Thomas Aquinas Commentary Isaiah 18:1-7

"Ah, the land of the rustling of wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia; that sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of papyrus upon the waters, [saying], Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation that meteth out and treadeth down, whose land the rivers divide! All ye inhabitants of the world, and ye dwellers on the earth, when an ensign is lifted up on the mountains, see ye; and when the trumpet is blown, hear ye. For thus hath Jehovah said unto me, I will be still, and I will behold in my dwelling-place, like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becometh a ripening grape, he will cut off the sprigs with pruning-hooks, and the spreading branches will he take away [and] cut down. They shall be left together unto the ravenous birds of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth; and the ravenous birds shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. In that time shall a present be brought unto Jehovah of hosts [from] a people tall and smooth, even from a people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation that meteth out and treadeth down, whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name of Jehovah of hosts, the mount Zion." — Isaiah 18:1-7 (ASV)

1. Woe to the land, the winged cymbal. Here he threatens the Egyptians.

   First, he threatens their punishment by comparing it to what deserves the punishment.

   Second, he describes the manner of the punishment: the burden of Egypt (Isaiah 19).

   Third, he designates the time of the punishment: in the year (Isaiah 20).

   Regarding the first part, he sets out three things:

   1. He identifies the fault that deserves the punishment.
   2. He threatens the punishment: all you inhabitants (Isaiah 18:3).
   3. He shows the fruit of the punishment: at that time (Isaiah 18:7).

2. Regarding the first point, he does two things.

   First, he describes the location of the land they proudly trusted in, saying, woe, meaning it is near, to the land of Egypt, which is called the winged cymbal. This name is used because of the sound of the Nile, whose speed is compared to the swift movement of wings; or because of the multitude of its peoples; or because of the protective help that they proclaimed to the people of the two tribes. This land is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, that is, beyond the Nile, which comes from Ethiopia: Behold, I come against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great dragon that lies in the midst of your rivers (Ezekiel 29:3). Nevertheless, the Jews explain this as referring to Gog, who lives beyond Ethiopia, against whom the prophet Ezekiel testifies (Ezekiel 38).

3. Second, he describes the help they promised to the two tribes.

   First, he describes the way the announcement was made. He says that they, namely the Egyptian people, send ambassadors, or messengers, to the two tribes. They travel in the sea, that is, through the sea, and upon the waters of the river or the sea, in vessels of papyrus. Papyrus is a kind of rush from which they made small boxes for carrying letters, or reeds so large that they made ships from them, as is written in the history of Alexander.Cf. Haymo (805D) according to Hugo here. The word comes from pyr, which means “fire.”

4. Second, he sets out the command given to the ambassadors, in which he specifies two things.

   First, the manner of the announcement: O angels, that is, O my messengers, go, swift, that is, swiftly.

   Second, the motive for going: to a nation, namely, the nation of the two tribes, which he shows to be miserable in four ways.

   1. From the magnitude of their affliction: rent from its own strength by subjugation, and torn in pieces by the affliction of punishment.
   2. From its former dignity: a terrible people, formerly, after which there is no other to be compared in power. But now, they are expecting foreign help, trodden underfoot, as if reduced to baseness.
   3. From the power or iniquity of its enemies: whose land the rivers—meaning the kings of Assyria—have spoiled unjustly.
   4. From the holiness of the place: to the mountain. And they were punished because they drew them away from the worship of God: they shall be no more a confidence to the house of Israel (Ezekiel 29:16).

5. All you inhabitants of the world. Here he threatens the punishment, and regarding this, he does two things.

   First, he shows how the punishment will be revealed: you shall see, that is, it will be known to you, the sign—the flag of Nebuchadnezzar. As it says, the nations have heard of your disgrace, and your howling has filled the land (Jeremiah 46:12). Alternatively, you shall see the vastness of the enemy, appearing in his army: the strongest of nations, shall be brought to destroy the land (Ezekiel 3:11).

6. Second, he takes away their confidence in divine defense: for thus says the Lord.

   First, He takes away the help of His defense from them: I will take my rest, as if not helping you, and consider, meaning, I will see what you can do. As it says, I will consider what their last end shall be (Deuteronomy 32:20).

   Second, He will give help to the enemy in battle. For counsel in doubtful matters, it will be as the noon light is clear, so clearly will they be shown what they should do. For relief in their labors, it will be as a cloud. As the psalm says, You have set up the right hand of them that oppress him (Psalms 88:43 [89:42]).

7. Third, where it says, before the harvest, he describes the punishment with a metaphor of fruit being destroyed in the field, and he sets out three points.

   1. Regarding the ruin of the fruit. Fruit is ruined in the flower when it begins to flower too quickly: for before the harvest it was all flourishing. Similarly, before Egypt had power, it showed the flower of its glory, about which it says later, all the glory thereof as the flower of the field (Isaiah 40:6). It is also ruined in the bud, when the moisture from which the fruit ought to grow is not yet ripe: and it shall bud without perfect ripeness. Similarly, Egypt presumed beyond the power it actually had. It is also ruined in the fruit, when the branches on which the fruit hangs are cut off: cut off before the fruit matures. As it is written, he shall be blasted as a vine when its grapes are in the first flower (Job 15:33); substance got in haste shall be diminished (Proverbs 13:11); and, the inheritance gotten hastily in the beginning, in the end shall be without a blessing (Proverbs 20:21).
   2. He sets out the removal of the remaining fruit: what is left by the Egyptians, shall be cut away from its own strength by the Assyrians, and shaken out from its place by the Chaldeans. As it says later, as if a few olives, that remain, should be shaken out of the olive tree (Isaiah 24:13).
   3. He describes the abandonment of the field itself: and they shall be left like an uncultivated field. This signifies the slaughter of men, after which there were many beasts in the land of Egypt. As it is written, These things says the Lord God: Say to every fowl, and to all the birds, and to all the beasts of the field: Assemble yourselves, make haste, come together from every side to my victim, which I slay for you, a great victim upon the mountains of Israel: to eat flesh, and drink blood (Ezekiel 39:17).

8. At that time. Here the fruit of the punishment is set out. Namely, the people of the two tribes will trust in God and will call on His help with offerings. As stated previously, and it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that shall escape of the house of Jacob, shall lean no more upon him that strikes them: but they shall lean upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 10:20).

9. Note on the words, it shall bud without perfect ripeness (Isaiah 18:5), that perfection is manifold:

   1. The perfection of nature: so the heavens and the earth were finishedPerfecti. (Genesis 2:1).
   2. The perfection of knowledge: can man be compared with God, even though he were of perfect knowledge? (Job 22:2).
   3. The perfection of grace: perfect charity casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
   4. The perfection of glory: but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away (1 Corinthians 13:10).

10. Note on the words, its bud, that there is:

    1. The bud of depraved authority: Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and when the princes eat in the morning (Ecclesiastes 10:16).
    2. The bud of erroneous teaching: but these men blaspheme whatever things they know not (Jude 1:10).
    3. The bud of presumptuous conjecture: God has divided to every one (Romans 12:3).
    4. The bud of present consolation: remember that you did receive good things in your lifetime (Luke 16:25).

11. Note on the words, shall a present be brought (Isaiah 18:6), that the present is manifold:

    1. The present of fervent love: a secret present quenches anger (Proverbs 21:14).
    2. The present of devout prayer: let my prayer riseAscendat. Vg.: dirigatur. DR: “be directed.” as incense in your sight (Psalms 140[141]:2).
    3. The present of perfect action: I will not receive a gift of your hand (Malachi 1:10).
    4. The present of a due offering: vow and pay to the Lord your God: all you that are round about him bring presents. To him that is terrible (Psalms 75:12[76:11]).