John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 19:23

"In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians shall worship with the Assyrians." — Isaiah 19:23 (ASV)

In that day. The Prophet now foretells that the Lord will diffuse his goodness throughout the whole world; as if he had said, “It will not be shut up in a corner, or exclusively known, as it formerly was, by a single nation.” Here he speaks of two nations that were the most inveterate enemies of the Church, and that appeared to be further removed than any other from the kingdom of God. For one might have had greater expectations for distant nations, because the nations mentioned here openly made war with God and persecuted his Church. And if the Lord is so gracious to the deadly enemies of the Church that he pardons and adopts them to be his children, what will be the case with other nations? This prophecy thus includes the calling of all nations.

There shall be a highway. Now, when he says that, as a consequence of a highway having been opened up, there will be mutual access so they can visit each other, he describes brotherly fellowship. We know that the Egyptians carried on almost incessant wars with the Assyrians and cherished an inveterate hatred towards each other.

He now foretells that the Lord will change their dispositions and will reconcile them to each other, so that they will have mutual communication, mutual coming in and going out, as a consequence of opening the highways that were formerly shut. Here we should observe what we remarked earlier in the fourth verse of the second chapter, namely, that when men have been reconciled to God, it is also fitting that they should cherish brotherly kindness towards each other.

Strife, quarreling, disputes, hatred, and malice should cease when God has been pacified. We should not wonder, therefore, that he says that a highway to Egypt is opened up for the Assyrians; but this should undoubtedly be referred to the reign of Christ, for we do not read that the Egyptians were on a friendly footing with the Assyrians until after they had come to know Christ.

And the Egyptians shall serve the Assyrians (or, with the Assyrians). This clause may be translated, “shall serve God;” but as the name of God is not expressed here, it may refer to the Assyrians, which is also pointed out by the particle את (ĕth). It may therefore be explained thus.

Those who formerly burned with a desire to injure one another will be changed in their dispositions and will desire to show kindness. In short, the fruit of true repentance will be made evident, for those who formerly distressed each other in mutual wars will lend mutual aid. And this opinion will agree very well with those words of the Prophet with which they are connected.

Yet I do not set aside another interpretation which is almost universally adopted, namely, “Those who formerly worshipped other gods will henceforth acknowledge one God and will assent to the same confession of faith.” I leave everyone to adopt that interpretation which he thinks best. If the latter interpretation is preferred, the Prophet makes brotherly love to flow from godliness, as from its source.