0 Feeble and fearful, as it follows. p Becauſe they ſhall perceive that they do nor fight with men only, but with the Lord of Hoſts, who now lifcs up his hand againſt them, as be did againſt their Forefathers, Exod; 14. the very remembrance whereof is very ter« rible to them. | 17 And the land of Judah ſhall be a terrour unto Egypt 4, every one that maketh mention thereof (hall be afraid in himſelf ; becauſe of the counſel of
the LORD of Hoſts, which he hath determined r a- gainſt it s.
9 Either, 1, becauſe of Judah's Calamities and Deſo'/ations : Far Judah was their Bulwark againſt the 4ſjrians and Babylonians : and when this Bulwark was removed, the Egyptians, their neighbours
and Confederates, had juſt cauſe to fear: Or, 2. becauſe of rheit manifold both former andlater Injuries againſt Judah, for which they now apprehend that God is calling them to an account. Which Interpretation ſc:msto be favoured by the following Words 3 for their fear of mentioning Judah's Name ſeems to have proceeded partly from the ſenſe of their Guilt and Miſcarriages towards Jue dah, and partly from the apprehenſion and Experience of the irre- ſiſtible Power and Juſtice of the God of Judah, whom they had provoked, and who was now marching to plead his own and Judahs Cauſe againſt them. Compare Jer: 23: 34, &c. y Becauſe God 1s now about to execute his appointed Judgments. / Againſt
pr. | 18 In that day # ſhall five cities s in the land of Egypt ſpeak f the Language of Canaan x, and ſwear } Heb:the | to the LORD of Holts y; one z ſhal be called the city | 10: of Ben | of deſtruction. 7s, ph of | £ Affeer that rime, asthis Phraſe 1s uſed ſz: 4. 2: & 18. 75, and the ſun. oft elſewhere. Ia the times of the Goſpel, winch are oft nored in the Prophets by that very Expreſſion, s A confiderable num* ber of their chief Ciries, a certain number being put for an uncer« tain. x Profeſs the Jewiſh Religion, agrec with them in the ſame mind, which is fitly ſignified by ſpeiking tie ame Language, bes cauſe out of th: abundance of the Heart the mourh ſpeaketh. Thus the changing and purifying of z P:opic's Lips, is uſed to ſignifie the change of their Hearts and Lives, Zcpb: 3: g. and praiſing God with one Mouth, to note their unity or Conſ?r:t in the Faith, Rem: 15:6. 7 Itis well obſerved by ſome Learned Interpreters, that he doth not ſay ſwear by rhe Lord, which is the moſt common Phraſe, and which being one eminent part and Att of Worſhip, is put for the whole, bur ſwear 7» che Lord; which Phraſe is alſo uſed, 2 Chron: 15. 14. Pſal: 132. 2. Iſa: 45: 23. and it implies the Dedication, or Oblarion, and yielding up of a Perſon or Thing to the Lord. by a ſolemn Vow, or Covenant, or, Oath, as appears by the Places now quoted. In like manner God is faid to fjweer to a Man, Deus: 26: 15, and one Man to another, Gen: 21. 23. whea thiey oblige themſelves by Oath to doſuch or ſuch 2 thing for them. And theres fore what is called ſwearing to God, Iſa: 45, 23. is rendred or ex- ounded bowing the knee (which ſignifies the ſubjeQion of a man's ſelf) to God, and confeſſng to God, Rom:14: 11, # Nor one of the five, for they are ſuppoſed to be ſaved in the foregoing Clauſe ; bur one City,or anotherCity,the ſixthEity.As diversCities ſhal be converted &ſaved,ſo ſome otherCiries ſhal continue in their impenitency,and de d-ſtroyed. Others render this Clauſe thus, One of them ſhall ae called ( or, fhallbe; for, to be call:d is oft put for to be ) rhe city of the ſun ; or, as the Grecians call it, Heliopolis; which the
and a chief Seat of Idolatry, being a city of Prieſts, as Strabo reports ; and therefore its Converſion to the Faith was ' more wonderful.
19Inthat day ſhall there bean altar «to the LORD in the midſt of the land of Egypt, and a pillar 6 ac the
border thereof c to the LORD. | s For God's Worſhip; not a Levitical, but a Spiritual and E- vangelical Altar, as appears from hence, becauſe that was confin= ed to one place, Deut: 12: 13, 14. The Altar is put for the Wor- ſhip of God, as it is in many places both of the O'd and New Tef- tament. And nothing is more common in the Prophets than ta ſpeak of Goſpel-worſhip in the Phraſes of the Law. 6b A Mornu- ment of the true Religion. Here alſo he alludes to the antient Cuſtom of creRing Pillars to God of which ſee Gen; 12: 7; & 28, 5R 4 19; &4
Chap: XX. {1 $ 4 18, &e, Yo: 22. 10. & 14. 26; x7; it, The meaning is, The
all Flaces//
See 5oſ: 4: RO, 21. Of vn, 27,
Zegypt : for they ſhall cry unto the LORD becauſc of the oppreſfors f, and he fhall fend rhem a Saviou' and a great one g, and he ſhall deliver them.
4 The altar or Pillar laſt menrioned. e To reſtifie that they ow: the Lord for their God. ' f Being forely arſtrefſed, and finding tht
Srear or # cloud at
extraordinary Saviour.
2r And chs LORD ſhall be known to Fegypt, and the Agyptians hall know the LORD þ in that day, and ſhall do Sacrifice and Oblation ; ; yea, they ſhall Vow a Vow unto the LOR D, and perform
it &,
=
ledse in Scripture commonly include AffcRion and Prattice, pn en obſerved. s Shall worſhip God ſpiritually ; which yer 1s ſignified by Typical Phraſes,as it is Mal; 1:11. and in many other Places, & They thall not only profeſs and promiſe Piety, bur hall ſeriouſly. and cy pradiiſ® its 22 And the LORD hall ſmite #gypt, he ſhall faite and heal ir 1, aridthey hall return ever to the
LORD, and he ſhall be intreated of them, and hall heal theme _. :
1 God will 2Mi& them by Oppreſſours, v: 20. and ctherwiſs ; and by thoſe Afffii&iens he will convert and tave them. 23 In that day * ſhall there be a high-way out of Egypt to- Aſſyria, and the Aſſyrian ſhall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Ailyria w, and the Egyptians ſball ſerve » with the Afſyrians,
1» They who wereimplacable Enemzes one to another, and both to the Church and Peop'e of God,ſhall now be reconciled and uni- red together in the ſervice of God, and Love to his Church. = Tos wit, the Lord; who is me underſtood from v. 21. & 25.
24 In chat day ſhall Ifracl be the third o with Egypt,
and wich Aflyria p, even ableſling 9 in the midſt of the land r: :
o The third Party, to wit, in that ſacred League, whereby all of them oblise themſelves tro God, p Theſe People are named, be- cauſe they were the moſt obſtinate and malicious enemies to God's Church, and therefore in a ſpecial manner accurſed by God , but | put Synecdochically for all the Gentiles, q This 15
® Ch; 7; 16.