifty miles broad. Egmont and Hayman, and Pococke's Travels. Ibid.-smoothed-] Either relating to the practice of the Egyptian priests, who made their bodies smooth by shaving off their hair; see Herod. ii. 37.; or rather to the country's being made smooth, perfectly plain and level, by the overflowing of the Nile. Ibid.-meted out by line-] It is generally referred to the frequent necessity of having recourse to mensuration in Egypt, in order to determine the boundaries after the inundations of the Nile; to which even the origin of the science of geometry is by some ascribed. Strabo, lib. xvii. sub init. Ibid.-trodden down-] Supposed to allude to a peculiar method of tillage in use among the Egyptians. Both Herodotus (lib. ii.) and Diodorus (lib. i.) say, that when the Nile had retired within its banks, and the ground became somewhat dry, they sowed their land, and then sent in their cattle (their hogs, says the former) to tread in the seed; and without any further care expected the harvest. Ibid. the rivers have nourished] The word N is generally taken to be an irregular form for Ma, have spoiled, as an ancient MS has it in this place; and so most of the versions, both ancient and modern, understand it. On which Schultens, Gram. Heb. p. 491. has the following remark: "Ne minimam quidem speciem veri habet N, Esai. xviii. 2. elatum pro a diripiunt. Hæc esset anomalia, cui nihil simile in toto linguæ ambitu. In talibus nil finire, vel fateri ex mera agi conjectura, tutius justiusque. Radicem olim extare potuisse, quis neget? Si cognatum quid sectandum erat, ad a, contemsit, potius decur .בזיו sit enuntiatum, vel בזו pro בזאו rendum fuisset: ut Digna phrasis, flumina contemnunt terram, i. e. inundant." ", Arab. extulit se superbius, item subjecit sibi: unde præt. pl. 18 subjecerunt sibi, i. e. inundarunt:" Simonis Lexic. Heb. A learned friend has suggested to me another explanation of the word. 2, Syr. and N, Chald. signifies uber, mamma; agreeably to which the verb might signify to nourish. This would perfectly well suit with the Nile: whereas nothing can be more discordant than the idea of spoiling and plundering; for to the inundation of the Nile Egypt owed every thing-the fertility of the soil, and the very soil itself. Besides, the overflowing of the Nile came on by gentle degrees, covering without laying waste the country. "Mira æque natura fluminis, quod cum cæteri omnes abluant terras et eviscerent, Nilus tanto cæteris major adeo nihil exedit, nec abradit, ut contra adjiciat vires; minimumque in eo sit, quod solum temperet. Illato enim limo arenas saturat ac jungit: debetque illi Ægyptus non tantum fertilitatem. terrarum, sed ipsas:" Seneca, Nat. Quæst. iv. 2. I take the liberty, therefore, which Schultens seems to think allowable in this place, of hazarding a conjectural interpretation. 3. When the standard is lifted up-] I take God to be the agent in this verse; and that by the standard and the trumpet are meant the meteors, the thunder, the lightning, the storm, earthquake, and tempest, by which Senacherib's army shall be destroyed, or by which at least the destruction of it shall be accompanied; as it is described in chap. xxix. 6. and xxx. 30, 31, and x. 16, 17. See also Psal. lxxvi. and the title of it according to LXX, Vulg. and T Æthiop. They are called, by a bold metaphor, the standard lifted up, and the trumpet sounded. The latter is used by Homer, I think, with great force, in his introduction to the battle of the gods; though I find it has disgusted some of the minor critics: Βραχε ď ευρεία χθων, Αμφι δε σαλπιγξεν μεγας ουρανος. Il. xxi. 388. Pope. "Heaven in loud thunders bids the trumpet sound, And wide beneath them groans the rending ground." 4. For thus hath JEHOVAH said unto me-] The subject of the remaining part of the chapter is, that God would comfort and support his own people, though threatened with immediate destruction by the Assyrians: that Senacherib's great designs and mighty efforts against them should be frustrated, and that his vast expectations should be rendered abortive, when he thought them mature, and just ready to be crowned with success: that the chief part of his army should be made a prey for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the air, (for this is the meaning of the allegory continued through the 5th and 6th verses); and that Egypt, being delivered from his oppression, and avenged by the hand of God of the wrongs which she had suffered, should return thanks for the wonderful deliverance, both of herself and of the Jews, from this most powerful adversary. Ibid. Like the clear heat-] ployed by an Arabian poet:— The same images are em "Solis more fervens, dum frigus; quumque ardet Which is illustrated in the note by a like passage ther Arabian poet: "Calor est hyeme, refrigerium æstate." from ano Excerpta ex Hamasa; published by Schultens, at the end of Erpenius's Arabic Grammar, p. 425. Ibid. —after rain] « hic significat pluviam; juxta illud, sparget nubes pluviam suam, Job xxxvii. 11." Kimchi. In which place of Job the Chaldee paraphrast does indeed explain by : and so again ver. 21.: and chap. xxxvi. 30. This meaning of the word seems to make the best sense in this place; it is to be wished that it were better supported. Ibid. —in the day of harvest.] For On, in the heat, five MSS, (three ancient), LXX, Syr. and Vulg. read Dr, in the day. The mistake seems to have arisen from the line above. in 5. the blossom-] Heb. her blossom; : that is, the blossom of the vine, , understood, which is of the common gender. See Gen. xl. 10. Note, that, by the defective punctuation of this word, many interpreters, and our translators among the rest, have been led into a grievous mistake, (for how can the swelling grape become a blossom?) taking the word for the predicate; whereas it is the subject of the proposition, or the nominative case to the verb. 7. -a gift-] The Egyptians were in alliance with the kingdom of Judah, and were fellow-sufferers with the Jews under the invasion of their common enemy Senacherib; and so were very nearly interested in the great and miraculous deliverance of that kingdom by the destruction of the Assyrian army. Upon which wonderful event it is said, 2 Chron. xxxii. 23. that "many brought gifts unto JEHOVAH to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah; so that he was magnified of all nations from thenceforth." It is not to be doubted, that among these the Egyptians distinguished themselves in their acknowledgments on this occasion. Ibid. from a people-] The LXX and Vulg. read Dy; which is confirmed by the repetition of it in the next line. The difference is of importance; for, if this be the true reading, the prediction of the admission of Egypt into the true church of God is not so explicit as it might otherwise seem to be. However, that event is clearly foretold at the end of the next chapter. CHAPTER XIX. NOT many years after the destruction of Senacherib's army before Jerusalem, by which the Egyptians were freed from the yoke with which they were threatened by so powerful an enemy, who had carried on a successful war of three years' continuance against them, the affairs of Egypt were again thrown into confusion by intestine broils among themselves; which ended in a perfect anarchy, that lasted some few years. This was followed by an aristocracy, or rather tyranny, of twelve princes, who divided the country between them; and at last by the sole dominion of Psammi |