Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/5_100_p.lzh/5_106.TXT

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it is, a people, and therefore not the spoils of Senna-
cherib's army, as some interpret it; nor yet the people
of the Jews, that shall be brought by the Gentiles out
of all nations in the latter day, as an offering to the
Lord, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi; see Isa. xi. 11. and
lxvi. 20 {p}; but the Ethiopians or Egyptians, described
-vet. 2. as here, who, being converted, shall stretch out
their hands to God, submit unto him, and present
themselves soul and body as an acceptable sacrifice
-unto him; when these prophecies in Psal. 'lxviii. 31.
Zeph. iii. 9, 10. shall be fulfilled, and which t,egan to
be in the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, Acts viii.
27. and of which there were other instances in the
times of the apostles, and in following ages: and from a
people terrible from .their beginning hitherto; that is,
some of the people, not all of them; the same people
are designed as before, only this Hebraism is used, to
shew a distinction among them: a nation meted out, and
trodden under foot, whose !and the rivers have spoiled;
these descriptive characters, with those'in the pre-
ceding clauses, are retained, to shew that the same
people are here meant as in yet. e. and to magnify the
riches of God's grace, in the conversion of a people to
whom such characters belonged; which shew that it
was not owing to themselves, or any deserts of theirs,
but to the free fayour and good will of God: 'to the
place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion i
hither the present was to be brought, and here the
persons .to present themselves to the Lord, even in
the mount Zion, the church of God; where the name
of the Lord is named and called upon, his word is
preached, his ordinances are administered, and where
he dwells, and grants his presence.

CHAP. XIX.

This chapter contains pro. ehecies of various calami-
ties that should come upon Egypt in a short time, and
of the conversion of many of them to Christ in Gospel
times. The calamities are many; the Lord's coming
unto them, which their gods can't preveht, nor stand
before, nor save them, and at which the hearts of the
Egyptians are dispirited, vet. 1. intestine wars among
themselves, ver. o.. want of counsel, which sends them
to idols and wizards, but in vain, ver. 3. subjection
to a cruel lord, yet. 4. drying up of their rivers and
waters, so that the paper-reeds-wither, and fishes die;
and hence no business for fishermen, nor for workers
in flax, or weaverS' .of nets, vet. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15.
the stupidity of their princes. and wise counsellots,
given up by the Lord to a perverse spirit, so that they
concerted wrong measures, and deceived the people,
ver. 11, l2, 13, 14. a general consternation among
them, because of the baud and counsel of the Lord;
and because of the Lord,s people, the Jews, who were
aterror to them, ver. l6, 17. and then follows the
prophecy of their conversion in after-times, which is
signified by their speaking the language' of Canaan,
and swearing to the Lord, vet.' 18. by their erecting an
altar, and a pillar to the Lord, which should be a sign
and witness to him; and by their crying to him, and
his sencling them a Saylout, .and a greatone, vet. 19,
20. by his being known unto them, by their
sacrifice to him, and by his smiting and healing them
ver, 2l, 22. and the chapter is concluded with a pro-
phecy of that harmony, and agreement, and fellow-
ship, that shall be between Jew and Gentile, between
Egypt, Assyria, and Israel; and that the blessing of
God should be upon them all, yet. 23, 24, c25.
Vet. 1. The burden of Egypt; &c.] Or a. prophecy
concerning Egypt, as the"Arabie version; a very
grievous one, declaring many calamities that should
come upon them. The Targum is, "the burden of
"the cup of cursing, to make the Egyptians drink."
The people of the Jews reposed great confidence in the
Egyptians their allies; wherefore, in order to break
this confidence, it was necessary they should be ac-
quainted with the destruction that was coming upon
them, which is the design of tliis prophecy. Behold,
the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud: or a light one {q}
,lenoting the speed with which he came,. he-would
come quickly, light clouds move swiftly; the sudden.
hess 'and unexpectedhess of his coming,. clouds being
rarely seen in Egypt, where was no rain; and the ir-
resistible power with which he would come, for who
or what can stop the Clouds of h'eaven? not any thing
on earth, not armies, nor castles, and fortitled places.
The Lord is represented as riding in. great state and
majesty, as a general at the head of his army against
his enemies; or as a judge going to try and condemn
criminals; he rides upon the heavenS, walks on the
wings of the wind, and the clouds are his chariot,
Psal. lxviii. 4, 33. and civ. 3. so Christ is represented
as coming in the clouds of heaven, and as sitting on..a
white cloud, when he shall come to judge t.he world,
Rev. i. 7. and xiv. 14 though these words are not to
be understood of that coming of his; and much less
of his tirst coming iu the flesh, to which .they are
applied by Jerom and others; Who, by the
understand the Virgin Mary, as the Chris-
tians of Syria; or the human nature of Christ, 'as Sal-
mero, who relates, that upon Christ's 'flight into
Egypt, and entering into Hellopolls, .and the temple
there, in' which were as many idols as days of the
year, th_ey all fell, and so this prophecy was fulfilled {r}
but of the Lord's coming to inflict punishment on the
Egyptians; so the Targum, "and, behold, the Lord
"shall be rev. ealed in the cloud of his glory, to take
"Vengeance on the Egyptians :" and the Lord shall
come into Egypt; not by Sennacherib king of Assy-
ria, and his army, whom he should send to invade it,
and enter into it, as some think; but rather by Cam-
bvses and Ochus, kings of Persia; though it seems
that what ishere foretold should be done, was done,


{p} So Manasseh ben lsrael, Spes. Israelis, sect. 17. p. 57.
{q} \^lq be le\^ super nubem levem, V. L. Pagninus, &c.
{r} Vid. Hackspan. Not. Philolog. in S. Scrip. par. 584.