of Ezygt, as ſome both ancicnt and latrer Interpreters judge ; of whoi he ſpeaks more darkly inthis Chapter, and then explains him- ſelf more clearly in the next Chaprer. But this Controverſic will be beſt determined by examining the following Deſcription, 6 The Title of wings is oft given, both in Scripture, and in other Au- thors, unto divers things which have ſome general kind of reſem- blance to Wings, as ro the Battlements of an Houſe or Temple, as Mat. 5. 5. to the Skirts of a Garment, as Rurh 3. 9. and ofr elſewhere ; to an Army, as Ja 8: 8. Jer. 48. 40: © 49. 22. and ta the Sails of a Ship, as this Word is here commonly underſtood, and as it is unqueſtionably uſed in other Authors. And ſhadow- jn3 with wings is nothing els bur overſpread or filled with ther. W hich Title may be given either, to Erkiopia or Egype, in re- gard of the great numbers either, 1. of their Araves ; or Ta- ther, 2+ of their Ships or Veſſels ſailing upon the Sea or Ri- vers: For, #. in ch<(e they exceeded moſt of thoſe Nations who had Dealings with the Jews, whereas other Nations ecualled or exceeded them in numerous Armies : But they had an innu-
A merable Company of Ships or Boats, not only becauſe the com- modiouſneſs of the River Nzlur, and its many Branches, and 8 the Red Sea, and the Hidland Sea, for Navigation; butalſo becauſe
of the frequent Overflowings of the River N,!45 over their Land,
ik
- : | TP [|
#8
which made them abfolutely neceſſary. 2 This beſt ſoits with the next Verſe. 3. Thole ancient and veserable Interpreters, rhe Scz very, and che Chaldee, who beſt underſtood the Heirew words and phrates, expound it ſo. &« Or, on this fide, as this Particie is rend= red Num: 21: 13.and 22. 1, and in inany other pl:ces Or, as 0+ thers cranflare ir, beſides, which many comprehend both ſides; and to the Land of which he ſpeaks is ſuppoſed to be ſcituated on both 'tdes of this River orRivers; which 1s moſt true both of Egypr and If Ethiopia, d A late Learned Writer underitands this of three or tour Rivers of Arabia Chſza, whereof one flows into the Red-Sea, anvtner into the M:d/aid-Sea, and a third into a great Like. Which being ovicure and very jaccniiderable Rivers, and running in ſo diſt:nt Chaanels, ic is not probable thar this Land ſhould receive irs Denomination from them. And therefore it ſ:zems more rea« tonable ru underſtand this of the great River Nilus, which comes from E:90pia,and runs through the length of thac Land,and through Egypr, into the Midland Sea ; and which is here called rivers, in the Plucal Number, as it is alſo Exod: 7: 19: Iſa: 7: 18. Exek; 29: 3, 4: and, nnqu:ftionably, Nahum 3: 8, And { it might well be called either for its Greatneſs, or for the many Rivulers that run iato it, or for the various ſtreams or Chann<ls into which it is divided ; a$ T:gris, upon the ſame Reaſons, hath the ſame Title of Rivers a= {cribed ro it, Nahum 2: 6, e Heb: of Cuſh. By which he ſeems to underſtand either, +, Arabis, which in many places of Scripture comes under that name, though not in all places, as ſome Learn ed Men contend. Nor doth thi. Place ſeem to be underſtood here, becauſe theſe Rivers were not interpoſed between Jaudea, in which Ilaiah wrote this Prophecy, and Aravia; nor were the Rivers of Arabis, mentioned before, interpol?d between Judea and Egypt or
ble, and therefore, as was not:d bef#re, this Land, whatſoever it is, would not have been denominated from them, eſpecially when © 15 not properly ſituated either beyond them, or on this fide of chem. Bur if this Cyſh be Arabia, peradventure it were better to underſtand the Rivers, or the River, as it was explained before, of che Red Sea, beyond which indeed both Egypr and Erhiopia were, in reference to Arabia, And whereas it may be obje&ted, Thar the Title of river or rivers is very improperly given to the Sea, it may be fairly anſwered, That as Rivers are ſometimes called by the name of the Sex, as Eupherates is. Iſa: 21: 1. Fer: 51. 36. fo this ve= . ry Word here rendred river, is uſed concerning the Sea in the He- hy brew Text, Jonah 2: 3. and indeed may not unfitly be given to the Red-Sea, which both for its Length and Breadth hath a 'manif:ſt re- ſemblance unto ſome large Rivers which are in the World. And !6 the Words may be very truely underſtood either of Egypt, or of Ethiopia, both which Countries in this ſenſe are beyond the rivers os | pane Arabia. Bur this I only propoſe, and ſubmit ro the Rea» lers J1dgement. Or, 2. Erhiopia, properly to called: for the Cuſhites or
convenient fer them than thoſe of Wood, becauſe rey were both cheaper and {wifter, and lighter for carriage from place to Place ; for which they had frequent occaſion in thole Yarts: and ſafer, be. cauſe of the many Rocks, and Shelves, and Water-falls of N:lus, + Heb. upon the face or ſurface of the waters, Which is properly ex- prefled, becauſe ſuch Vellcls being very light, did not fink io deep into the Waters as thoſe of Wood do. *. This Word is ſupplied here, as it is in many other Places. And the Words here following are ſuppoſed to contain the Commiſſion and DireQion given by the People hitherto deſcribed,unro their Meſſengers, to go to the Peo- ple deſcribed in the following Words. Burt this Word, ſaying, is not in the Hebrew 'Text, nor is it ſupplied either by the S:Tenty, or by the Chaldeez nordoth it ſeem neceſſary ro be underſtocd. And it ſeems very improbable, that the People ro whom the Meſſen- gers wereſenr, ſhould be deſcribed in ſuch general and ambiguous Terms, and in ſo large a manner, and nora Word ſaid concera- ing their M:ſlage. And therefore, with ſubmiſſion, I humbly conceive thele to be the Words of the Prophet, who having in
God's Name pronounced a Wo againſt the Land hitherto deſcrt-
bed, here continues his Speech, and gives a Commiſſion from
God to thete mfengers following, togo to this nation ſcattered, Oe,
5R3 Then
- = — — - - —_— — E =_ —_ —_—__ — _—_———_— gg —r_—_Ar_-——— -— -— — = =. == _ EE En W.- IEEE LE = uu oe .
——— b = SES -- WEE
—
EE. tt-L. as bpae— <eGye SI AED hes
Ethiopia ; and belides, thoſe Rivers were but ſmall and incontidera- 3 |
T_T ar CEE 4...
| 11 Nations to be Wirneſſ:s of the M:ſlage ent by eſs Meenge * And then the M-ſſige follows 12 the
.. s, and [I will|] conſider « in my dwelling place x, like Or regard
NS 4