Amplified Bible
Isaiah 18:2
2Which sends ambassadors by the sea, Even in vessels of papyrus on the surface of the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a nation [of people] tall and smooth (clean shaven), To a people feared far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation Whose land the rivers divide.
Isaiah 18:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!
- New International Version (NIV)which sends envoys by sea in papyrus boats over the water. Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers.
- English Standard Version (ESV)which sends ambassadors by the sea, in vessels of papyrus on the waters! Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Which sends ambassadors by sea, Even in vessels of reed on the waters, saying, “Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of skin, To a people terrible from their beginning onward, A nation powerful and treading down, Whose land the rivers divide.”
Context of Isaiah 18:2
1Woe (judgment is coming) to the land of whirring wings Which is beyond the rivers of Cush (Ethiopia), Which sends ambassadors by the sea, Even in vessels of papyrus on the surface of the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a nation [of people] tall and smooth (clean shaven), To a people feared far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation Whose land the rivers divide. 3All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth, When a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it! When a trumpet is blown, you will hear it! 4For this is what the Lord has said to me, “I will be quiet and I will look on from My dwelling place, Like shimmering heat above the sunshine, Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
Read all of Isaiah 18Isaiah 18:2 word by word
הַשֹּׁלֵ֨חַ בַּיָּ֜ם צִירִ֗ים וּבִכְלֵי־גֹמֶא֮ עַל־פְּנֵי־מַיִם֒ לְכ֣וּ׀ מַלְאָכִ֣ים קַלִּ֗ים אֶל־גּוֹי֙ מְמֻשָּׁ֣ךְ וּמוֹרָ֔ט אֶל־עַ֥ם נוֹרָ֖א מִן־ה֣וּא וָהָ֑לְאָה גּ֚וֹי קַו־קָ֣ו וּמְבוּסָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־בָּזְא֥וּ נְהָרִ֖ים אַרְצֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- That sendethשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- ambassadorsצִירtsîyr · envoyH6735
- by the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- even in vesselsכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
- of bulrushesגֹּ֫מֶאgôme' · reedH1573
- uponפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
- the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- ye swiftקַלqal · swiftH7031
- messengersמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messengerH4397
- to a nationגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- scatteredמָשַׁךְmâshak · to drawH4900
- and peeledמוֹרָטmôrâţ · make smoothH4178
- to a peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- terribleיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
- from their beginning hithertoהָֽ֫לְאָהhâle'âh · furtherH1973
- meted outקַוְקָוqav-qav · mightH6978
- and trodden downמְבוּסָהmebûsâh · subjugationH4001
- whose landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- the riversנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
- have spoiledבָּזָאbâzâ' · to divideH958
Cross-references for Isaiah 18:2
- Isaiah 30:2Who proceed down to Egypt Without consulting Me, To take refuge in the stronghold of Pharaoh And to take shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
- Ezekiel 30:9On that day [swift] messengers will go from Me in ships to frighten the careless and unsuspecting Ethiopians, and there will be anguish and trembling in them as in the day of [judgment for] Egypt; for behold, it is coming!”
- Isaiah 2:3And many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house (temple) of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go out from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 18:7At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the Lord of hosts From a people tall and smooth (clean shaven), From a people feared far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation, Whose land the rivers divide— To the place [of worship] of the name of the Lord of hosts, to Mount Zion [in Jerusalem].
- Genesis 10:8Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth.
- 2 Chronicles 12:2And it came about in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem
- 2 Chronicles 14:9Now Zerah the Ethiopian (Cushite) came out against Judah with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came as far as Mareshah.
- 2 Chronicles 16:8Were not the Ethiopians and Lubim a huge army with a great number of chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, He placed them in your hand.
- Isaiah 19:5The waters from the sea will dry up, And the river will be parched and dry.
Commentaries on Isaiah 18:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2In vessels of bulrushes "In vessels of papyrus" - This circumstance agrees perfectly well with Egypt. It is well known that the Egyptians commonly used on the Nile a light sort of ships, or boats, made of the reed papyrus. Ex ipso quidem papyro navigia texunt. Pliny, 42:11. Conseritur bibula Memphitis cymba papyro. Lucan, 4:136. Go, ye swift messengers - To this nation before mentioned, who, by the Nile, and by their numerous canals, have the means of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2That sendeth ambassadors - That is, “accustomed” to send messengers. What was the design of their thus sending ambassadors does not appear. The prophet simply intimates the fact; a fact by which they were well known. It may have been for purposes of commerce, or to seek protection. Bochart renders the word translated ambassadors‘ by “images,” and supposes that it denotes an image of the god Osiris made of the papyrus; but there does not seem to be any…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-7This section includes predictions of judgment against Damascus, Israel, Ethiopia, and Egypt. The scene shifts from the crisis in 734 BC (the alliance of Syria and Israel; see study note on Isaiah 7:1–25) to the Assyrian crisis in 701 BC (see Isaiah 36–37).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. ambassadors--messengers sent to Jerusalem at the time that negotiations passed between Tirhakah and Hezekiah against the expected attack of Sennacherib (Is 37:9). by ... sea--on the Nile (Is 19:5): as what follows proves. vessels of bulrushes--light canoes, formed of papyrus, daubed over with pitch: so the "ark" in which Moses was exposed (Ex 2:3). Go--Isaiah tells them to take back the tidings of what God is about to do (Is 18:4) against the common…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 18:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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