The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 319

Ass.ria. Eearhaddon mnde 'i.t the 1,etM of a oity, and· the l,0M· hatlr not:done It?" one· of the prtty ki11gdoms into which he (Amos iii. 6). '.L'o br10g Egypt irito eo dis- divided Egypt (G. Smith,' History of Asshur- tracted a stnte, the l111ud of God· h1\d bccu hnni-pal,' p. 21, l. 2). Early in the reign of necessary. Ho hnd introdnced into the his eon it revolted, in conjunction with Sais ll:ltion "I\ spirit. of petvorsoness\" ·rhbse nud Mendes, but w:is ere long r~ducM to in whon:l thi~ spirit w~s . had thlln " led eubjoctiou by the A!"SyriM1s. Its king, Pdu- Egypt Mlrny in ll.ll lul1'1doinge." ·•rhoy hnd be.!!tes, was taken to NiMveh, and there 'me.de her" liken drunken mnn," who" atng- probably put to death. Its" prinoos" were, gers" a.long his path, iind slips in "hie own no doubt, among those who oounselled re- \'omit." Lon~-oontinued success o.nd pros• sistance to Assnfa. The oouusel of the perity produces onen II sort of intoxication wise, etc.; liternlly, as for the u,ise ooun- in a nation. ullori of Pharaoh, their coomel is become Ver. 15.-Neither shall there be, etc. ~ s s . Two classes of advisers seem to Translate, .And there &hall be for Egypt no be intended-nobles, supposed to be q11nli- toork i11 u,hich both the head and the, ,ail, fied by birth ; an,! "wise men," qualifloo by both the palm' branc11 and' the rU$h, may (con• etudv and educnlinn. Both would now be jointly) work; 'The ge1,1eral spirit of per- found equally incapable. Pharaoh. Pro- versenesa shall prevent all union of high bably Tirl.takah is intended. It is possible -with low, rich with poor. ' • that he was really suzerain of Egypt at Ver. 16.-In that day; -or, at that time; the time of Sennacherih's invasion, when i.e. when the Assyrian invasion, comes. Shabatok was nominally 1.-i.ng. It is certain Shall Egypt be like unto women (comp. that, after the death of Shabatok (about B.C. Jer. Ii. 30). So Xerxes said of his fighting 698), he was recognized as sovereign both men at Salamis: " My men hnve ,become of Ethiopia and of Egypt, and ruled over women " (Herod., viii. 88). Beoaus9 or the both countries. Esarhaddon found him shaking of the hand of the •Lord (comp. still occupying this position in B.C. 673, oh. xi. 15 and xxx. 32). ·The Egyptians when he made his Egyptian expedition. wonhl scarcely recognize Jehovah as the Tirhakah's capital at this time was Memphis. Author of their calamities, but it would· none Row say ye, etc.? With what face can yon the less be his hand which punished them.: boast of your descent, or of your learning, Ver. 17..:....;.The land Cif Judah ihaUl;be.'a when yon are unable to give any sound terror unto :Egypt. >'In l\fa.nnseeli's reign advice? Judroe. became subject to Assyria (2 Cbron. "Ver. 12.-Where are they 1 where, etc.? xxxiii. 11 ; G.' Smith, 'Epo~ym, Ca.non,' rather, Where, then, are thg wi.se men, If p. 1B9, 1. 13), and had to take part ·in the thou hast any, let them come forward and hostile expeditions, which both Ese.rhe.ddon predict the coming course of events, what and his son,' Asshurbe.nipal; conduct~d Jehovah has determined to do ( compare eimi- age.inst EgypU Egypt''had to keep her hl.r challenges in the later chapters of the eye on Judma continually, to see when book, eh. xli. 21-23; xliii 9; xlviii H, danger was approaching her. It is· not etc.). likely that Isaiah's prophecies caused -the Ver. 13.-The princes of Noph. There " terror " here spoken of. Every one that ore no grounds for changing" Noph" into maketh mention thereof shall be afraid; "Moph." "Nopb" is probably" Napa.ta," rather, when any one makelh mention thereof, 1---nown llfi " N e.p" in the hieroglyphic in- they ehall turn to him in fear. The v~ry men- scriptions-the original capital of the Ethi- tion of Judma by any one shall cause fenr, opian kings, and, wheu Memphis had be- because they will expect •to hear that R°ll come their capital, still. probably· rcgaraea 'expedition has,etarted, or is nbout-tb start, as "the second city of the empire .. The , from that country. Beoa.11Be· of the ooun~el "princes of Noph" wouid be Tirhakn:h's of the Lord of hosts. Thie is ·ho'w Isainh counsellors. They have also, etc. Trans- views the A-ssyrian attacks ori Egypt, not late, Even theg 1,ave wl E!]gpt astray, who how the. Egyptians viewed them.' '.file feli.r are the oormr-8fo11e of her tribes. Strictly felt by the Egyptians wne not a religious speaking, there wero no "tribes" in Egypt, fear. TIiey s,irnply dreaded the Assyri11n ruucb less" castes," but only classes, markeJ armies, an,f Judroa BB' the country-' from out by strong lines of demru·cation the one which the expeditions seemed .to issue. , •• •: from the other. Her,,dotu8 gi. ves seven of Vere. 18-2.2.-TnE 'funNxoo' OJ!': EaYP,T th,·rn (ii. 164)-priests, soldiers, herdsmen, TO JEHOVAH'. The chastisement' of ,the ~wiud1erds, tradesmen, interpreters, and Egyptiaue shell be followed, nftcr II while, Lcatmen. But tl,ere were several otherd nl.o, e.g. agricultural labourers, fishermen, by a greo.t, cheuge. lntluencos from Canllll.11 arli&lue, official employe., etc. shall penetrate Egypt (vor, 18), an altur Ver. 14.-The Lord bath mingled a rer- shall be raised in her midst to Jchovo.h Yerae 1pirit, etc. "Shall there be evi iu (vcr. 19), an,! she 'herself shall' cry to him on. :xtt. 1--2&.] TFtm BOOK OF Tltm PROPIIET ISAIAR. 81:,