Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 30:6

"The burden of the beasts of the South. Through the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the lioness and the lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the humps of camels, to a people that shall not profit [them]." — Isaiah 30:6 (ASV)

The burden of the beasts of the south—The word ‘south’ here undoubtedly refers to the country south of Judea, particularly Egypt. Thus it is used in Daniel 11:5-6. The phrase ‘beasts of the south’ here refers to the animals that were traveling to Egypt. Isaiah, in vision, sees the caravan heavily laden with treasures pursuing a southern direction on its way to Egypt. The word ‘burden’ is used in two senses: to denote that which is carried, a heavy load; or an oracle, a solemn prophetic message (see the notes at Isaiah 15:1; Isaiah 17:1; Isaiah 19:1). Many understand the word here in the latter sense and regard this as the title of a prophetic message similar to those in Isaiah 15:1; Isaiah 17:1; Isaiah 19:1. But the word is undoubtedly used here in its ordinary meaning, to denote the load that is carried by animals, and here especially the treasures that were carried down to Egypt to secure their friendly alliance.

The prophet sees the caravan, or the animals of the ambassadors, heavily laden with rich treasures, traveling southward toward Egypt, and cries out, ‘O the heavy burden, the load of treasures going to the south!’

Into the land of trouble and anguish—Egypt; so called either because it was the land where the Hebrews had formerly suffered such severe oppressions; or because it was a land where the subjects were now grievously oppressed and weighed down by cruel laws; or because it was yet to be a land of trouble, from which the Jews could expect no aid. The general idea is that Egypt was not a land of liberty and happiness, but a country where cruelty, oppression, and woe abounded. The prophet immediately mentions one source of its trouble, emblematic of all its suffering: that it abounded with venomous reptiles.

The viper—(אפעה 'eph‛eh). Septuagint, Ἀσπίδες Aspides, ‘asps’ . This is a well-known species of serpent. It is probably the same as the El-Effah of the Arabs, which Mr. Jackson describes as follows: ‘It is remarkable for its quick and penetrating poison; it is about two feet long and as thick as a man’s arm, beautifully spotted with yellow and brown, and sprinkled over with blackish specks, similar to the horn-nosed snake. They have a wide mouth, by which they inhale a great quantity of air, and when inflated with it, they eject it with such force as to be heard at a considerable distance.’ It is well known that Egypt produced venomous reptiles in abundance. Cleopatra destroyed herself with the bite of an asp which she had concealed for that purpose.

And fiery flying serpent—(מעופף שׂרף s'ârâph m^e‛ôpēp). Septuagint, Ἔκγονα ἀσπίδων περομένων Ekgona aspidōn petomenōn. This is the flying serpent so often referred to in the Scriptures. See a description of it in the notes at Isaiah 14:29.

It is known to have abounded in the Arabian deserts and was undoubtedly also found in Egypt, as it is in the same latitude and infested with similar reptiles. Niebuhr describes a species of serpent that matches this account as follows: ‘There is at Bakra a type of serpent which they call Heie Sursurie, or Heie Thiare. They commonly live on the date trees; and as it would be laborious for them to descend from a very high tree in order to ascend another, they twist their tails around a branch of the first tree. Then, by the motion they impart to the branch, they spring and throw themselves to the second.’

This is why modern Arabs call them the flying serpents—Heie Thiare. Lord Anson, as quoted by Niebuhr, also speaks of them as follows: ‘The Spaniards informed us that there was often found in the woods a most mischievous serpent, called the flying snake, which, they said, darted from the boughs of trees on either man or beast that came within its reach, and whose sting they considered to be inevitable death.’ There was a species of serpent which the Greeks called Αξοντίας Acontias—and the Romans Jaculus, from their swift darting motion—and perhaps the same species Lucan calls Jaculique volucres is referred to here. Profane writers expressly testify that these venomous reptiles abounded in Egypt.

Thus Ammianus says (xxii. 15), that ‘Egypt nourishes innumerable serpents, basilisks, and two-headed serpents (amphisbaenas), and the scytalus (a serpent of a glistening color), and the acontias (Latin, Jaculus), and adders, and vipers, and many others.’

They will carry their riches—Presents, designed to induce the Egyptians to enter into the alliance. It was a well-known common custom among all Eastern nations for kings to exchange presents when sending embassies, whether the purpose was to show friendship, civility, or to form an alliance. The custom prevails today and is often referred to in Scripture (see 1 Kings 15:19; 2 Kings 16:8; 2 Kings 18:14–15).