Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 45:14

"Thus saith Jehovah, The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall go 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 (ASV)

Thus says the Lord - This verse is designed to denote the favors that in subsequent times would be conferred on Jerusalem, the city that (Isaiah 45:13) was to be rebuilt. It has reference, according to Lowth, to the conversion of the Gentiles and their admission into the church of God. Grotius, however, understands it as addressed to Cyrus, meaning that because he had released the Jews without reward, God would therefore give him the wealth of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sabaea, and that those nations would be subject to him. But he probably stands alone in this opinion, and the objections to it are so obvious that they do not need to be specified. Some Jewish interpreters suppose that it refers to the same events recorded in Isaiah 43:3, and that it relates to the fact that God had formerly given those nations for the deliverance and protection of His people. They suppose that particular reference is made to the slaughter and destruction of the army of Sennacherib.

Vitringa regards it as referring to the fact that proselytes from all these nations would be made to the true religion, and finds, as he supposes, a fulfillment of it in the times of the Saviour and the apostles. Regarding the true meaning of the passage, we may observe the following points:

1. It refers to the times that would follow their return from exile, and not to events that were then past. This is apparent from the passage itself.

2. It relates to Jerusalem, or to the people of God, and not to Cyrus. This is evident because it was not true that these nations became subject to Cyrus after his taking Babylon (for it was not Cyrus, but his son Cambyses who invaded and subdued Egypt), and because the whole phraseology refers to a conversion to religion, not to the subjection involved in the conquests of war.

3. It appropriately relates to a conversion to the true God and an embracing of the true religion. This is implied in the language at the end of the verse: Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.

4. The passage, therefore, means that after their return from Babylon, those nations would be converted, or that they—perhaps mentioned here as representatives of great and mighty nations in general—would be converted to the true faith, and their wealth and power would be consecrated to the cause of Yahweh. The time when this was to happen is not fixed in the prophecy itself. It is only determined that it was to be after the return from exile and one of the consequences of that return. The fulfillment, therefore, may be sought either in the first preaching of the gospel or in times still more remote. A more complete explanation will be found in the examination of the different parts of the verse.

The labor of Egypt - That is, the fruit, or result of the labor of Egypt; the wealth of Egypt (see the word used this way in Job 10:3; Psalms 78:46; Isaiah 55:2; Jeremiah 3:24; Jeremiah 20:5; Ezekiel 23:9). The idea is that Egypt would be converted to the true religion, and its wealth consecrated to the service of the true God. The conversion of Egypt is not infrequently foretold (Psalms 68:31):

Princes shall come out of Egypt.
Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

See the notes on Isaiah 19:18-22, where the conversion of Egypt is introduced and discussed at length.

And merchandise of Ethiopia - Regarding the situation of Ethiopia, see the notes on Isaiah 18:1. The word ‘merchandise’ here means the same as wealth, since their wealth consisted in their trade. That Cush or Ethiopia would be converted to the true religion and be united to the people of God is declared in the passage quoted above from Psalm 68:31, and also in various other places. Thus in Psalm 67:4: Behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there;Zephaniah 3:10: From beyond the ruins of Ethiopia, my suppliants, even the daughters of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

And of the Sabeans, men of stature - (סבאים s^ebâ'îm). The inhabitants of Seba (סבא sebâ' — not שׁבא sh^ebâ'). Sheba and the Sabeans of that name were a country and people of Arabia Felix, comprising a considerable part of the country now known as Yemen, lying in the southwest part of Arabia (Joel 3:8; Job 1:15). That country abounded in frankincense, myrrh, spices, gold, and precious stones (1 Kings 10:1; Isaiah 60:6; Jeremiah 6:20).

Seba, referred to here, was a different country. It was inhabited by a descendant of Cush (Genesis 10:7) and was probably the same as Meroe in Upper Egypt (see the notes on Isaiah 43:3). That this people was distinguished for height of stature is expressly affirmed by Herodotus (iii. 20), who says of the Ethiopians, among whom the Sabeans are to be reckoned, that they were ‘the tallest of men’ (λέγονται εἶναι μέγιστοι ἀνθρώπων legontai einai megistoi anthrōpōn); and Solinus affirms that the Ethiopians are ‘twelve feet high.’ Agatharchides, an ancient Greek poet, quoted by Bochart (Phaleg. ii. 26), says of the Sabeans, τὰ σώματά ἐστι τῶν κατοικούντων ἀξιολογώτερα ta sōmata esti tōn katoikountōn achiologōtera — ‘the bodies of those who dwell there are worthy of special remark.’ This shows at least a coincidence between the accounts of Scripture and of secular writers.

This country is alluded to by Solomon in Psalm 72:10:

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

They are connected here with the Egyptians and with the inhabitants of Ethiopia or Cush; their conversion to the true religion would probably occur around the same time. Doubtless the Christian religion was introduced early into these countries, for among those converted on the day of Pentecost were foreigners from Egypt and the adjacent countries (Acts 2:10–11), who would carry the gospel with them on their return.

See also the case of the eunuch of Ethiopia (Acts 8:26–39), by whom, undoubtedly, the gospel was conveyed to that region. The first bishop of Ethiopia was Frumentius, who was made bishop of that country around 330 AD. There is a current tradition among the Ethiopians that the Queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon, was called Maqueda, and that she was not from Arabia but was a queen of their own country. They say that she adopted the Jewish religion and introduced it among her people; and the eunuch, who was treasurer under Queen Candace, was probably a Jew by religion, if not by birth.

Yet there will be in future times a more significant fulfillment of this prophecy, when the inhabitants of these countries, and the people of all other nations, will be converted to the true religion and will give themselves to God (compare the notes on Isaiah 60:3-14). That prophecy has a remarkable similarity to this and indeed is little more than a beautiful expansion of it.

Shall come over to you - To your religion; or shall be united to you in the worship of the true God. It denotes a change not of place, but of character and religion.

And they shall be yours - A part of your people; united to you. The whole language of this description, however, is taken from the custom in the conquests of war, where one nation is made subject to another and is led along in chains. It is figurative here, denoting that the true religion would make rapid and extensive conquests among the pagans; that is, that the true religion would triumph everywhere over all others. The phrase ‘shall come over’ denotes that their subjection would be voluntary and that they would freely abandon their own systems, while the phrases ‘shall be yours’ and ‘in chains’ denote the triumphant and mighty power of the truth.

They shall come after you - You shall precede them in the honor of having conveyed the true religion to them, and in that priority of rank which always belongs to those who are first blessed with intelligence and with the revelation of God.

In chains shall they come over - This is language taken from conquests, when subjugated nations are led along as captives. Here it denotes the power of that truth which would subdue their false systems and bring them into complete and entire subjection to the true religion.

This does not mean that it would be against their will, or that they could not have resisted it, but merely that they would be, in fact, as entirely subject to the true religion as prisoners of war in chains are to the will of their conquerors (see the notes on Isaiah 14:1-2).

And they shall fall down to you - Recognizing you as having the knowledge of the true God. To fall down is indicative of reverence; it means here that Jerusalem would be honored as being the source from where the true religion would emanate . An expression similar to that used here occurs in Isaiah 49:23: And kings - and queens - shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet.

They shall make supplication to you - Lowth renders this, ‘And in suppliant guise address you.’ The Hebrew properly means, they shall pray to you; but the idea is that they should come as suppliants to Jerusalem, confessing that the knowledge of the only true God was there, and praying its inhabitants to impart to them an acquaintance with the true religion (see the notes on Isaiah 2:3).

The idea indicated by this is that there would be a condition of anxious solicitude among pagan nations on the subject of the true religion, and that they would seek counsel and direction from those who were in possession of it.

Such a state has already existed to some extent among the pagans; and the Scriptures, I think, lead us to suppose that the final spread and triumph of the gospel will be preceded by such an inquiry prevailing extensively in the pagan world.

God will show them the folly of idolatry; He will raise up reformers among themselves; the extension of commercial contact will acquaint them with the comparative happiness and prosperity of Christian nations.

The growing consciousness of their own inferiority will lead them to desire that which has conferred such extensive benefits on other lands, and lead them to come as suppliants and ask that teachers and ministers of religion may be sent to them.

One of the most remarkable characteristics of the present time is that pagan nations are becoming increasingly sensible of their ignorance and comparative degradation, that they welcome the ministers and teachers sent from Christian lands, and the increased commerce of the world is thus preparing the world for the final spread of the gospel.

God is in you - In Jerusalem; or you are in possession of the only true system of religion and are the worshipper of the only true God (Isaiah 60:14).