The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 321

attd oblatwn. The bulk of the Jews settled -the Palestinian, the Egyptian, and the in Egypt, together with their Egyptian Syro-Babylonie.n. Constnnt communication proselytes, went up year by yee.r to worship was maiutained between the three branches, Jehovah e.t Jerusalem, and make offerings Eoclesie.stiMl regule.tions, frnmcd nt Jerusa- to him there (B<'e Zooh. xiv. 16-19). Chris- lem, were transmitted to Aloxandrie. and tian Egypt worshipped God with eacrifioe Babylon, while colleotions mo.de in nll po.rte Rnd oblation in the ee.me sense as the rest of of Egypt and Mesopotamia for the temple the Church (Me.I. i. 11). service were annuo.lly carried to the Po.les- Ver. 22.-And Jehovah ah&ll smite Egypt, tinie.u capital by trusty persons. It is thus smiting a.nd healing; i.e. Jehovah sbe.11 in- quite reasonable to rege.rd as on "initial deed "smite Egypt," as Rlready prophesied stage in the fulfilment of this propheoy" (vers. 1-16), but it shall be with e. merciful the state of things existing e.t this period object., in order, after smiting, to " heo.1." (Ke.y). The more complete fulfilment was Hie smiting shall induce them to "return" doubtless after Pentecost, when Christie.nitv to him, a.nd when they return he will forgive we.a preached and established in Egypt and ,md e&ve (comp. Zeph. iii. 8, 9; Jer. xii. Libya on the one he.nd, in Pe.rthio., and H-16). Egypt was e. Christian conntry Media, e.nd Elam, e.nd Mesopote.mia on the from the third century to the seventh; and other (Acts ii. 9, 10). the Coptic Church (though very corrupt) Ver. 24.-In the.t day shall llll'IL81 ba the still remains, knowing Jehovah, and offeri..ug third; re.ther, a third. Not third in rank, the holy oblation of the Christian e.lta.r cou- for ver. 25 shows the.t she would reto.in a tinue.lly. pre-eminence, but the common intermedie.ry, Vere. 23-25.-UNION BETWEEN EGYPT, bringing the other two together. A blessing ASSYRIA, Aml lsRAEL. Assyria's conversion in the midBt of the le.ud; rather, in the midst to God will follow or accompany that of of the ea.rtA. Judmo.u monotheism, upheld by God's people in Palestine, Egypt, e.ud Egypt. The two will be joi..ued with Israel Mesopoto.mia, would be a blessing, not only in an intimo.te connection, Isre.el acting as to those three countries, but to the world at the intermediary. There will be uninter- le.rge. So, e.nd still more, would Christi- rupted communication, common worship, anity. Ver. 25.-Whom the Lord of hosts shall and the common blessing of God extending bless; re.ther, /orasmuch a, the Lord of hcnita over the three. hath blessed him. "Him" must be under- Ver. 23.-Shall there be a highway. The stood collectively, of the th-reefold Israel, phraseology reeemblet1 that of eh. xi. 1G ; spread through the thre6 countries, which but the purpose is different. Then the e.ll pe.rtake of the blessing. The three "highway" wa11 to facilitate the return of countries are e.ble to be a blessing to the the Israelites to their own land. Now the world e.t le.rge, because God's blessing rests object is perfectly free communice.tion be- upon them, Egypt my people, Egypt's tween the three peoples. The Egyptians gree.t work in Jewish times, by which she llhal.l serve with the A.asyriana. " She.ll bece.me e. blessing to the world, we.a her ser~e" means "shall worship" (see ver. 21). translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into The "Assyri.e.ns" represent the inhabitants Greek, commanded by Egyptian kings, e.nd of the Mesopotamie.nregions generally. As, executed e.t Alexandria., the Egyptian co.pi- from the time of Alexander, Hebrew in.fl.u- te.I. Neo-Ple.tonism eerie.inly owed much enct extended itself le.rgely over Egypt, so, to this source, Stoicism probe.bly some- even from IUl ee.rlier date, it bege.n to be felt thing. Alayria the work of my hands. in the Mesopoto.mie.n oouutries. The trans- Assyria. did no such work as Egypt, Neither plnnte.tion of the ten tribes, or a consider- the Targum of Onkelos nor the Be.bylonie.n o.ble portion of them, into Upper Mesopo- Talmud can be compared for e. moment with tnrnie. and Media., w&B the commencement the Septuagint, Still the Mesopoto.mie.n of n dill'usion of Hebrew ideas tu rough those Jews were a blessing to their neighbours. regions. The captivity of J uda.h still further They kept a.live in the East the notion of impressed tbese ide&B on the native races. one true e.nd spiritual God ; they elevated Great numbers of Jews did not return from the tone of mon's thoughts; they were n the Ce.ptivity, but remained in the countries perpetue.l protest e.ge.inst idole.try, with e.11 o.ud citiea to which they he.d beeu tre.ns- its horrors. They, no doubt, prepared tho JJOrted, particulnrly in Be.by Ion (Josephus, way for that o.cccptance of Christianity by • Ant. Jud.,' xi. I). 'l'he policy of the large me.sses of tbo popule.tion in Syria, Seleucid princes was to establish Jewish Mesopote.mio., Babylonia., e.nd evon in Persia, colonies in all their gree.t cities. In the of which we he.ve evidence in the ecclesi- time between Alexander and the birth of &Btical history of the first seven centuries. our Lord, the Hebrew community wo.s re- Isre.el mine inherite.noe (comp. eh. xlvii, G; oognized u composed of three gree.t sections lxiii, 17), ea. ux. 1-25.J 'l'HE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 817