Isaiah 19:19

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 19:18-25

Out of the thick and threatening clouds of the foregoing prophecy the sun of comfort here breaks forth, and it is the sun of righteousness. Still God has mercy in store for Egypt, and he will show it, not so much by reviving their trade and replenishing their river again as by bringing the true religion among them, calling them to, and accepting them in, the worship of the one only living and true God; and these blessings of grace were much more valuable than all the blessings of nature... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 19:19

In that day there shall be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt ,.... Josephus F3 Antiqu. l. 13. c. 3. sect. 1. 3. & de Bello Jud. l. 7. c. 10. sect. 2, 3, 4. , and other Jewish writers F4 T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 109. 2. , suppose this to be fulfilled when Onias, the son of Simeon the just, fled into Egypt, and obtained leave of Ptolemy king of Egypt, and Queen Cleopatra, to build a temple and an altar there, like those at Jerusalem, in order to draw the Jews... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 19:19

An altar to the Lord - צבאות tsebaoth , "of hosts," or Yehovah tsebaoth , is added by eight MSS. of good repute, and the Syriac Version. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 19:16-25

Mingled judgment and mercy. I. THE EFFECT OF JUDGMENT . The hind will be like timid and trembling women, for the mighty hand of Jehovah will be brandished aloft in judgment. Whenever it is felt that Divine power is working on the side of the foe, the most warlike nations lose heart. "God with us!"—a watchword that nerves the feeblest arm, and fills the faintest heart with courage. " God against us!"—the hand of the bravest hangs down, the knees of the stoutest tremble. Judah,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 19:18-22

THE TURNING OF EGYPT TO JEHOVAH . The chastisement of the Egyptians shall be followed, after a while, by a great change. Influences from Canaan shall penetrate Egypt ( Isaiah 19:18 ), an altar shall be raised in her midst to Jehovah ( Isaiah 19:19 ), and she herself shall cry to him for succor ( Isaiah 19:20 ) and be delivered ( Isaiah 19:20 ). Egypt shall even become a part of Jehovah's kingdom, shall "know him," and serve him with sacrifice and oblation ( Isaiah 19:21 ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 19:18-22

Smiting and healing. We may glean from these verses— I. THAT THE BLOWS WHICH WE SURFER IN OUR ORDINARY EXPERIENCE COME FROM THE HAND OF GOD . No doubt the various calamities by which Egypt was afflicted came to her in the ordinary ways, and appeared to her citizens as the result of common causes. They accounted for them by reference to general laws, to visible human powers, to known processes and current events. Yet we know them to have been distinctly and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 19:19

There shall be an altar to the Lord . An altar to the Lord was undoubtedly erected by Onias in the temple which he obtained leave to build from Ptolemy Philometor. Josephus says that he persuaded Ptolemy by showing him this passage of Isaiah ('Ant. Jud.,' 13.3; 'Bell. Jud.,' 7.10). And a pillar at the border thereof . It is not clear that any "pillar" was ever actually erected. The erection of pillars for religious purposes was forbidden by the Law ( Deuteronomy 16:22 ). But this would... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 19:19

The cry of distress after the true God. The erection of the altar and the pillar would be a sign of desire after God. "In Isaiah's time it must have seemed incredible that the firmly organized idolatrous system of Egypt should ever be broken up. Yet such a result was brought about by a series of movements—Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, and Greek—which commenced almost immediately after the date of the above prediction. In the district of Heliopolis, on the site of a ruined temple at... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 19:19

In that day shall there be an altar - An “altar” is properly a place on which sacrifices are offered. According to the Mosaic law, but one great altar was to be erected for sacrifices. But the word ‘altar’ is often used in another sense to denote a place of “memorial;” or a place of worship in general (Joshua 22:22-26. It is clear that Isaiah did not intend that this should be taken “literally,” or that there should be a rival temple and altar erected in Egypt, but his description is evidently... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Isaiah 19:19

Isaiah 19:19. In that day shall there be an altar For God’s worship; not a Levitical, but a spiritual and evangelical altar, as appears from hence, that the Levitical altar was confined to one place, Deuteronomy 12:13-14. The altar is here put for the worship of God, as it is in many places, both of the Old and New Testaments. And nothing is more common in the prophets than to speak of gospel worship in those phrases of the law which were suitable to their own age. And, accordingly, when... read more

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