Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 2. In vessels of bulrushes "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. PLINY, xlii. 11.
Conseritur bibula Memphitis cymba papyro.
LUCAN, iv. 136.
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 of the usual conveyers of news whatsoever, travelers, 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.
Scattered "Stretched out in length"] Egypt, that is, the fruitful part, 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.
Peeled "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 their country's being made smooth, perfectly plain and level, by the overflowing of the Nile.
Meted out "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.
Trodden down] Supposed to allude to a peculiar method of tillage in use among the Egyptians. Both Herodotus, (lib. ii.,) and Diodourus, (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 farther care expected the harvest.
The rivers have spoiled "The rivers have nourished"] The word wazb bazeu is generally taken to be an irregular form for wzzb bazezu, "have spoiled," as four MSS. have it in this place; and so most of the Versions, both ancient and modern, understand it. On which Schultens, Gram.
Hebrews p. 491, has the following re; mark:"Ne minimam quidem speciem veri habet wazb bazau, Esai. xviii. 2, elatum pro wzzb bazazu, deripiunt.
Haec esset anomalia, cui nihil simile in toto linguae ambitu. In talibus nil finire, vel fateri ex mera agi conjectura, tutius justiusque. Radicem azb baza olim extare potuisse, quis neget? Si cognatum quid sectandum erat, ad hzb bazah, contemsit, potius decurrendum fuisset; ut wazb bazeu, pro wzb bazu, sit enuntiatum, vel wyzb baziv. Digna phrasis, flumina contemmunt terram, i.e., inundant." azb baza, Arab. extulit se superbius, item subjecit sibi: unde praet. pl. wazb bazeu, subjecerunt sibi, i.e., inundarunt."-Simonis' Lexic. Heb.
A learned friend has suggested to me another explanation of the word. azb baza, Syr., and azyb beiza, Chald., signifies uber, "a dug," mamma, "a breast;" agreeably to which the verb signifies 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 with out laying waste the country: "Mira aeque natura fluminis, quod cum caeteri omnes abluant terras et eviscerent, Nilus tanto caeteris 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 AEgyptus non tantum fertilitatem terrarum, sed ipsas. - Seneca, Nat. Quaest., iv. 2. I take the liberty, therefore, which Schultens seems to think allowable in this place, of hazarding a conjectural interpretation. It is a fact that the Ganges changes its course, and overruns and lays barren whole districts, from which it was a few years back several miles distant. Such changes do not nourish but spoil the ground.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Syria and Israel threatened. (Is. 17:1-11) The woe of Israel's enemies (Is. 17:12-14)
Is. 17:1-11 Sin desolates cities. It is strange that great conqueror should take pride in being enemies to mankind; but it is better tha flocks should lie down there, than that they should harbour any in ope rebellion against God and holiness. The strong holds of Israel, the kingdom of the ten tribes, will be brought to ruin. Those who ar partakers in sin, are justly made partakers in ruin. The people had, by sins, made themselves ripe for ruin; and their glory was as quickly cu down and taken away by the enemy, as the corn is out of the field by the husbandman. Mercy is reserved in the midst of judgment, for remnant. But very few shall be marked to be saved. Only here and ther one was left behind. But they shall be a remnant made holy. The fe that are saved were awakened to return to God. They shall acknowledg his hand in all events; they shall give him the glory due to his name To bring us to this, is the design of his providence, as he is ou Maker; and the work of his grace, as he is the Holy One of Israel. The shall look off from their idols, the creatures of their own fancy. We have reason to account those afflictions happy, which part between u and our sins. The God of our salvation is the Rock of our strength; an our forgetfulness and unmindfulness of him are at the bottom of all sin. The pleasant plants, and shoots from a foreign soil, ar expressions for strange and idolatrous worship, and the vile practice connected therewith. Diligence would be used to promote the growth of these strange slips, but all in vain. See the evil and danger of sin and its certain consequences.
Is. 17:12-14 The rage and force of the Assyrians resembled the might waters of the sea; but when the God of Israel should rebuke them, the would flee like chaff, or like a rolling thing, before the whirlwind In the evening Jerusalem would be in trouble, because of the powerfu invader, but before morning his army would be nearly cut off. Happy ar those who remember God as their salvation, and rely on his power an grace. The trouble of the believers, and the prosperity of their enemies, will be equally short; while the joy of the former, and the destruction of those that hate and spoil them, shall last for ever _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew השׁלח7971 בים3220 צירים6735 ובכלי3627 גמא1573 על5921 פני6440 מים4325 לכו1980 מלאכים4397 קלים7031 אל413 גוי1471 ממשׁך4900 ומורט4178 אל413 עם5971 נורא3372 מן4480 הוא1931 והלאה1973 גוי1471 קו קו6978 ומבוסה4001 אשׁר834 בזאו958 נהרים5104 ארצו׃776
