THE PROPHECIES CONCERNING EGYPT,
AND A SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY.
IN considering the fulfilled prophecies in the Old Testament concerning Egypt, it will be our duty to see how far the historians and the monuments agree therewith. In order to do this the more satisfactorily, we shall attempt a slight sketch of the history of Egypt before the prophecies, and gather up the prophecies as we proceed; and also endeavor to fill up any gaps there may be between one prophecy and another.
The Egyptians considered themselves to be the most ancient people. King Psammetichus (twenty-sixth dynasty) hit upon a singular plan to test the truth of it after trying various other means of solving the question. The story is old, but will bear repeating. "He took two children of the common sort," says Herodotus, "and gave them over to a herdsman to bring up at his folds, strictly charging him to let no one utter a word in their presence, but to keep them in a sequestered cottage, and from time to time introduce goats to their apartment, see that they got their fill of milk, and in all other respects look after them. His ‘object herein was to know, after the indistinct babblings of infancy were over, what word they would first articulate. It happened as he had anticipated. The herdsman obeyed his orders for two years, and at the end of that time, on his one day opening the door of their room and going in, the children both ran up to him with outstretched arms, and distinctly said Becos.' When this first happened, the herdsman took no notice; but afterwards, when he observed, on coming often to see after them, that the word was constantly in their mouths, he informed his lord, and by his command brought the children into his presence. Psammetichus then, himself heard them say the word, upon which he proceeded to make inquiry what people there was who called anything becos,' and hereupon he learnt that becos' was the Phrygian name for bread. In consideration of this circumstance, the Egyptians yielded their claims, and admitted the greater antiquity of the Phrygians." If the story is true (and Herodotus vouches for its truth as far as was told him at Memphis) it is most probable that the children imitated the bleating of the goats.
In Psa. 87:4; 89:104I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. (Psalm 87:4)
10Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm. (Psalm 89:10); Isa. 51:9,9Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? (Isaiah 51:9) Egypt is also called "Rahab." In other places, the word is not translated as a proper name: as in Job 26:12,12He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud. (Job 26:12) “He smiteth through the proud." The word Rahab cannot be traced as a proper name as applying to Egypt; so that it would appear that the word is used as an epithet rather than as a proper name. The character of Egypt for pride and arrogance was so well known, that when "the proud" was spoken of, it would be known that it referred to Egypt. The same word occurs in Isa. 30:7,7For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still. (Isaiah 30:7) and is translated "strength." Of the Egyptians it is said, "Their strength is to sit still;" but others translate it, "Boasters they are in sitting still," "Bragging people," &c.
Mizraim in the Hebrew is a dual, and it has been thought that it thus alluded to Upper and Lower Egypt, into which the country was always divided, or to east and west. To this day the Arabs call Egypt Musr, and this name has been discovered on an Egyptian monument.
The Egyptian name for Egypt in hieroglyphics is KEM, or KHEM, and signifies, both in the ancient Egyptian and in the. Coptic, "black." The meaning of Ham is given as, "hot, heat, dark." So it will be seen that the two names approach to one another in meaning. The Nile is called Sihor (Isa. 23:33And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations. (Isaiah 23:3); Jer. 2:1818And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? (Jeremiah 2:18)), which is also supposed to signify "black.”
In Gen. 10:6,6And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. (Genesis 10:6) another son of Ham is named Cush. And this points out Ethiopia, a country lying south of Egypt. The histories of the two are at times mingled together as one. Scripture also associates along with these Seba, named after a son of Cush. Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba were all given for Israel. (Isa. 43:33For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. (Isaiah 43:3).)
One of the sons of Cush was Nimrod, the famous hunter, whose country was towards the Euphrates and the Tigris, thus linking Babylonia with Ethiopia.
It was thought by some that Ethiopia stood first, and that Egypt learnt from it; but it is now generally believed that it was the reverse, and that Ethiopia learnt from Egypt.
An interesting question arises as to what race of mankind the ancient Egyptians belonged. The name of Mizraim undoubtedly links Egypt with the above son of Ham; but then the Negroes of Central Africa are also almost universally traced to Ham, and if not to his son Mizraim, it would be to his brother Cush; and could the two brothers of the same father and mother form two such distinct races?
Now if we turn to the monuments, we find all over the land, the Egyptians, as a type of man, far removed from the Negro; and when the negro is introduced, it is as a foreigner or a slave bearing tribute to the Egyptians. The problem then is, how can both the African Negro and the Egyptian be descendants of Ham?
Great attention has been given to this question, especially as it has been maintained that such tribes as the African Negro did never spring from a common origin with the Asiatic and European races. To aid in the solution of the difficulty, Mr. Gliddon, American consul in Egypt, collected from various parts of Egypt and Nubia one hundred and thirty-seven skulls, without any choice, except to find the oldest he could. These were submitted to Dr. Morton of Philadelphia, in their original wrappings. Professor Blumenbach had long before suggested “a very careful, technical examination of the skulls of mummies hitherto met with, together with an accurate comparison of these skulls with the monuments." Dr. Morton had now the opportunity to make this comparison.
After due deliberation, he declared the mass of heads to be of the Caucasian race, which he subdivided into three types. Besides these he found some which he called Negroid," for while the osteological development is more or less that of the negro, the hair is long, but sometimes harsh, thus indicating that combination of features which is familiar in the mulatto grades of the present day." Another writer—Dr. Prichard—in marking out the difference between the descendants of Ham and the Syrians, also shews how the Egyptians approach the Africans: “Though inhabiting from immemorial times regions in juxtaposition, and almost contiguous to each other, no two races of men can be more strongly contrasted than were the ancient Egyptian and the Syro-Arabian races; one nation full of energy, of restless activity, changing many times their manner of existence—sometimes nomadic, feeding their flocks in desert places, now settled and cultivating the earth, and filling their land with populous villages, and towns, and fenced cities, then spreading themselves, impelled by the love of glory and zest of proselytisms over distant countries—the other reposing ever in luxurious ease and wealth on the rich soil watered by their slimy river, never quitting it for a foreign clime, or displaying, unless forced, the least change in their position or habits of life. The intellectual character, the metaphysical belief, and the religious sentiments and practices of the two nations were equally diverse: one adoring an invisible and eternal Spirit, at whose almighty word the universe started into existence, and 'the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy:'—the other adorning splendid temples with costly magnificence, in which, with mysterious and grotesque rites, they paid a strange and portentous worship to some foul and groveling object—a snake, a tortoise, a crocodile, or an ape!
“The physical characters of these nations are likewise different. Instead of the sharp features, the keen, animated, and restless visages, and the lean and active figures of the Arabian, there were to be seen in the land of the Pharaohs [quoting Denon], full, but delicate and voluptuous forms; countenances sedate and placid; round and soft features; with eyes long, almond-shaped, half-shut and languishing, and turned up at the outer angles, as if habitually fatigued by the light and heat of the sun; cheeks round; thick lips, full and prominent: mouths large, but cheerful and smiling; complexions dark, ruddy, and coppery; and the whole aspect displaying, as one of the most graphic delineators among modern travelers has observed, the genuine African character, of which the negro is the exaggerated and extreme representation.'"
If the monuments which still retain their color are a faithful representation of the people, the color of the ancient Egyptian must be described as red copper or light chocolate; doubtless those who lived farther south were still darker in color, though far removed from black.
Cush being the name in scripture for Ethiopia, there can be no doubt that this descendant of Ham was the founder of this adjacent kingdom. While a part of the family settled in Ethiopia, another part may have penetrated into Africa, and led a sort of half-wild life, which led to the full negro type being produced from what has been described above as Negroid.'
There is one passage of scripture that may at first sight seem to imply that the Ethiopians were black: "Can the Ethiopian [Cushite] change his skin?" (Jer. 13:2323Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. (Jeremiah 13:23).) But it is not necessarily so. Let us suppose for a moment that the Ethiopians were the people dwelling the farthest south of any named in scripture, and that they were the darkest in complexion, would not these be the very people that would be referred to as unable to change their skin?
From the whole, therefore, there can be no doubt that the inhabitants of Africa are the descendants of Ham; and the ancient Egyptians were so also; a relic of whom is to be found in the Copts of Egypt. It has been thought by some that the descendants of Japheth show, almost as great contrasts as we have seen in the descendants of Ham.
Egypt and Ethiopia, then, were founded by the sons of Ham; and if we take the common date of the flood at B.C. 2348, the founding of the kingdom of Egypt dates from thence. In the following rapid historical sketch we shall avoid questions of chronology as much as possible, as they demand a separate consideration.
The lists given by Manetho and those of the Turin papyrus speak of a series of gods and demi-gods who reigned in Egypt before the race of human kings began -a mythology that may be passed over in silence.
The first king is named MENES, who is supposed to be a real person. His name is found on the monuments, thus MNAI. He is said to have changed course the Nile, and founded Memphis and the famous temple of Pthah. He is also charged with interfering with and changing the former simple manner of life of the Egyptians, so that a curse was afterwards recorded against him in one of the temples. He was killed by a hippopotamus.
Egypt was divided into districts, and two or more kings reigned at the same time; thus, the third dynasty ran on at the same time as a part of the first: but very little is known of these early kings. During the second king of the second dynasty—named Kaiechos—the bull Apis at Memphis, the bull Mnevis at Heliopolis, and the goat Mendes at Mendes, were appointed to be gods; and about this time women were first allowed to succeed as queens.
THE FIRST AND SECOND DYNASTIES were Thinite, from the city of This, near Abydos, in Upper Egypt. The THIRD and FOURTH dynasties were Memphite.
The FOURTH DYNASTY is the first that gives us from the monuments any elaborate account of the people. SORTS (Shure) was the leader of this dynasty, and his name has been found on the blocks of the northern pyramid of Abooseer.
This has been called the Memphite or the Pyramid period. The position of the great pyramids, standing due north, south, east and west (though they stand in all directions elsewhere), and the very excellent way in which they were put together and the joints finished, shew that Egypt had at this early age advanced in the arts and sciences. In the tombs too of this period are found depicted on the walls nearly all the various arts—glass blowers, cabinet makers, and others—which are found at a later period: the dresses are the same, and painted sculptures are in both relief and intaglio.
In this period the Egyptians had carried their conquests into the southern part of Syria. Mount Sinai was also held by them, and the silver mines were worked to their profit.
SUPHIS (Cheops) and SUPHIS II. were also of this period. They were the builders of the great pyramid; their names being found as KHUFU and NOU-KHUFU.
After these was king MENCHERES who built the third pyramid. General Vyse found a part of his mummy-case bearing his name-MEN-KA-RA in hieroglyphics. It is now in the British Museum. "Indications," says Dr. Birch, "are found of the works of these monarchs at the mines of the Wady Magharah, in the legends of the temples of Denderah, and in the older books or papyri.”
THE FIFTH DYNASTY was Elephantine, from the city of that name. It existed nearly six hundred years, and thirty-one kings have been named, but little is known of them.
THE SIXTH DYNASTY was Memphite, though some of the names of the kings are found in other parts of Egypt. PAPI is one of the most famous; his name has been found on Mount Sinai and elsewhere, though it is thought that there may have been two kings of this name. In this dynasty it is supposed Ethiopia was conquered. A king Papi was the first to add a prenomen to his name.
Queen NITOCRIS (called in the Turin papyrus NEETAKARTEE) was the last of this dynasty, and ended the reign of these Memphite rulers. At this period Lower Egypt was invaded by those known afterwards as Shepherds and led eventually to the famous Shepherd-kings.
In other parts of Egypt four dynasties ran their course—in the order of ninth, seventh, eighth, and tenth. Some and only some of the kings' names are known, and little or nothing is recorded of them, or their acts.
THE ELEVENTH DYNASTY was the first of the Diospolite or Theban kings. It was contemporaneous with the ninth. Monuments of this dynasty have been found at Thebes, Abydos, and in Upper Egypt.
THE TWELFTH DYNASTY followed. In this dynasty there were some famous kings. OSIRTASEN I., II. and III., and AMUN-M-HE were of this dynasty.
Osirtasen I. would appear, by his name being found in widely separated places, to have reigned over the whole of Egypt. His obelisk is still at Heliopolis, and his name is found on the oldest portion of the great temple of Karnak at Thebes, as well as in the necropolis of Abydos.
He is supposed to have been the first king known as Sesostris, and it may be he of whom Manetho says, "he was considered by the Egyptians as the first (or greatest) after [the god] Osiris.”
To this dynasty too belongs the maker of the Labyrinth, and the Lake Maoris. Lepsius found on the Labyrinth the name of AMUN-M-HE III or Ameres. He was able to hold Middle Egypt against the growing power of the Shepherds.
THE THIRTEENTH DYNASTY was still Theban; and the FOURTEENTH Xoïte. It is supposed that during the thirteenth dynasty the Shepherds extended their power; the native kings' ovals of this dynasty are found in Ethiopia, as if they had fled thither; and monuments of the twelfth dynasty were thrown down at Thebes. Of the fourteenth dynasty no kings are known, unless they are named in the Turin papyrus.
Here there is a break in Egyptian history. Until now, the kings have been Egyptian. During this period —say, perhaps five hundred years—there are no references in scripture to Egypt, except the sojourn of Abraham during the famine. This would have been about B.C.
1920. But the account in scripture is so short, and the succession of kings and the length of reign so uncertain in history, that it is little better than guesswork as to which king reigned when the patriarch came into Egypt.
In the chapter on chronology, we give, a table of these early dynasties, showing how two or more are supposed to have run on together, with approximate dates for the long and short chronology. It will be seen that one or more of the Egyptian kings reigned all through the period of the shepherd kings.
Abraham was well received, and notwithstanding his deceiving the king and bringing chastisement upon Pharaoh and his house, was dismissed with his gold, his silver, and all that he had, intact.
THE FIFTEENTH, SIXTEENTH, and SEVENTEENTH DYNASTIES are given to the reign of the shepherd kings. They had been increasing in power, it is supposed that they were not at first actuated by a spirit of conquest, but that they laid some claim to the throne, perhaps through marriage with Egyptian princesses. As far as it is known, they did not reign over the whole of Egypt, and were on terms of friendship with the rulers of other parts of Egypt at least for a time.
Still their religion was different, and they ruled eventually with rigor, which made the Egyptians smart under what they considered foreign usurpation. Associated with this is the saying in scripture that "shepherds were an abomination unto the Egyptians," and in connection therewith has to be considered, if any, and what light the reign of these shepherd kings throws upon the history of Joseph—questions we hope to consider in the chronology of Egypt.
Little or nothing is known of the reign of the shepherd kings. Their monuments have been found only at San (Tanis) and Heliopolis; but their successors would naturally destroy the records of the usurpers.
An inscription (called the First Sallier Papyrus) is held to refer to the time of the shepherd kings. It reads, "It came to pass that the land of Egypt was held by the impure.... King Sekeneu-Ra was ruler in the southern region, and the impure in-the district of Amu, their chief king being APAPI in the city Avaris. The whole land did homage to him with their handiwork, paying tribute alike from all the good produce of Tameri. King Apapi took to himself Sutech for Lord, refusing to serve any other god in the whole land." The papyrus also, contains an account of a complaint being sent to the southern ruler—evidently all was not going on smoothly.
THE EIGHTEENTH DYNASTY was the result of Amos's, or Ames taking Avaris, and driving out the shepherd kings, and forms another epoch of Egyptian history. An inscription of an officer under NEB-PEHTI-RA. (Amosis), reads, "We took Avaris, and I carried off as captives from thence, one man and three women—in all, four heads; and his majesty gave them to me as slaves.”
Now again we obtain monumental history; and for the first time find the horse on the monuments. From the name sûs, often given to the horse, it is supposed that they were brought from Asia into Egypt by the shepherd kings. Egypt became famous afterwards for its horses, and Israel was warned against sending to Egypt for them, lest they should trust in them instead of in Jehovah.
From this time forward, the kings mostly reigned over all Egypt. There were three crowns used by the kings; one for Lower Egypt, one for Upper Egypt, and one, a combination of the two, for those who reigned over both ' districts.
Amosis is represented with a black queen AMES-NOFRI-ARE, and a white one named AAHÔTP; but the former was held in higher honor, and is represented as a holy woman in the service of the gods. In the British Museum may be seen a representation of the king with his two wives.
AMUNOPH I. of this dynasty was powerful enough to resume invading surrounding countries, which his successors continued. At this time there is evidence that the Egyptians divided the day and night into twelve hours each, and they had made up the year to three hundred and sixty-five days. But though recorded now, these may indeed date earlier.
THOTHMES I. extended his rule to the Libyans; a people named in scripture in connection with Egypt. (Jer. 46:99Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow. (Jeremiah 46:9); Dan. 11:4343But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. (Daniel 11:43).) An inscription (by Aahmes son of Abana, an officer of this king) reads, “After this he went to the Rutennu (Syria) for the purpose of taking satisfaction upon the countries. His majesty arrived at Naharaina (Mesopotamia)." At Thebes he added to the great temple at Karnak, where one of his obelisks is still standing. His name, as well as Thothmes II. is recorded on other monuments at Thebes.
With THOTHMES II and III there was a queen associated, named AMUN-NOU-HET who appears to have had greater honors than these kings. Monuments were erected bearing her name, and she is represented offering to the gods. She was perhaps a widow or daughter of a former king.
THOTHMES III. after her death appears to have sought to obliterate her name from the monuments, and to substitute his own: but at times this was not fully done, so that an inscription reads, "King Thothmes, she has made this work for her father Amun." Her name is omitted from later lists of kings.
Thothmes III. carried his arms into Asia. An inscription reads, "His majesty sailed to take the towns and plough the country of the enemy and the vile Naharaina [Mesopotamia]."None could stand before him." His majesty then came to the city of Ninü [Nineveh] on his return. Then his majesty set up his tablet in Naharaina to enlarge the frontiers of Kami [Egypt].”
The monuments represent many descriptions of tribute being brought to him: elephants, horses, bears, rare woods, rich gold and silver vases; ebony, ivory, precious metals; camelopards, apes, ostrich feathers, &c. These came from various places. Some from the district of the Euphrates, and some from Ethiopia. We give a representation of a group of persons bringing tribute to Egypt. It will be seen that the dresses differ as well as the features, and in the monuments the different people are colored to represent nature: the Negro and Nubian are dark-colored; the Copt is light red with long hair; the Ethiopian is dark; the Arab is of fair skin.
This king added largely to the monuments: the two obelisks afterwards carried to Alexandria and others were made during his reign. The "chamber of the kings" at Karnak, where he is portrayed making offerings to sixty former kings, was also his work.
It is worthy of note too that more bricks have been Found bearing his name than of any other king; and in a tomb is portrayed in detail the making of them, exactly agreeing with the account given of the forced labor of the Israelites.
AMUNOPH II. succeeded, and then THOTHMES IV., two short and unimportant reigns. The great Sphinx at the larger pyramids bears the name of Thothmes IV., but it is supposed to have been in existence long before.
AMUNOPH III. succeeded. He calls himself the son of Thothmes IV., the son of Amunoph, but it is supposed that his mother—Maut-in-shoi—was a foreigner. His features differ from the other kings, and the respect paid to him by the stranger-kings,' who succeeded him leads to the thought that he was not a pure Egyptian.
Amunoph was victorious as a warrior. He added to the great temple of Karnak and built the principal part of the large and beautiful one at Luxor. He also erected one on the opposite shore, and the two large sitting figures, one of which was called the Vocal Memnon.' He also erected the temple of Soleb in Ethiopia on which he recorded the names of his many victories in Asia and Africa.
At the death of Amunoph III some stranger-kings reigned, and continued from thirty to forty years.
THE NINETEENTH DYNASTY followed, and is supposed to have commenced with RAMESES I., but the lists of kings are here all in confusion. His reign was short, and he was followed by his son SETHI I. (or Sethos).
This monarch overran Syria, punishing those who had not sent their tribute, and carried his conquests far into Asia. He erected some of the finest of the monuments, the style of which was not surpassed at any other time. The granite obelisks were now of the finest description, some of the hieroglyphics being cut to the depth of three inches.
RAMESES II. reigned with his father Sethos, and then succeeded him. He was also victorious in his expeditions, and made many captives. These he used in restoring and enlarging fortresses, cities and temples. The temple of this king to the west of Thebes is one of the finest in Egypt. Here he erected a statue of enormous size, reaching above the roof of the temple, but it is now thrown down.
He added the extra lines of inscriptions on Cleopatra's Needle. His name may be picked out, written thus.
MAI RAMESES. SATP EN RA.
It occurs twice on each outer column. Another name was Beloved of Amun.
It is believed that some of the victories attributed to Sethos (or Sesostris) were really those of his son Rameses II. He left memorials of his campaigns in Palestine and Syria at the pass of the Nahr el Kelb, or Lyons, near Beyrout.
The following illustration represents Rameses II., with the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, slaying his enemies in honor of the god Amun-Ra. In the group of victims couched in the center, it will be seen that some are dark-colored with thick lips, others have beards.
It is supposed that this monarch also commenced a canal to connect the Red Sea with the Nile: it was afterwards carried on by, Necho; Herodotus says Necos commenced it, but from its getting filled up with sand, it probably was commenced' several times. It is doubted by some if it was ever finished so as to be used, though Herodotus speaks of it as existing in his day, and says it was completed by Darius the Persian.
To Rameses II. is also attributed the wall built on both sides of the river, where the mountains left the country exposed, to protect the cultivated lands from the roving Arabs.
His thirteenth son, PTHAHMEN, succeeded; but his reign was not remarkable.
THE TWENTIETH DYNASTY was opened by SETHI II., and followed by SETHI III.; but except a few additions to the temples and their approaches there is nothing to record.
RAMESES III was the noted king of this dynasty. In the great Harris Papyrus, he is said to succeed a state of confusion. “The land of Kami had fallen into confusion: everyone was doing what he wished The land of Egypt was under chiefs of nomes, each person killing the others for ambition and jealousy." One A-AR-SU, a Kharu (a Syrian) became chief. He stopped the offerings and abused and overthrew the gods. But the gods assembled and crowned RAMESES III., RA-USER-MA as lord of the two countries. He says," The land was well satisfied with my reign. I did well to gods and men also." He was victorious abroad, and erected the interesting temple at Medeenet Haboo, wherein his victories are recorded. But connoisseurs are able to see symptoms of declining art in the sculptures of his reign. He was succeeded by several others bearing the name of Rameses; but, except the eighth, their power began to decline. A papyrus details the additions made to the temples of Ptah in Memphis, Tum in Heliopolis, and Amen at Thebes during this dynasty.
Hadad fled to Egypt and was there favorably received. Pharaoh gave him the sister of Tahpenes the queen for his wife: and there he remained until the days of Solomon. This name has not been traced except as the name of a town near Pelusium, the Daphnæ of Herodotus.
Solomon had made an alliance with Egypt, and had married Pharaoh's daughter. Her father had taken from the Canaanites, Gezer (perhaps at or near Yasûr between Jaffa and Ramleh), and had given its ruins as a dowry with his daughter. (1 Kings 9:1616For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife. (1 Kings 9:16).) Who this Pharaoh was is not known, but it was probably a king of the twenty-first dynasty.
Solomon had sought to put Jeroboam to death, because it had "been foretold that he was to have ten tribes for his kingdom, but he fled into Egypt, unto Shishak, king of Egypt, and was there till the death of Solomon." (1 Kings 11:4040Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. (1 Kings 11:40).) And on the division of the kingdom Jeroboam left Egypt and ruled over the ten tribes as foretold by the prophet.
THE TWENTY-SECOND DYNASTY was Bubastic. SHISHANK I. was its first king, whom all identify as the Shishak of scripture. (1 Kings 14:2525And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem: (1 Kings 14:25); 2 Chron. 12:2-92And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord, 3With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. 4And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. 5Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak. 6Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous. 7And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. 8Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries. 9So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. (2 Chronicles 12:2‑9).) His name has been found thus: AMUN-MAI SHISHANK.
It was this same Shishak that attacked Judah in the fifth year of Rehoboam. Judah had forsaken the law of the Lord, and an enemy was allowed to attack them.
Shishak came with "twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen; and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.”
The Lubims are traced to the west of Egypt: they had been previously conquered by the Pharaohs. The Sukkiims have not been traced, but are supposed to be the Arabs on the East of Egypt. The Ethiopians were from the South.
Shishak took the walled cities of Judah, but on the humiliation of Rehoboam, Jerusalem was spared destruction. Nevertheless the temple and the king's house were pillaged: " he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made." (2 Chron. 12:1-91And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. 2And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord, 3With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. 4And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. 5Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak. 6Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous. 7And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. 8Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries. 9So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. (2 Chronicles 12:1‑9).)
It is painfully interesting to find that in the records of Shishak's victories on the temple at Karnak one of them has been identified as referring to this victory over Judah—painful that the world should have been able to raise a monument of its success against God's people; but it was because of the failure of that people and not of any decrease of God's interest in them. God had to use Egypt as His rod to punish His guilty people. That Jerusalem was spared at all was because God withheld the Egyptians: "I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak." Nevertheless Judah remained the "servants" of Egypt.
This is a copy of the figure and the inscription: the words are JUDAH MELCHI, ' kingdom of Judah.' By referring to the alphabets the letters will be seen to be IUTH MALK: the last character denotes country.'
It will be seen that the face is very different from the Egyptian features, besides the pointed beard and peculiar cap. It is no doubt" copied in general from one of the captives.
It is profoundly interesting to find that the first Egyptian king mentioned by name in scripture is also on the monuments, and that the capture of Jerusalem should also be found recorded in stone at the time. Some of the monuments of Shishak are in the British Museum.
The next event in scripture bearing on Egypt is the signal victory of Judah over Zerah the Ethiopian. He came a thousand thousand strong and three hundred chariots. But Asa piously cried to the Lard, It is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God: for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.”
Jehovah answered such faith, and this million of people were overcome and the people of Judah took "very much spoil." (2 Chron. 14:9-139And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. 10Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. 12So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 13And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil. (2 Chronicles 14:9‑13).)
Notice that though the king is called an Ethiopian, and the people Ethiopians, the Lubims were among them (see chap. xvi. 8), the same who aided Shishak: so that Zerah is believed to have been king of Egypt, though an Ethiopian. His name cannot be identified with any on record, unless it be, as some suppose, Osorkon I.: his defeat, of course, would not have been recorded.
THE TWENTY-THIRD DYNASTY was Tanite. It is called Tanite from the city of Tanis which now rose into importance. It is called Zoan in scripture. It was about forty miles to the north of Bubastis, on the east of the river, and gave its name to the Tanitic branch of the Nile. There was also a district which scripture calls the plains of Zoan. The building of the city is mentioned in Num. 13:2222And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) (Numbers 13:22). It is thought by some to be the same as Avaris of the shepherd-kings. Manetho gives eleven kings of Tanis.
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DYNASTY was Saite. BOICHORIS THE WISE was its only king. He was the first to transfer the capital to Sais, whence the name of the dynasty. It was on the right bank of the Canopis branch of the Nile.
THE TWENTY-FIFTH DYNASTY was Ethiopian. The first king was SABACO. The following is the name of Sabaco on the monuments. The letters are SHIM. His throne name is RA-NEFER-KA.
It was about this time that Hoshea, king of Israel, threw off his allegiance to Assyria, and attempted an alliance with So, king of Egypt. (2 Kings 17:44And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison. (2 Kings 17:4).) See also Hos. 12:1,1Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt. (Hosea 12:1) where Israel is represented as making a covenant with Assyria, and also making presents of oil to Egypt.
As there were two kings of Egypt named Sabaco, it is not known which was the So of scripture. Help was not given, and the revolt of Hoshea led to the taking of Samaria and the captivity of the ten tribes. The Assyrian king, Sargon, thus records his victory: "Samaria I looked at, I captured: 27,280 men [or families] who dwelt in it I carried away.”
TEHRAN succeeded, and there can be no doubt that he was the Tirhakah of scripture. When Sennacherib was attacking Libnah, he heard that Tirhakah was coming to attack him: and he sent a second threatening message to Jerusalem. But God miraculously destroyed his army in the night. (2 Kings 19:8, 9, 358So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish. 9And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight against thee: he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying, (2 Kings 19:8‑9)
35And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. (2 Kings 19:35); Isa. 37:99And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, (Isaiah 37:9).) There are monuments of Tehrak in Thebes as well as at Napata (now called Gebel Berkel) in Ethiopia, where he constructed a temple, and part of another. His name is in the following ovals.
TEHRAK. THE TWENTY-SIXTH DYNASTY was Saite, as the twenty-fourth had been. PSAMMETICHUS I. was the first king of note. Of him Herodotus relates a curious story. Egypt was divided into twelve Domes or districts, and each was ruled by a governor, who sought to strengthen their position by intermarriages, &c. But an oracle had declared that whoever of them should pour out a libation to the god from a brazen cup would be king of Egypt. Now on the closing day of a great festival, when the high priest had brought out the golden goblets for the princes, there were found to be only eleven. Psammetichus being last was left without a goblet and so he poured out his libation from his brass helmet, and thus fulfilled the oracle. The others, jealous of him, drove him from his home; but the same oracle being consulted he was told that vengeance would come by brazen men from the sea. Soon afterwards Psammetichus was told that "brazen men had come from the sea," who really were Carian and Ionian pirates, driven by stress of weather. He engaged them in and succeeded in overcoming the eleven others.
Whether the above be true or not, it seems certain that Psammetichus I. did employ Greek mercenaries. But his native troops took offence at the favors shown to these Greeks, and revolted in a body. They marched back to Egypt and were there joined by the rest of the army, and then marched southward to Elephantine, and thence withdrew to Ethiopia. The king followed them as far as Elephantine, and sent after them further, and endeavored to persuade them not to abandon their country, their wives and families; but it was all to no purpose: they refused to return. The king of Ethiopia received them in a friendly spirit, and gave them possessions beyond Meroë, where they were long known as ' strangers.' The Greek troops in this pursuit are said to have cut an inscription on one of the colossal statues at the temple of Abou Simbel at the second cataract: it is supposed to be one of the earliest Greek writings extant.
Psammetichus did not send away the Greeks, but appointed them a settlement, and had his children taught the Greek language. He employed the rest of his reign in repairing and beautifying the temples, so that this period has been called the 'renaissance' of Egyptian art, because it somewhat recovered from the decline into which it had fallen.
The next king, was NECHO or Neco II., who is without doubt the Pharaoh-Necho (or Nechoh) of scripture.
He sent an army into Asia for the purpose of attacking the Babylonians, and directed his steps to Charchemish on the Euphrates. Josiah proceeded to oppose Necho. He was warned by Pharaoh that he had not come to attack him; but Josiah would not forbear and hearkened not "unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God;" and thought to escape by disguising himself. But his army was routed at Megiddo and he was wounded. He returned to Jerusalem and died there. (2 Chron. 35:20-2420After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. 21But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not. 22Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. 23And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded. 24His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. (2 Chronicles 35:20‑24).)
Necho was successful at Charchemish and then returned to Jerusalem. He deposed Jehoahaz and carried him to Egypt, where he died (the lion's "whelp" of Ezek. 19:3, 43And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men. 4The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. (Ezekiel 19:3‑4); 2 Kings 23:3434And Pharaoh-nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there. (2 Kings 23:34)) and set up his brother Eliakim in his stead, calling him Jehoiakim. The tribute was to be a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold (about £40,000). Uriah prophesied against Jerusalem, and when the king sought to kill him he fled to Egypt; but Jehoiakim fetched him from thence and put him to death. (Jer. 26:21-2321And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt; 22And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt. 23And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people. (Jeremiah 26:21‑23).)
As Megiddo was so far north of Jerusalem Necho may have sent his army by sea. It is known that he fitted out ships, and it is recorded that he explored the coast of Africa, so that he would have had no difficulty in sending ships to some seaport on the Mediterranean.
But the power of Babylon was increasing, and after three years Nebuchadnezzar defeated the army of Egypt by the river Euphrates, at Charchemish, and took from Egypt every place from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates: and "the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land." (2 Kings 24:77And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt. (2 Kings 24:7).)
Jer. 46:1-12 Comes in here. Verse 2 mentions Pharaoh-Necho by name; verses 3, 4, speak of his great preparations; and verse 9 mentions the allies of Egypt "the Ethiopians [Cush], and the Libyans [Put], that handle the shield, and the Lydians that handle and bend the bow." The Libyans and Lydians inhabited the north of Africa to the west and east of Egypt.
Though the daughters of Egypt should seek at Gilead for balm, and use many medicines, they should not be cured, when God arose to punish them.
Necho was succeeded by PSAMMETICHUS II. or Pammis; and HOPHRA, Apris (or Psammetichus III.) followed.
HOPHRA, PSAMMETICHUS.
This latter is the Hophra of scripture. Zedekiah had been made governor of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar; but he revolted and formed an alliance with Hophra, though forewarned by the prophet. (Ezek. 17:15-1715But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered? 16As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. 17Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons: (Ezekiel 17:15‑17).) When the Chaldeans besieged Jerusalem, Pharaoh's army came to the rescue, and for the time the Chaldeans retreated. (Jer. 37:5-115Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem. 6Then came the word of the Lord unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 7Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land. 8And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire. 9Thus saith the Lord; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart. 10For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire. 11And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army, (Jeremiah 37:5‑11).) But Jeremiah foretold that the Chaldeans would return "and fight against the city, and take it, and burn it with fire.”
The successes of Hophra filled him with pride, so that he is recorded to have said that not even a god could overthrow him. Such arrogance could not go unpunished.
Ezekiel was at Babylon: in his prophecy (chap. 29:1-16) he foretells the humbling of Egypt. "Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which path said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. But I will put hooks in thy jaws.... I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field, and to the fowls of the heaven. "Egypt had been but" a staff of reed" to Israel, and had broken when it was leaned upon. God would bring a sword upon Egypt and cut off man and beast. Egypt should be "utterly waste and desolate from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia." It should be desolate forty years; and after the forty years God would bring the inhabitants back again. But it should be a base kingdom—"the basest of the kingdoms." It should no more rule over the nations, or have the confidence of Israel.
The prophecy was given in the tenth year and tenth month of the captivity (B.C. 589), which would be while Jerusalem was besieged but before it was taken. Israel had relied upon Egypt, but it had failed to deliver them from Nebuchadnezzar: it was but a reed that injured the one who leaned upon it. The great dragon to which Egypt is compared may refer to the crocodile which lived in the Nile, for the word is translated whale, serpent and dragon. The crocodile well illustrates a savage man. Livingstone tells us that he found a man "fencing up a well to prevent his slaves being taken away by crocodiles, as three had been eaten already.”
“From the tower of Syene" reads in the margin "From Migdol to Syene." Migdol was in the northeast, about two miles from Suez; Syene was the most southern town of Egypt; so that the whole of Egypt is included. It was to be deserted forty years. There are no dates from which to compute these forty years during which Egypt was thus deserted. It may refer to the after desolation by Nebuchadnezzar, when some were put to death, and some led away captive. There is indeed a tradition among Arab writers agreeing with this prophecy. Abdallatif says, "Memphis was a flourishing city in the time of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, and a long time before and after this period, till the reign of Nabuchodonosor. This prince ravaged Egypt, and it remained in a state of desolation for forty years after. The reason of this invasion was that the king of Egypt granted an asylum to the Jews who fled from the conqueror. Nebuchadnezzar, to avenge himself, marched against Egypt and ruined all the country.”
At its termination God brought again the people, but that it remained the basest of kingdoms in comparison to what it had been is testified of by all travelers. On all sides are the ruins of former grandeur along with the most abject poverty as a nation. Napoleon I. made great efforts to conquer and raise Egypt. With a large army he went forth and was everywhere victorious, till, as a writer says, “the progress of the French army, hitherto invincible, was suddenly and wonderfully checked by a small and weak fortress, protected by the sword of Britain. The triumph of the resistless army of France was ended. The ferocious legions in vain dashed themselves, as the waves of the ocean, on the small but immovable rock. The broken remnant of the dispirited and discomfited army was abandoned by their leader; and the land of Egypt is still the basest of kingdoms.' The scripture is fulfilled."
Three months after the above prophecy, Ezekiel again prophesied against Egypt. (Chapter 30:20-26.) Jehovah would strengthen the arm of Babylon, and would break the arm of Egypt. He would "scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries." They should know that Jehovah was the Lord.
In two months' time another prophecy falls from the mouth of Ezekiel: as Assyria had been as a cedar of Lebanon, with fair branches, &c., and yet had fallen under the judgments of God; so Egypt, "like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden," should also fall under similar judgment. (Ezek. 31:1-181And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness? 3Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs. 4The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field. 5Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth. 6All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations. 7Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters. 8The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty. 9I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him. 10Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; 11I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness. 12And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him. 13Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches: 14To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit. 15Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him. 16I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth. 17They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen. 18To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 31:1‑18).)
Egypt gave no effectual help to Judah, and in B.C. 588 Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar. Fresh prophecies were now given against Egypt.
Ezekiel, at Babylon, again declares the general desolation of Egypt in chapter 32:1-16, and 17 to end. Jeremiah, with the Jews, declared the same, mentioning Pharaoh-Hophra by name: "I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life." (Jer. 44:3030Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will give Pharaoh-hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life. (Jeremiah 44:30).) Reverses soon followed. According to Herodotus, Hophra had sent his troops against Cyrene, but his troops were defeated, and attributing their defeat in some way to the king, they revolted against him. He sent Amasis to appease them, but he was induced to side with them; and on Hophra attacking them with thirty thousand Ionian and Carian troops, he was defeated and carried prisoner to Sais. The Egyptians compelled Amasis to put him to death. It was by those who sought his life,' and not by a foreign enemy.
After the destruction of Jerusalem, some Jews were still left in the land, under Gedaliah the governor; but Gedaliah being slain, the people feared the Chaldeans, and sought to escape into Egypt. Jeremiah warned them not to go into Egypt, for there the famine, the sword, and the pestilence should certainly consume them, but that God would protect them if they remained in the land. (Jer. 42:13-2213But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the Lord your God, 14Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: 15And now therefore hear the word of the Lord, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; 16Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. 17So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them. 18For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more. 19The Lord hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day. 20For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the Lord your God, saying, Pray for us unto the Lord our God; and according unto all that the Lord our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it. 21And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you. 22Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn. (Jeremiah 42:13‑22).) But they would not obey Jeremiah, but gathering all the chief men together they went towards Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them. Thus they came to Tahpanhes. Here Jeremiah foretold the capture of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. "When he cometh he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword." The gods should also be taken away, and the houses of the gods burned. "He shall break also the images of Beth-shemesh." (Jer. 43:8-138Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, 9Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah; 10And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them. 11And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword. 12And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace. 13He shall break also the images of Beth-shemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire. (Jeremiah 43:8‑13).) This name refers to the 'House of the sun,' which is its meaning; the Vulgate has domes soils; the LXX, Heliopolis (which also means city of the sun').
The historians do not relate the taking of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar; and some have supposed that the account told to Herodotus respecting the revolt of Amasis, was to hide their shame in having to confess the invasion of their country by Nebuchadnezzar, who perhaps put Amasis on the throne. Josephus says Nebuchadnezzar "slew the king that then reigned, and set up another.”
But the Jews must have reiterated warnings now that they are in Egypt. Jeremiah 46:13-29 again takes up the deliverance of Egypt into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. The prophecy was to be proclaimed in Migdol, Noph (Memphis), and in Tahpanhes. The sword should devour around them. Noph was to be laid waste without an inhabitant. Nebuchadnezzar may have done this, but it was not the ultimate destruction of Memphis, for the Persians afterwards repaired the city, and it was in existence long afterwards.
“Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh." (Ver. 20.) This may well be applied to the god Apis, which was a heifer chosen with great care; but Egypt's god could not protect the land: destruction should come upon it from the north.
The destruction from the Lord was to come "upon the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods and their kings." It will be seen that in the margin it reads "upon Amon, or nourisher of No," &c. And in the margin of Nah. 3:88Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea? (Nahum 3:8) it is "No-Amon, or nourishing." The chief god of Thebes was called AMUN; this, with the description of the city in Nahum, as "situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it," points to Thebes. It was the only city in Egypt that was built on both sides of the river.
This punishment of Egypt was only for a time: it was judgment tempered with mercy: for it adds "afterward it shall be inhabited, as in days of old, saith the Lord.”
But it was not simply Egypt that' was before the prophet, but the people of the Jews who had fled for refuge into Egypt, whose moral condition deeply affected him. He speaks, to those at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros. (Jer. 44)
Scripture speaks of Egypt under various names, and it is supposed that by Zoan, Lower Egypt is meant; by Noph (in the LXX Memphis) Middle Egypt; and by Pathros, Upper Egypt. Migdol and Tahpanhes would be in Egypt; so that the above names show us that the Jews had scattered themselves over Egypt, perhaps as far as Thebes.
Jeremiah prophesied to them that they had come to Egypt for safety, but they should not escape from the hand of God. The answer of the men is remarkable. By verse 15 it would appear that Jeremiah had taken occasion to address the Jews on a religious festival, when a great multitude were gathered together.
The men knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, and they said they would not hearken to the prophet: " We will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings 'unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine." (Vers. 17, 18.)
Thus did these children of Israel dare to attribute their blessings to the queen of heaven, and to declare that they would continue to worship her. What goddess is here referred to is not definitely known. It will be seen that in the margin it reads frame of heaven,' and so may embrace the heavenly bodies generally-the host of heaven' (2 Kings 17:1616And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. (2 Kings 17:16)); or it may refer to the moon as the queen of heaven. The Egyptians had a goddess Neith, who was also called the queen of heaven, but does not appear to have been associated with the moon, though they had gods of the moon, as other heathen nations had, under different names.
Jeremiah had to convey a dreadful message to such rebels: "Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord God liveth." They should perish by, the sword and the famine, until all were consumed, except—for mercy still triumphs over judgment—that a small remnant shall be allowed to escape.
Hosea also mentions Israel's turning to Egypt for help: "Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria" (chap. 7:11); to any source but God. It should "be their derision in the land of Egypt." (Ver. 16.) Did they lean on Egypt, they should go there: Jehovah would "re member their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt" (chap. 8:13; 9:3); “Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis shall bury them." (Ver. 6.)
This may refer to a portion going there from choice as we have seen they did in direct opposition to the prophet Jeremiah; but in a general way the captivity should be to Assyria and not to Egypt: Ephraim "shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king." (Chapter 11:5.)
Another prophecy is remarkable. (Ezek. 29:17-21; 30:1-1917And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 18Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it: 19Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army. 20I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord God. 21In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 29:17‑21)
1The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, 2Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! 3For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen. 4And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down. 5Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. 6Thus saith the Lord; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord God. 7And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted. 8And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed. 9In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh. 10Thus saith the Lord God; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon. 11He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain. 12And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I the Lord have spoken it. 13Thus saith the Lord God; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt. 14And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No. 15And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No. 16And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall have great pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily. 17The young men of Aven and of Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword: and these cities shall go into captivity. 18At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt: and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity. 19Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt: and they shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 30:1‑19).) Nebuchadnezzar had done a great service against Tyre, and had had no wages, and Egypt was to be given to him for his unrequited labor. Historians tell us that when the people of Tyre could hold out no longer, they gathered up all their riches, embarked in their ships, and sailed away. So that the army of Nebuchadnezzar found nothing to repay them for their toil, which the prophet describes as so excessive as to make their heads bald, and their shoulders peeled. Egypt should be their reward.
The capture was to be complete: "Ethiopia, and Libya [or Phut], and Lydia [Lud], and all the mingled people, and Chub," and the men in league with Egypt, should fall by the sword.
Ethiopia, Phut, and Lud, we have already considered. Chub occurs in no other part of scripture, and it has not been identified as any known place in or near to Egypt.
Verse 6 reads in the margin from "Migdol to Syene"—from north to south. God would also cause the "images to cease out of Noph.... and I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan and will execute judgments in No. And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No.... the young men of wen and of Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword; and these cities shall go into captivity. At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened.”
In this prophecy we get a comprehensive list of the great cities of Egypt, Noph, Memphis; Zoan, Tanis; No, Thebes; Sin, Pelusium; wen (same as On), Heliopolis; Pi-beseth, Pubastium or Bubastis. Pathros was a district.
All were to fall under the judgment of God by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon. (Ver. 10.)
This series of prophecies gives an approximate date. Nebuchadnezzar was to lay Egypt waste, and he was to do it as wages after he had taken Tyre. Tyre was taken B.C. 572, and Nebuchadnezzar died in B.C. 562, which leaves an interval of at most eleven years. This agrees with the thought that Amasis may have been placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar. He reigned, according to the historians, forty-four years, and had a prosperous reign, and erected some remarkable monuments. This leads to the thought that in this prophecy, as in many others, only a partial fulfillment ensued at the time; to be followed hereafter by a full and minute accomplishment.
Amasis was called Neit-se, the son of Neith,' the Minerva of Sais. He married the daughter of Psammetichus III., and his reign was, as we have seen, long and prosperous. The remains of his monuments are found from the Cataracts to the Delta. The court to the temple of Neith at Sais excelled in size and beauty. It had large sphinxes in the way to its entrance. A stone chamber in one stone brought by this king seven hundred miles is thus described by Herodotus: "It took three years to convey this block from the quarry to Sais; and in the conveyance were employed no fewer than two thousand laborers, who were all from the class of boatmen. The length of this chamber on the outside is twenty-one cubits, its breadth fourteen cubits, and its height eight cubits." The stone was never put in its place. One account is that the architect, when it was near its destination heaved a heavy sigh, overpowered with the labor: this the king took to be an omen; and he would not have it moved further. Another account is that one of the laborers was crushed to death, and this prevented its removal.
Amasis entered into a treaty with Crœsus against Cyrus, and sent to his aid a large force armed with large shields which protected them from the attacks of the Persians; and they were victorious.
Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, made preparations for attacking Egypt; but before he reached that Country Amasis had died, and Psammenitus his son reigned. The Persians were victorious, and Egypt was made a mere province of Persia, with Psammenitus as viceroy.
This brings us to the TWENTY-SEVENTH. DYNASTY which was Persian. (B.C. 525.) Cambyses was its first king, the first of the "three kings of Persia" in Dan. 11:22And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. (Daniel 11:2). Here closes the history of Ancient Egypt; and as it is beyond the dates of the Old Testament history we need not follow it further except to remind the reader that in this same chapter of Daniel, on the division of the Persian empire, several kings of Egypt are referred to as "the king of the south,"—the Ptolemies. Of one it is said, "Out of a branch of her [his sister Berenice] roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them and shall prevail: and shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold." This came to pass minutely. Jerome says that Ptolemy took with him, on his return, forty thousand talents of silver, a vast number of precious vessels of gold, and images to the number of two thousand four hundred, among which were many of the Egyptian idols, which Cambyses, on his conquering Egypt, had carried into Persia. Ptolemy restored these to the temple to which they belonged, and by this he much endeared himself to his people. It was on account of the service which he thus rendered to his country that he was called EUERGETES, that is, the Benefactor.
As to the fulfillment in general of the prophecies against Egypt, there is abundance of evidence. "There shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt" (Ezek. 30:1313Thus saith the Lord God; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt. (Ezekiel 30:13)); "the scepter of Egypt shall depart away." (Zech. 10:1111And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away. (Zechariah 10:11).) "Deprived twenty-three centuries ago of her natural proprietors, she has seen her fertile fields successively a prey to the Persians, the Macedonians, the Romans, the Greeks, the Arabs, the Georgians, and at length the race of Tartars distinguished by the name of Ottoman Turks. The Mamelukes, purchased as slaves and introduced as soldiers, soon usurped the power and elected a leader.... The system of oppression is methodical. Everything the traveler sees or hears reminds him he is in the country of slavery and tyranny."
Every traveler of intelligence bears witness also to the destruction of her cities, and the desolation of her temples. "Egypt shall be a desolation." (Joel 3:1919Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. (Joel 3:19).) Truly "has No [Thebes, whose strength was 'infinite,' Nah. 3:8, 98Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea? 9Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers. (Nahum 3:8‑9)] been rent asunder. The towers of the second, or eastern propylon are mere heaps of stones poured down' into the court on one side, and the great hall on the other; giant columns have been swept away like reeds before the mighty avalanche.... Returning to the great obelisk, and seating myself on the broken shaft of its prostrate companion, I spent some delightful moments over the scene of ruins scattered around me, so visibly smitten by the hand of God in fulfillment of the prophecies that describe No-Ammon as the scene of desolation I then beheld her. The hand of the true God of truth has indeed executed judgments on all the gods of Egypt.... the multitude of No' has been cut off; Pathros is desolate'—the land of Ham is still the basest of kingdoms. So sure is the word of prophecy, so visible its accomplishment.
“We have spent the whole day in visiting the site of Memphis and the pyramids of Dashour and Sacara. Mounds and embankments, a few broken stones, and two colossal statues, disinterred a few years ago by our friend Caviglia, are the solitary remains of the ancient capital of Lower Egypt. We rode for miles through groves of palm and acacia, cultivated fields, and wastes of sand, over what we knew must be the site of Memphis, but every other vestige of her ancient grandeur has disappeared. Noph is indeed "waste and desolate." The desolation is not in one or two places only—it is universal.
“Heliopolis has now a single erect obelisk to tell that the mounds around it were once the city of the Sun.'" “At Bubastis, now Tel Basta, the Pi-beseth of scripture, are lofty mounds, and some remains of the ancient city of Pasht. Many other mounds, in various parts of the Delta, mark the sites of ancient towns."
Of Zoan, "or Zaan, as pronounced by the Arabs on the spot [once, the seat of government, Psa. 78:1212Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. (Psalm 78:12); Isa. 19:11; 30:411Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? (Isaiah 19:11)
4For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes. (Isaiah 30:4)] a small fishing village, built of mud and brick, some of the dwellings consisting of the former and some of the latter, is the only representative of this seat of Pharaoh's glory. In its immediate vicinity, but raised considerably above the plain, are the ruins of the ancient city."
Let this suffice for the desolation of the cities of Egypt-the sites of some cannot even be found: we shall also see that its temples are equally in ruin. Thus in the land of Egypt stand hundreds of witnesses to the infallible word of God that shall abide forever and ever.
There is still a series of three prophecies that demand our attention: Isa. 18, 19, 20 There is a date to chapter 20. as to when that prophecy was given, and it may have an allusion to events about the time of 2 Kings 18:17,17And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field. (2 Kings 18:17) where Tartan is also named. Ashdod was a sort of key to Egypt, and when it had fallen, Sargon may have attacked Egypt. In the great hall at Khorsabad, if the inscriptions have been rightly interpreted, Sargon boasts of a successful battle which he fought with Pharaoh SEBECH at Raphia, and in consequence of which the latter became tributary to him.
Still in a more general way, the three chapters in Isaiah may form a series. Chapter 18 is Ethiopia; 19 is Egypt; and 20 is Egypt and Ethiopia. There are passages too which we believe have never yet been fulfilled, such as "the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt.... the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord and perform it.... in that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land; whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.”
We know of no time or circumstance in which these things have taken place, though other parts of the prophecy may have had a partial application to Egypt in bygone times. Believing as we do in the restoration of Israel to their own land in a future day, we doubt not that this prophecy looks forward to the time when all nations shall bring honor to Israel, and especially those near to the Holy Land. "Then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering." (Zeph. 3:9, 109For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. 10From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering. (Zephaniah 3:9‑10).) And in order that there may be no obstacle to the return of God's ancient people to their own land, "the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian Sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod." (Isa. 11:1515And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. (Isaiah 11:15); see also 27:12, 13.)
It is not easy to see why Israel should be the third;' as in other places it is clearly the first, and other nations second, but it may be in connection with Israel being brought into blessing—even "a blessing in the midst of the land," as it says here (chap. 19:24); for in other prophecies all are made to contribute to Israel's exaltation; as in Isa. 45:14,14Thus saith the Lord, The labor of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. (Isaiah 45:14) "the labor of Egypt and merchandise of Ethiopia" shall come over unto Israel. Any family that refuses to come to Jerusalem to worship the King the Lord of hosts shall be punished by the withholding of rain. When Egypt is mentioned by name,'' rain' is not named, though they shall have the same punishment drought accompanied with the plague. (Zech. 14:17, 1817And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:17‑18).)
We may look at a few details of the prophecy. "Woe [or rather He!] to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia," or Cush. (Chapter 18:1.) Various are the meanings given to the expression shadowing with wings.' Lowth has 'winged cymbal,' applying it to a musical instrument; Delitzsch has whirring of wings;' Gesenius whizzing of wings;' the LXX wings of the land of ships;' the Vulgate, cymbalo alarum: But may not the shadowing of wings refer to the very common symbol of deity that appears so extensively in Egypt? In Isa. 30:2, 32That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! 3Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. (Isaiah 30:2‑3) the folly of Israel is spoken of in trusting in the shadow of Egypt. Though called "the winged sun," it will be seen that from the sun issue two sacred serpents, and sometimes, as here, one wears the crown of Upper Egypt, and the other that of Lower Egypt. Altogether it is a composite symbol of Egyptian deity, and was commonly placed over the doors and gateways of tombs and temples, and is found on ceilings and many other places.
The part of Egypt alluded to in the prophecy is that which lies beyond the rivers or streams of Cush. “That sendeth ambassadors by the sea even in vessels of bulrushes." These are vessels of 'papyrus,' referring plainly to Egypt, where the boats were made of the bark of the papyrus.
It is a land "the rivers have spoiled!" in the margin, a land the rivers despise.' This has created a difficulty. Lowth has "a land the rivers have nourished." But it should be noticed that there are two people spoken of. One is the people of the land that sends the messengers by the sea; and the other the persons to whom the message is sent. "Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto." We doubt not that this is Israel: the message is to be carried by the inhabitants of the land shadowing with wings to the scattered people of Israel, who are to be gathered "to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the Mount Zion." (Ver. 7.) In what sense the rivers have spoiled their land is not clear, but may we not translate the word floods' instead of rivers, as it is in Psa. 93:33The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. (Psalm 93:3)? The floods of God's, judgments have been upon the land; but when God's set time is come it shall blossom as the rose.
Chapter 19 is called the burden of Egypt: though referring to Egypt in particular it may also be typical of this world in its state of nature. Jehovah should come into Egypt; and the idols should be moved at His presence. He would cause civil war in the land—city against city, kingdom against kingdom. The counselors thereof should be destroyed, and the charmers, those with familiar spirits, and the wizards. Egypt should be given over to a cruel lord, and a fierce king.
Then follow a list of passages that refer minutely to the various watercourses and canals which characterize Egypt: the waters should be smitten and cause distress among the fishermen and those who worked in fine flax.
“The princes of Zoan [Tanis] are become fools, the princes of Noph [Memphis] are deceived.... the Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof;" and all was failure.
The land of Judah should be a terror unto Egypt, because Jehovah had turned his counsel against it. “In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of hosts: one shall be called, The city of destruction;" the "city of the sun" in the margin. What cities are referred to is not known. Some of those of old have been swept away, and others have arisen. It may seem strange that it should read "city of destruction" in the text, and be so different in the margin; but one letter makes the difference, ה for ח. Some translate it still differently, "the city of Hares," treating the word as a proper name. The LXX has "the city of Asedek." The Vulgate, ciuitas solis. Some have thought that it is God declaring that the city which the Egyptians called "the city of the sun" in honor of their god, should be in reality the city of destruction' because of the destruction that He would bring upon their gods. But it is perhaps better to leave it until God shall make it plain in a future day.
Again, "in that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt." (Ver. 19.) It has been supposed that this part of the prophecy was fulfilled in the days of Ptolemy Philometer (B.C. 181-146) by the erection of a Jewish temple at Heliopolis, the city of the sun, in the building of which reference was made to this very prophecy.
Josephus relates that Onias the high priest, to get honor to himself, when Palestine was overrun by the Macedonians, asked permission of the king to build this temple. He first reminds Ptolemy how he had served him in former days in several places, and how he had seen great differences of worship, and proceeds, “And it is the same thing with the Egyptians too, by reason of the multitude and variety of temples, and the diversity of religions. Now for so much as I have found out a certain place near the castle of Bubastes upon the plain where there are great stores of materials for building near at hand, and plenty of beasts appointed for sacrifice, it is my humble request that you will give me leave to purge and demolish a ruinous temple there, that was never consecrated to any deity; and in place of it erect another, after the model of that of Jerusalem, with a dedication of it [to the most high God] upon condition that prayers be there offered up for the safety and prosperity of your royal persons and family. To the end that all the Jews in your dominions may by this means be more united among themselves, and better enabled to do your majesty's service. This is no more than what the prophet Isaiah had foretold, that God would have a holy place in Egypt, and several other things upon that subject.”
The reply of Ptolemy is remarkable: "King Ptolemy and Queen Cleopatra to Onias: Joy and health. We have read and considered your letters and request, wherein you desire to cleanse and purify an old ruinous temple at Leontopolis near Bubastes upon the plain, within the jurisdiction of Heliopolis, and can hardly conceive how a temple in a place so unclean and haunted with such varieties of detestable animals, should be in any measure acceptable to God. But yet for so much as you refer yourself for your justification to the predictions of the prophet Isaiah, we do hereby grant unto you full license and permission so far as in us lies so to do, provided it be done without giving offence to God in the breach of the laws.”
The temple was built and stood for many years; but we cannot take this for the fulfillment of the prophecy we are considering; for this was for the Jews, whereas the prophecy says that "the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation." Neither can it be what Josephus relates of Ptolemy Euergetes that "when he had gotten possession of all Syria by force, he did not offer his thank-offerings to the Egyptian gods for his victory, but came to Jerusalem, and according to our own laws offered many sacrifices to God, and dedicated to Him such sacrifices as were suitable to such a victory;" for an altar to Jehovah is to be erected in Egypt.
We take the fulfillment of this prophecy to apply to the time when God will have brought back Israel into their land, and all nations be blessed. "Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.”
If any feel a difficulty as to Egypt—a type of the world—being brought into blessing, it must be remembered that in the millennium the earth is to be brought into blessing, and in this no nation will be blessed except as they own Jehovah, and His king over all the earth. But then "Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God." (Psa. 68:3131Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God. (Psalm 68:31).) "I will make mention of Rahab [Egypt].... with Ethiopia, this man was born there." (Psa. 87:44I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. (Psalm 87:4).)
Egypt too, it must be remembered, was the cradle of God's favored people Israel; it was a king of Egypt who caused to be translated the Old Testament into Greek, the book quoted by our Lord Himself when on earth; it was Egypt also that afforded shelter to our Lord when His parents fled with Him from the wrath of Herod. Such services shall not go unrewarded. It is true that they oppressed God's ancient people in Egypt; and, long after, when Israel leaned upon them they helped them not—for these and other sins God has punished and will yet punish them;—and, according to Dan. 11:42,43,42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. (Daniel 11:42‑43) He will allow the king of the north to attack them, and to rob them of the gold and silver and precious stones; "and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps"—yet God will also heal and bring into blessing even Egypt, and in grace He says, "Blessed be Egypt my people." If any one of God's promises respecting Egypt can fail, all may fail and nothing will be sure. But it is not possible. God's word is settled in heaven, and all shall come to pass.