Isaiah 19:19

19. Altar The word “altar” literally supposes the offering of sacrifices. Here, however, its meaning may have the confined sense of memorial, a memorial of the conversion of the Egyptians to the true religion.

Pillar A monument of the same fact. In the prophet’s conception God (possibly) decrees to this end a conversion of the symbol of the obelisks so common in Egypt. Another illustration of this general meaning may be offered here. In this district or nome of Heliopolis, but in the city of Leontopolis, Onias IV, (see Josephus, Ant., xiii, chap. Isaiah 3:1-3,) disappointed in obtaining the highpriesthood at Jerusalem, B.C. 149, on fleeing to Ptolemy in Egypt, received permission to build a temple for Jewish worship resembling that at Jerusalem, but smaller and less splendid. Onias is said to have pleaded this very nineteenth verse as propriety and authority for his doing so. This temple and its worship lasted over two hundred years. The “altar” and “pillar” may have had exemplification here also. A sort of fulfilment of this verse may also be found in the fact of so many synagogues being erected in Egypt from Alexander’s time on, and in the fact, too, of the Hebrew Scriptures receiving a Greek version the Septuagint by command of Ptolemy.