Isaiah 11:15 - Exposition

The Lord shall utterly destroy ; rather, shall lay under a curse (Aquila, ἀναθεματίσει ). The tongue of the Egyptian sea . Either the Gulf of Suez or that of Akabah. God shall do away with those obstacles which keep the nations apart and prevent ready intercourse. Both gulfs are thought to have extended anciently considerably further inland than they do at present. With his mighty wind ; rather, with the might of his breath ( in fortitudine spiritus sui , Vulgate). Shall he shake his hand . A gesture of menace (comp. Isaiah 10:32 ). Over the river . "The river" ( hun-nahar ) is, as usually, the Euphrates, the great river of Western Asia. And smite it in the seven streams ; rather, and smite it into seven streams ; i.e. divide its waters among seven channels, so that it may be readily forded, and cease to be a barrier. Dry-shod ; literally, in their shoes ; i.e. without taking them off;