Isaiah 18:1-3 Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: It is well known that timber proper for building ships was very scarce in Egypt: to supply this deficiency, the Egyptians used bulrushes, or a reed called papyrus, of which they made vessels fit for sailing. Ships and boats built of this sort of materials, being extremely light, and drawing very little water, were admirably suited to traverse the Nile, along the banks of which there were doubtless many morasses and shoals. They were also very convenient and easy to be managed at the waterfalls, where they might be carried with no great difficulty to smooth water. From such circumstances as these, we may conclude, that they would sail exceeding fast, and afford a very speedy conveyance of all kinds of intelligence from one part of the country to another, and from Egypt to neighbouring nations. In them, therefore, ambassadors or messengers were often sent to different places with various kinds of information, after having received their orders in terms such as these, "Go, ye swift messengers." (R. Macculloch.)They were made for folding together, so that they could be carried past the cataracts. (F. Delitzsch, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:WEB: Ah, the land of the rustling of wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia; |
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