18 In that day H3117 shall five H2568 cities H5892 in the land H776 of Egypt H4714 speak H1696 the language H8193 of Canaan, H3667 and swear H7650 to the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 one H259 shall be called, H559 The city H5892 of destruction. H2041
For then will I turn H2015 to the people H5971 a pure H1305 language, H8193 that they may all call H7121 upon the name H8034 of the LORD, H3068 to serve H5647 him with one H259 consent. H7926
And the LORD H3068 shall be known H3045 to Egypt, H4714 and the Egyptians H4714 shall know H3045 the LORD H3068 in that day, H3117 and shall do H5647 sacrifice H2077 and oblation; H4503 yea, they shall vow H5087 a vow H5088 unto the LORD, H3068 and perform H7999 it.
And the whole earth H776 was of one H259 language, H8193 and of one H259 speech. H1697
And it shall come to pass in that day, H3117 that the Lord H136 shall set H3254 his hand H3027 again H3254 the second time H8145 to recover H7069 the remnant H7605 of his people, H5971 which shall be left, H7604 from Assyria, H804 and from Egypt, H4714 and from Pathros, H6624 and from Cush, H3568 and from Elam, H5867 and from Shinar, H8152 and from Hamath, H2574 and from the islands H339 of the sea. H3220
In that day H3117 shall there be an altar H4196 to the LORD H3068 in the midst H8432 of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and a pillar H4676 at H681 the border H1366 thereof to the LORD. H3068
And it shall come to pass in that day, H3117 that the great H1419 trumpet H7782 shall be blown, H8628 and they shall come H935 which were ready to perish H6 in the land H776 of Assyria, H804 and the outcasts H5080 in the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and shall worship H7812 the LORD H3068 in the holy H6944 mount H2022 at Jerusalem. H3389
I have sworn H7650 by myself, the word H1697 is gone out H3318 of my mouth H6310 in righteousness, H6666 and shall not return, H7725 That unto me every knee H1290 shall bow, H3766 every tongue H3956 shall swear. H7650 Surely, shall one say, H559 in the LORD H3068 have I righteousness H6666 and strength: H5797 even to him shall men come; H935 and all that are incensed H2734 against him shall be ashamed. H954
And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently H3925 learn H3925 the ways H1870 of my people, H5971 to swear H7650 by my name, H8034 The LORD H3068 liveth; H2416 as they taught H3925 my people H5971 to swear H7650 by Baal; H1168 then shall they be built H1129 in the midst H8432 of my people. H5971
They clave H2388 to their brethren, H251 their nobles, H117 and entered H935 into a curse, H423 and into an oath, H7621 to walk H3212 in God's H430 law, H8451 which was given H5414 by H3027 Moses H4872 the servant H5650 of God, H430 and to observe H8104 and do H6213 all the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 our Lord, H113 and his judgments H4941 and his statutes; H2706
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 19
Commentary on Isaiah 19 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 19
As Assyria was a breaking rod to Judah, with which it was smitten, so Egypt was a broken reed, with which it was cheated; and therefore God had a quarrel with them both. We have before read the doom of the Assyrians; now here we have the burden of Egypt, a prophecy concerning that nation,
Isa 19:1-17
Though the land of Egypt had of old been a house of bondage to the people of God, where they had been ruled with rigour, yet among the unbelieving Jews there still remained much of the humour of their fathers, who said, Let us make us a captain and return into Egypt. Upon all occasions they trusted to Egypt for help (ch. 30:2), and thither they fled, in disobedience to God's express command, when things were brought to the last extremity in their own country, Jer. 43:7. Rabshakeh upbraided Hezekiah with this, ch. 36:6. While they kept up an alliance with Egypt, and it was a powerful ally, they stood not in awe of the judgments of God; for against them they depended upon Egypt to protect them. Nor did they depend upon the power of God when at any time they were in distress; but Egypt was their confidence. To prevent all this mischief, Egypt must be mortified, and many ways God here tells them he will take to mortify them.
Isa 19:18-25
Out of the thick and threatening clouds of the foregoing prophecy the sun of comfort here breaks forth, and it is the sun of righteousness. Still God has mercy in store for Egypt, and he will show it, not so much by reviving their trade and replenishing their river again as by bringing the true religion among them, calling them to, and accepting them in, the worship of the one only living and true God; and these blessings of grace were much more valuable than all the blessings of nature wherewith Egypt was enriched. We know not of any event in which this prophecy can be thought to have its full accomplishment short of the conversion of Egypt to the faith of Christ, by the preaching (as is supposed) of Mark the Evangelist, and the founding of many Christian churches there, which flourished for many ages. Many prophecies of this book point to the days of the Messiah; and why not this? It is no unusual thing to speak of gospel graces and ordinances in the language of the Old-Testament institutions. And, in these prophecies, those words, in that day, perhaps have not always a reference to what goes immediately before, but have a peculiar significancy pointing at that day which had been so long fixed, and so often spoken of, when the day-spring from on high should visit this dark world. Yet it is not improbable (which some conjecture) that this prophecy was in part fulfilled when those Jews who fled from their own country to take shelter in Egypt, when Sennacherib invaded their land, brought their religion along with them, and, being awakened to great seriousness by the troubles they were in, made an open and zealous profession of it there, and were instrumental to bring many of the Egyptians to embrace it, which was an earnest and specimen of the more plentiful harvest of souls that should be gathered in to God by the preaching of the gospel of Christ. Josephus indeed tells us that Onias the son of Onias the high priest, living an outlaw at Alexandria in Egypt, obtained leave of Ptolemy Philometer, then king, and Cleopatra his queen, to build a temple to the God of Israel, like that at Jerusalem, at Bubastis in Egypt, and pretended a warrant for doing it from this prophecy in Isaiah, that there shall be an altar to the Lord in the land of Egypt; and the service of God, Josephus affirms, continued in it about 333 years, when it was shut up by Paulinus soon after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans; see Antiq. 13.62-79, and Jewish War 7.426-436. But that temple was all along looked upon by the pious Jews as so great an irregularity, and an affront to the temple at Jerusalem, that we cannot suppose this prophecy to be fulfilled in it.
Observe how the conversion of Egypt is here described.