19:1 The a burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD b rideth upon a
swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of
Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of
Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.
(a) Read (Isa 13:7).
(b) Because the Egyptians trusted in the defence of their
country, in the multitude of their idols and in the
valiantness of their men the Lord shows that he will
come over all their munitions in a swift cloud, and
that their idols will tremble at his coming and that
men's hearts will faint.
19:2 And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and
they shall c fight every one against his brother, and
every one against his neighbour; city against city, [and]
kingdom against kingdom.
(c) As he caused the Ammonites, Moabites and Idumeans to
kill one another, when they came to destroy the Church
of God, (2Ch 20:22, Isa 49:26).
19:3 And the d spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst of her;
and I will destroy her counsel: and they shall seek to the
idols, and to the charmers, and to the mediums, and to the
wizards.
(d) Meaning, their policy and wisdom.
19:5 And the waters shall e fail from the sea, and the rivers
shall be wasted and dried up.
(e) He shows that the sea and their great river Nile by
which they thought themselves most sure, would not be
able to defend them but that he would send the
Assyrians among them, that would keep them under as
slaves.
19:6 And they shall turn the f rivers far away; [and] the
brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds
and flags shall wither.
(f) For the Nile ran into the sea by seven streams, as
though they were many rivers.
19:7 The paper reeds by the brooks, by the g mouth of the
brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither,
be driven away, and be no [more].
(g) The Hebrew word is mouth, by which they mean the spring
out of which the water gushes as out of a mouth.
19:8 The fishermen also shall h mourn, and all they that cast
hook into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread
nets upon the waters shall languish.
(h) The Scriptures describe the destruction of a country by
the taking away of the conveniences of it, as by vines,
flesh, fish and such other things by which countries
are enriched.
19:11 Surely the princes of i Zoan [are] fools, the counsel of
the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become senseless: how
say ye to Pharaoh, I k [am] the son of the wise, the son
of ancient kings?
(i) Called also Tanes, a famous city on the Nile.
(k) He notes the flatterers of Pharaoh: who persuaded the
king that he was wise and noble, and that his house
was ancient and so he flatters himself, saying I am
wise.
19:13 The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of l
Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, [even
they that are] the m support of its tribes.
(l) Or Memphis, Alexandria, and now called the great
Cairo.
(m) The principal upholders of it are the main cause of
their destruction.
19:14 The LORD hath mingled a n perverse spirit in the midst
of it: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work of
it, as a drunken [man] staggereth in his vomit.
(n) For the spirit of wisdom he has made them drunken and
giddy with the spirit of error.
19:15 Neither shall there be [any] work for Egypt, which the
head or tail, branch or rush, may o perform.
(o) Neither the great or the small, the strong or the
weak.
19:17 And the land of Judah shall be a terror p to Egypt,
every one that maketh mention of it shall be afraid in
himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts,
which he hath determined against it.
(p) Considering that through their opportunity the Jews
did not make God their defence but put their trust in
them, and were therefore now punished, they will fear
least the same light on them.
19:18 In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt q
speak the language of Canaan, and r swear to the LORD of
hosts; one shall be called, The city of s destruction.
(q) Will make one confession of faith with the people of
God, by the speech of Canaan, meaning the language in
which God was then served.
(r) Will renounce their superstitions and protest to serve
God correctly.
(s) Meaning of six cities, five would serve God, and the
sixth would remain in their wickedness: and so there
would be but one lost.
19:19 In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the
midst of the land of Egypt, and t a pillar at its border
to the LORD.
(t) There will be evident signs and tokens, that God's
religion is there: which manner of speech is taken of
the patriarchs and ancient time, when God has not as
yet appointed the place, and full manner how he would
be worshipped.
19:20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness to the LORD
of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry to the
LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them u
a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.
(u) This declares that this prophecy would be accomplished
in the time of Christ.
19:21 And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians
shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do x
sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow to the
LORD, and perform [it].
(x) By these ceremonies he comprehends the spiritual
service under Christ.
19:23 In that day shall there be a highway from y Egypt to
Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the
Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with
the Assyrians.
(y) By these two nations, which were then chief enemies of
the Church, he shows that the Gentiles and the Jews
would be joined together in one faith and religion,
and would all be one fold under Christ their shepherd.
