King and People depended; or, 4. their chief c ounſellors, the Singular number being here pur colleCQively, as it is in many other places. hL Of the Provinces, which he calls by a Title borrowed from the Hebrews, in whoſe Language he ſpake and wrote this Pro-
phecy. | | | . wh 14 The LORD hath mingled 7 + a perverſe ſpirit & + Heb: » ||| in the midſt thereof; and they have cauſed Egypt to ſpirit of perdli(| Err 1n every work thereof 1, as a drunken man ſtaggereth verfei. ||| in his vomit ms. | | ; Or hath poured out or given them to drink, as appears fron
their Drunkenefs, expreſl-d in the end of the Verſe. Whick alſo ſuits with the Scripture-phraſe, whereby a cup ſignifies God's Judgments, as 1Ja, 51: 17, 21, 22. Jer: 25. 15. & Heb. # ſpirit of perverfities or crookedneſs; er, as the Seventy and Chaldee render it, of
millead them into fooliſh & crookedCounſels & Courſes: WhichGod could eaſily effeR, partly by laying occaſions of ſtumbling in their way. and partly by withdrawing or darkning thar Wiidom which he had infuſed, by which alone Men cam diſcern their way. 1 In
into the S-a, ſo when that was dried up, which is expreſſed in the next Clauſe, theſe waters did truely and properly fail from the Sez. So there is no need of underſtanding by ſea either the River Nilus, or the great Lake of M#erir, which, afcer the manner of the Hebrews, eight be ſqcalled. » To wir, N:lus, upon whoſe fulneſs and Over- flow both the ſafety and the Wealth of the Land depended, as all Authors agree ; and therefore this was 2 very terrible Judgment, » Not totally,butin a very great meaſure, as ſuch Phraſes are com- monly uſed.
6 And they ſhall turn the rivers far away o, and the brooks of defence p ſhall be emptied and dried up 3 the
reeds and flags q ſhall wither yr.
o Which is to be raken Imperſonally, as ſuch Expreſſions are very Frequently, for, the rivers (thoſe ſmall Rivolets by which the Wa- ters of Nilus were conveyed and diſtributed into ſeveral Partsof the Land ) ſhall be turned far away, as they muſt needs he, when the greater River Nilus, which fed them, was dried up. p Theſeveral Branches of the River Nilus, which were a great Defence to Egy?, as is well known q Which were very uſeful to them for making their Boats, which were abſolutely neceflary in that Country, — divers other things, r As they commonly do for want of
ater.
7 The paper-reeds {by the brook, by the mouth of the brooks, and everv thing ſown by the brooks : ſhall
| wither, be driven away, Þ and be no more. Micbs and f Which by a Needle, or other fit Inſtrument, were divided into bal not be, thin and trad Leaves, which being dried and fitted, were uſed at Ip that time for Writing, as our Paper is: and conſequently was 2
= very good Commodity. 5 And much more what was flown in more Ury and unfruitful places:
3 The fiſhecs alſo ſhal mourn «, and all they thatcaſt angle into the brooks ſhall lament and they that ſpread
nets upon the waters ſhall languith,
4 Becauſe they could catch few or no Fiſh, by which Trade they got their Living. Which alio was a great Plague to the People, whoſe common Diet this was,b:cauſe out of Superſtitious Conceits they killed and eat butfew Living Creatures, as appears both from Sacred and Profane Writers.
9 Moreover they that work in fine flax x, and they that weave || net-works ſhall be confounded. os x Thar'make fine Linen, which was one of their beſt Commodi- hs wie ties ; of which ſee 1 Kings 10. 28. Prov: 7:16. Ezek: 27: 7:
Heb ſou 10 And they ſhall be broken in the F purpoſes there- wiims, Of y, all that make fſluces and ponds Þ for fiſh,
| tHeb: of »y 7: e; Of Egypt, or of the Egyprians., They ſhall Joſe their buing ends and hopes; for the Fifhes 1a them ſhall die for want of thingy. Water.
I1 Surely the princes of Zoan & are fools, the coun- ſe11 of the wiſe counſellers of Pharoah is become bru- tiſh a: how ſay ye unto Pharoah 6b, I am the ſon of the wiſe c, the ſon of ancient kings d ?
z The chief Ciry, in which the King and covrt frequently reſi- ded. Sce Pa: 78: 12. a Exceeding fooliſh and deſtructive to them» ſelves, 6 Why do you pur ſuch falſe and fooliſh Wards into Phe- ra0h's Mouth ? c Wiſdom is hereditary and natvral to me. This vain Opinion of himlelt 1h:y cherithed by their Fl :r-eries, although be uedid himielt and his People by his Folly. & He derides the Varity *f rhe Egyptians, who uſed to make grear brags of the Anti- quity cfth-ir Nacion, ard eſpecially of their Kings, who, as they prerenves, hed reigned fucceſſively for above Tea Thouſand years Which num b-r of years they made up by this Craft, by making» thoſe Succeſſive Kings, wh.ch reigned together at the ſame time in their ſeveral Nori cr Provinces.
12 Where are they ? where are thy wiſe wen e? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hofts hath purpoſed upon Xgypt.
e Who pretended, that either by their deep policy, or by their
Skill in Aſtrology er Magick, they could certainly forſee things £2 come.
13 The Princes of Zoan are become fools,the princes |Or, z,. Of Noph f are deceived, they have alſo ſeduced Egypt,
np even || | they that are the ſtay g of the tribes 4 there- Heb;corm.of
f Another chief Gity, and one of the King's Seats, fo called alſo Jer. 2: 16: & 44. rt. called alſo Miph in the Hebrew Text, Ho: 9.6. and by other and latter Authors, Memphis, g Heb: even the corner, or, the Corner-ſtone, which is the chief Support of the Building. Whereby he may deſign, either, r. the King ; or, 2: {ome eminent Stateſman of that age, upon whoſe Counſels both
| Egyptians called On, Gen: 41. 45. which wasa very emineat City,
all their deſigns and Undertakings. » When he is fo exceſſively drunk,that he reels to and fo, and vomits up his Drink/ +. Neither ſhall there be any work for Egypt; which the head or tail, branch or ruſh may do ».
» All People, both high and low, ſhall be at their Wits en not knowing what to do.
16 In that day ſhall Egypt * be like unto Women o
| ts
ih ' £ . Ip s W149 t : | 1 10 y 1158
d, 7 Ch:9:14 |
. *Ter:51:30. | |
and it ſhall be afraid and fear, becauſe * of the ſhaking Das WW of the hand of the LORD of hoſts p, which he ſhaketh over it.