Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX.
Ver. 1. THe Word of the Lord] See chap. 18.1.
Ver. 2. Woe worth the day] Ah de die iſta. This ſhall be the voice much more of reprobates at that laſt day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgement of God, Rom. 2.5. Enoch foretold this dreadful day, before Noah the deluge: That day is longer before it comes: but ſhall be more terrible when it is come.
Ver. 3. A cloudy day] Heb. a day of a cloud; which was rarely ſeen in Egypt.
Ver. 4. Great pain] Heb. pain upon pain, as the throws in childbirth.
Ver. 5. Chub] Certain Africans, who ſhall be worſe put to't then were thoſe ſucceeding Africans, who had a prophecy (but not of like credit with this of Ezechiel) that when the Romans ſent an army into their country, Mundus cum tota ſua prole periret, which made them think the world ſhould then be at an end. But afterwards the Romans ſent an army thither under the conduct of one Mundus, who in battle was ſlain together with his ſons by the Africans, Lib. 15.and diſcovered the illuſion of the devil. The Septuagint render Chub Spaniards; which I like the better, ſaith Lavater, becauſe Strabo ſaith Nebuchadonoſer came with his victorious army as far as Spain.
Ver. 6. They that uphold Egypt ſhall fall] i. e. Their confederates; or as ſome, their Tutelar gods. Herodotus writeth that Cambyſes waſted with the ſword Egypt and Ethiopia: killed their god Apis, and defaced all their idols. This he did, doubtleſſe, rather in ſcorn of all religion, then hatred of idolatry.
And the pride of her power ſhall come down] Tumbling down as a great and weighty bullet, from a very high and ſteep mountain.
From the tower of Syene] See chap. 29.10.
Ver. 7. And they ſhall be deſolate] See chap. 29.10.Non eſt Periſſologia: repetitur cum fructu. Lavat.
Ver. 8. And they ſhall know that I am the Lord] Men will not take knowledge of this till they have paid for their learning. Vexatio dat intellectum, ſmart makes wit.
When I have ſet a fire in Egypt] War is fitly compared to fire, it feeds upon the people. See Eſa. 9.19. with the Note.
Ver. 9. In that day ſhall meſſengers go forth from me] i. e. The Chaldeans by an inſtinct from me, to ſubdue Ethiopia alſo.
In ſhips] For Nilus was navigable:
Lene fluit Nilus.—Claudian.
To make the careleſſe Ethiopians] Heb. confident Cuſh: Security uſhereth in calamity.
As in the day of Egypt] That cloudy day, ver. 3. when clouds of blood were diſſolved upon them: Or, that diſmal day of old, when they periſhed in the red ſea, Exod. 15.14.
Ver. 10. I will alſo make the multitude] Or the great noiſe and hurry. They ſhall have no more cauſe to complain that they are too many of them: ſo that they cannot one live by another.
Ver. 11. The terrible of the nations] Tyranni gentium. Homo homini lupus.
Ver. 12. And I will make the rivers dry] The Chaldees ſhall drink them up, as 2 King. 19.24. or I will dry them up for a puniſhment of your vain truſt in them, and boaſting of them, chap. 29.3, 9.
And ſell the land] Paſſe it away utterly from you. The earth is the Lords: he is the true Proprietary.
Ver. 13. I will alſo deſtroy their idols] He did ſo by Cambyſes: See on ver. 6. he doth ſo ſtill by the Turkes; when they invade Popiſh countries, they break down their mawmets.
Out of Neph] Called alſo Moph, Hoſ. 9.6. afterwards Memphis (the Metropolis of idolatry; Nazianzen calleth it foreign, the mad City, becauſe mad-ſet upon idols; Apis eſpecially) afterwards Babylon, and now Aleair: foreign.famous for its incredible greatneſſe, fair ſituation, pillars and Pyramids. It was the ſeat royal of the Sultans, till taken by the Turks from Camſon Gaurus and the Mamalukes, about the year 1515.
And there ſhall be no more a Prince] For forty years at leaſt.
Ver. 14. And I will ſet fire] See on ver. 8.
On Zoan] Or Tanis; the inhabitants whereof are ſaid to be thoſe giants called Titanes.
And will execute judgements in No] Populous No, Nahum. 3.8. called afterwards Alexandria, now Scanderoen.
Ver. 15. And I will pour my fury upon Sin] Called afterwards Peluſium, Deſerto Sinis nomen dedit.and now Damiata.
The ſtrength of Egypt] The key of the Kingdom.
Ver. 16. I will ſet fire on Egypt] See ver. 8.
Ver. 17. Aven] Called alſo Heliopolis, and Thebe.
Phibeſeth] Or Bubaeſtis, called by Ptolomy, Her…um civitas.
Ver. 18. At Tehaphnehes] Or Daphne, the gate of Egypt, at which the Chaldees entred.
A cloud ſhall cover her] See ver. 3.
Ver, 19. And they ſhall know] See on ver. 8.
Ver. 20. In the eleventh year] The year wherein Jeruſalem was deſtroyed; notwithſtanding Pharaoh's fair promiſes and proffers to relieve her.
Ver. 21. I have broken the arm] Ita ut nulla arte vel ope, ſo that by no means or medicines it can be made whole again. Loſſes received in war can hardly be repaired.
Ver. 22. And will break his armes] I will utterly diſable him, and drive the field of him: he ſhall neither be able to defend himſelf, or offend his enemy. See Pſal. 37.17.
Ver. 23. And I will ſcatter the Egyptians] Send them captive into other countryes, as by a whirlwind or Hurrican. This Metaphor we have oft met with. He was afterwards hanged.
Herod.Ver. 24. And I will ſtrengthen the armes of the King of Babylon] God as he ſends the ſword, chap. 14.17. muſters the men, Eſa, 13.4. orders the ammunition, Jer. 50.25. renders the weapons vain or proſperous, Eſa. 54. ult. ſo he ſtrengtheneth and weakeneth the arm of either party.
Ver. 25. But I will ſtrengthen] See ver. 25.
And they ſhall know] See on ver. 8.
Ver. 26. See ver. 23. They would hardly beleeve it, and therefore are ſo oft aſſured it.