10. From beyond . . . Ethiopia my suppliants--literally, "burners of
incense" (compare
Ps 141:2;
Re 5:8; 8:3, 4).
The Israelites are meant, called "the daughter of My dispersed," a
Hebrew idiom for My dispersed people. "The rivers of
Ethiopia" are those which enclose it on the north. In the west of
Abyssinia there has long existed a people called Falashas, or
"emigrants" (akin to the synonym "Philistine"). These trace their
origin to Palestine and profess the Jewish religion. In physical traits
they resemble the Arabs. When Bruce was there, they had a Jewish king,
Gideon, and his queen, Judith. Probably the Abyssinian Christians were
originally in part converted Jews. They are here made the
representatives of all Israel which is to be restored.
shall bring mine offering--that is, the offering that is
My right. I prefer, with DE
WETTE and Chaldee Version, making
"suppliants" the objective case, not the nominative. The peoples:
(Zep 3:8, 9),
brought to fear Me by My judgments, "shall bring as Mine offering My
suppliants (an appropriate term for the Jews, on whom then there shall
have been poured the spirit of supplications,
Zec 12:10),
the daughter of My dispersed." So
Isa 66:20,
"they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the
Lord." Compare HORSLEY'S view of
Isa 18:1, 2, 7.
England in this view may be the naval power to restore Israel to
Palestine
(Isa 60:9).
The Hebrew for "Ethiopia" is Cush, which may include not
only Ethiopia, but also the region of the Tigris and Babylon, where
Nimrod, Cush's son
(Ge 10:8-12),
founded Nineveh and acquired Babylon, and where the ten tribes are
mentioned as being scattered
(1Pe 1:1; 5:13;
compare
Isa 11:11).
The restoration under Cyrus of the Jews transported under Pharaoh-necho
to Egypt and Ethiopia, was an earnest of the future restoration under
Christ.
JFB.
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