Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 19

Verse 1

burden. The fourth of the seven burdens.

rideth. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia.

Verse 2

set the Egyptians, &c. Referring to the anarchy consequent on the defeat of Egypt by Sargon (688 B.C.)

Verse 3

spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 .

idols. See note on Isaiah 2:8 .

charmers. Hebrew. ittim = mutterers. Occurs only here.

familiar spirits. See note on Leviticus 19:31 . Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 20:6 , Leviticus 20:27 ; Deuteronomy 18:11 , &c.) App-92 .

Verse 4

cruel lord. Sing, adjective with plural noun = the lord of the nations, as the kings of Assyria called themselves.

Verse 5

fail = be dried up. Hebrew. nashath. Occurs only here in "former" portion, and only in Isaiah 41:17 in the "latter" portion. Elsewhere only in Jeremiah 51:30 . App-79 .

the river: i.e. the Nile.

Verse 6

they shall turn, &c. = the arms of the river shall stink.

brooks = canals of Matzor : i.e. Egypt. See note on Isaiah 7:18 .

emptied = shallow.

Verse 7

paper reeds = meadows. Occurs only here.

wither = be dried up. and be no more: or, and disappear.

Verse 8

mourn. See note on Isaiah 3:26 .

Verse 9

weave. Occurs in the "former" portion only here, and in Isaiah 38:12 ; and in the "latter" portion only in Isaiah 59:5 .

Verse 10

purposes: or, foundations. Compare Psalms 11:3 .

make sluices. fish: or, work for wages shall be grieved in soul.

fish = souls Hebrew. nephesh, App-13 . margin, "living things".

Verse 11

Zoan. See note on Isaiah 30:4 .

fools. Hebrew. aval . See note on Proverbs 1:7 .

Verse 14

staggereth = goeth astray, as in preceding clause.

Verse 15

rush. See note on Isaiah 9:14 .

Verse 16

In that day: i.e. the day when this burden should be fulfilled (not "the day of the Lord "). Note the six steps, verses: Isaiah 19:16 , Isaiah 19:18 , Isaiah 19:19 , Isa 16:21 , Isa 16:23 , Isa 16:24 .

the hand. Put for the judgments indicated by the act.

Verse 17

the land of Judah. The Assyrian armies came through Judah.

Verse 18

five cities. These were probably Heliopolis, Leontopolis, Daphne, Migdol, and Memphis.

the language of Canaan: i.e. the Hebrew language, by the multitude of Jews that went thither.

destruction. The primitive reading was doubtless hazedek = "righteousness", which the Septuagint simply transliterates, aoeoek . From a desire not to compete with "Jerusalem", which bore this name (Isaiah 1:26 ), it was altered to cheres , which in Chaldee = "the sun", or in Greek = "Heliopolis", which is the reading in many MSS., two early printed editions, and the margins of the Authorized Version and Revised Version But when the temple at Jerusalem was cleansed and restored, the temple at Heliopolis was deemed schismatic; and, by altering one letter (= CH, for = H), cheres (the sun) was altered to heres (destruction). Hence the present reading of the current Hebrew text.

Verse 19

an altar. See App-81 .

a pillar. Probably a boundary pillar. Hebrew. nazab . A pillar or monument. Not for worship.

at = close to.

Verse 20

sign. See note on Isaiah 7:11 .

Verse 21

do sacrifice. "The third Ptolemy, when he had occupied all Syria by force, did not sacrifice thankofferings to the gods in Egypt, but came to Jerusalem and made votive offerings" (Josephus, c. Apion , Isaiah 11:5 ).

Verse 23

In that day: i.e. the glorious future, the day of the LORD. Not the same as Isaiah 19:11 . highway. See note on Isaiah 7:3 .

Verse 24

land: or, earth.