Cross Reference ISAIAH 18:2 THAT SENDETH AMBASSADORS BY THE SEA EVEN IN VESSELS OF BULRUSHES UPON THE WATERS SAYING GO YE SWIFT MESSENGERS TO A NATION SCATTERED AND PEELED TO A PEOPLE TERRIBLE FROM THEIR BEGINNING HITHERTO A NATION METED OUT AND TRODDEN DOWN WHOSE LAND THE RIVERS HAVE SPOILED

{Isaiah 18:2} That sendeth 7971 z8802 ambassadors 6735 by the sea, 3220 even in vessels 3627 of bulrushes 1573 upon 6440 x5921 the waters, 4325 [saying], Go, y3212 z8798 x1980 ye swift 7031 messengers, 4397 to x413 a nation 1471 scattered 4900 z8794 and peeled, 4178 z8794 to x413 a people 5971 terrible 3372 z8737 from x4480 their beginning x1931 hitherto; 1973 a nation 1471 meted out 6957 y6978 and trodden down, 4001 whose x834 land 776 the rivers 5104 have spoiled! 958 z8804

sendeth:
"That walkª ° to go downª ° into Egypt,ª and have not¹ askedª ° at my mouth;ª to strengthenª ° themselves in the strengthª of Pharaoh,ª and to trustª ° in the shadowª of Egypt!ª ... For¹ his princesª were¹ at Zoan,ª and his ambassadorsª cameª ° to Hanes.ª" {Isa 30:2-4} + "In that¹ dayª shall messengersª go forthª ° from¹ ¹ me² in shipsª to make¹ the carelessª Ethiopiansª afraid,ª ° and great painª shall come¹ upon them, as in the dayª of Egypt:ª for,¹ lo,¹ it cometh.ª °" {Ezk 30:9}

vessels:
It is well known that the Egyptians commonly used on the Nile a light sort of ships or boats made of the papyrus. See note on "And when she couldª ° not¹ longerª hideª ° him, she tookª ° for him an arkª of bulrushes,ª and daubedª ° it with slimeª and with pitch,ª and putª °¹ the childª therein; and she laidª ° [it] in the flagsª by¹ the river'sª brink.ª" {Exd 2:3}.

to a nation:
"In that¹ timeª shall the presentª be broughtª ° unto the LORDª of hostsª of a peopleª scatteredª ° and peeled,ª ° and from a peopleª ¹ terribleª ° from¹ their beginning¹ hitherto;ª a nationª meted outª ² and trodden under foot,ª whose¹ landª the riversª have spoiled,ª ° to¹ the placeª of the nameª of the LORDª of hosts,ª the mountª Zion.ª" {Isa 18:7}

scattered and peeled:
or, outspread and polished, Or, as Bp. Lowth renders, "stretched out in length and smoothed." Egypt, which is situated between 24 degrees and 32 degrees n lat. and 30 degrees and 33 degrees e long., being bounded on the south by Ethiopia, on the north by the Mediterranean, on the east by the mountains of Arabia, and on the west by those of Lybia, is one long vale, 750 miles in length (through the middle of which runs the Nile), in breadth from one to two or three day's journey, and even at the widest part of the Delta, from Pelusium to Alexandria, not above 250 miles broad.

to a people:
"And Cushª begatª °¹ Nimrod:ª he¹ beganª ° to beª ° a mighty oneª in the earth.ª ... He¹ was¹ a mightyª hunterª beforeª the LORD:ª whereforeª ¹ it is said,ª ° Even as Nimrodª the mightyª hunterª beforeª the LORD.ª" {Gen 10:8-9} + "And it came to pass,¹ [that] in the fifthª yearª of kingª Rehoboamª Shishakª kingª of Egyptª came upª ° against¹ Jerusalem,ª because¹ they had transgressedª ° against the LORD,ª ... And he tookª °¹ the fencedª citiesª which¹ [pertained] to Judah,ª and cameª ° to¹ Jerusalem.ª" {2Ch 12:2-4} + "And there came outª ° against¹ them Zerahª the Ethiopianª with an hostª of a thousandª thousand,ª and threeª hundredª chariots;ª and cameª ° unto¹ Mareshah.ª" {2Ch 14:9} + "Were¹ not¹ the Ethiopiansª and the Lubimsª a hugeª host,ª with veryª manyª ° chariotsª and horsemen?ª yet, because thou didst relyª ° on¹ the LORD,ª he deliveredª ° them into thine hand.ª" {2Ch 16:8}, Heb

Meted out and trodden down:
or, that meteth out and treadeth down, Heb. of line, line, and treading under foot, This is an allusion to the frequent necessity of having recourse to mensuration in Egypt, in order to determine their boundaries, after the inundation of the Nile had smoothed their land and effaced their landmarks; and to their method of throwing seed upon the mud, when the waters had subsided, and treading it in by turning their cattle into the fields.

have spoiled:
or, despise, "And the watersª shall failª ° from the sea,ª ¹ and the riverª shall be wastedª ° and dried up.ª ° ... The paper reedsª by¹ the brooks,ª by¹ the mouthª of the brooks,ª and every thing¹ sownª by the brooks,ª shall wither,ª ° be driven away,ª ° and be no¹ [more]." {Isa 19:5-7}