years, that Jehovah will visit Tyre, and she shall return to her hire, and shall have intercourse with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. And 18 her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to Jehovah. It shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell in the presence of Jehovah, to eat to their full, and for stately clothing.— XVIII. 1 WOE TO [Abyssinia] THE LAND OF THE WINGED TSALTSAL [or Spear-fly], which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia; that sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even on rafts of 2 paper-reeds upon the face of the waters, [saying,] Go, 17 She shall return to her hire.] The trade of Tyre did not, however, revive until when, by the success of the Persians, war between Egypt and Asia was stopped. This was not until the reign of Darius, B.C. 521. 18 Her hire shall be holiness to Jehovah.] Under the Persian rule the merchants of Tyre were as useful to Jerusalem as they had been in the reign of Solomon. To eat to their full, and for stately clothing.] The Tyrians brought from Egypt corn, and fine linen cloth, the clothing of the Jewish priests. No. 30. [Chap. xviii.] ON THE JEWS IN ABYSSINIA. 1 The land of the winged Tsaltsal.] This is a wellknown venomous fly, the Glossina Morsitans, the Scourge of the domestic cattle in Abyssinia and the valley of the Upper Nile. It was brought home by Bruce, the traveller, from that country, with the above name, and by Livingstone from South Africa, with the name of Tsetse. It is mentioned in Deut. xxviii. 42 as attacking vegetation, as if it were a locust. That is a mistake, unless a species of locust bore the same name. 2 By sea on rafts of paper reeds.] These rafts, though safe on the Nile, were not very suitable for crossing the Red Sea. The writer thus describes Abyssinia by peculiarities which had struck him when he travelled there. He had probably reached the country through 3 'ye swift messengers, to a nation [Israel] scattered and made bare, to a people terrible from their beginning 6 and hitherto ; a nation measured out and trodden 'down, whose land the Rivers [Tigris and Euphrates] 'have plundered!' All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the moun4tains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. For thus Jehovah said to me, 'I will take my rest, and 'I will consider in my dwelling-place as in the bright 'heat of the noon's height, and as when there is a 5' cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.' For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening on the flower, he will both cut off the sprigs with pruning knives, and will take away the branches that are cut down. They shall be left together for the ravenous birds of the mountains, and for the beasts of the earth; and the ravenous birds shall pass the summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. 6 7 AT THAT TIME shall presents be brought to Jehovah of Arabia, not by ascending the Nile, a route far less easy. We learn also from the Book of Job, whose writer probably visited the Nubian gold mines through Arabia, that the Arabian caravan routes were open to the Jews at the close of the Captivity." To a nation scattered.] The Jews, who had been scattered in every direction, in their wish to escape from Babylonian cruelty. Whose land the Rivers have plundered.] The Assyrians and the Babylonians are thus spoken of figuratively, as the Tigris and Euphrates. So also in Hab. iii. 8. 7 Presents shall be brought to Jehovah.] In Zeph. iii., a chapter written after the Captivity, we read of presents being sent from the dispersed Jews who were living "beyond the rivers of Ethiopia." In later centuries we meet with a colony of Jews in Abyssinia, while another, on the opposite coast of Arabia, tells us the route by which Abyssinia was reached from Judea. hosts from a people scattered and made bare, and who are some of the people terrible from the beginning and hitherto, the nation measured out and trodden down, whose land the Rivers have plundered, to the place of the name of Jehovah of hosts, the mount Zion. LVI. 9 10 11 ALL YE WILD BEASTS OF THE FIELD, come to devour, yea, all ye wild beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand. They all look to their own way, every one for his own gain, from his own quarter, [saying,] 'Come 12 'ye, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to-morrow shall be as this day, and 'much more abundant.' The righteous man hath perished, and no man layeth ' it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, while No. 31. [Chap. lvi. 9-lix.] DISAPPOINTMENT AND DISCOMFORT. THE EXPECTED 9 Come to devour.] This belongs to a time of trouble and disappointment, fifty-four or fifty-five years after the return from captivity. 10 His watchmen are blind.] Zerubbabel was probably dead. To whom the Government of Judea was then intrusted by the Persians is unknown. Jerusalem probably received orders from a governor in Samaria. (Josephus, Antiq. XI. iv. 9.) LVII. The righteous man hath perished.] This may be Zerubbabel. Micah vii. 1-10 belongs to the same time, and says, "The godly man is perished out of the land." That writer feels a woman, his enemy, now boast over him; this may be Samaria. From Dan. ix. 25 we may learn that Zerubbabel lived until the fortyninth year of the deliverance from captivity, that is, B.C. 489. none consider that the righteous man is taken away 2 from misfortune. He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. 3 5 But do ye draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, 4 the seed of the adulterer and the harlot. Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom do ye make a wide mouth, and put out the tongue? Are ye not children of transgression, the seed of falsehood, inflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, killing the children in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks? 6 Among the smooth stones of the valley is thy Portion [or god], these, these are thy lot; even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered up a meal offering. Should I receive comfort in these? 7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed; even thither wentest thou up to sacrifice sacrifices. 8 Behind the doors also and the door-posts hast thou set thy remembrance; for not unto me thou hast uncovered thyself, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made a covenant with them; thou lovest their bed; thou lookest for the appointed place. And thou wentest to the king [of Persia] with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers to a dis10 tance, and didst debase thyself even unto hell. Thou 9 3 Ye sons of the sorceress.] The present rulers of Jerusalem, perhaps those living in Samaria. 6 Thy portion.] Or god. The word is so used in Jer. x. 16 and li. 19. 7 Upon a lofty and high mountain.] He blames the sacrifices on the High Places, which were forbidden in Deuteronomy. This taunt of idolatry agrees with Jewish feelings towards Samaria. 9 Thou wentest to the king with ointment.] Josephus, in Antiq. XI. iv. 9, mentions an embassy of Jews to Darius to beg for relief from the governor of Samaria. Its date is thus fixed to before B.C. 485, the year in which Darius died. The Samaritans may also have sent an embassy. art wearied with the length of thy way; yet thou saidst not, 'It is to be despaired of.' Thou hast found life in thine own hand; therefore thou wast not grieved. 11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or dost thou fear, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? Was it not I who held my peace even of old, and so thou fearest me not? It is I who declare 12 thy righteousness, and thy works; and they shall not profit thee. When thou criest, let thy companions 13 deliver thee. But the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them. But he that putteth his trust in me shall inherit the land, and shall possess my holy mountain. And he shall 'Build ye up the road, say, 'build ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling'block out of the way of my people.' 14 For I16 For thus saith the High and Lofty One, he that inha- 15 biteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit would fail before me, and the souls which I have made. For the iniquity of his " covetousness was I wroth, and I smote him. I hid me, and was wroth, and he walked rebelliously in the way 10 Thou saidst not, It is to be despaired of] The embassy may have failed in its object. 11 Of whom hast thou been afraid.] at least, addresses the Jews. The writer now, 13 Thy companions.] Perhaps "thine idols." 14 Build ye up the road.] For the return of a further body of Jews from the neighbourhood of Babylon. This points to the time of Ezra, when a second body of captives arrived in Jerusalem under his leadership, in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes (Ezra vii.). Josephus understands this to mean the reign of Xerxes I., B.C. 479. The above words may have been written B.C. 482. 17 I smote him.] The nation. 17 |