Isaiah 19

Wesley: Women—feeble and fearful. Because—because they shall perceive that they do not fight with men only, but with the Lord of hosts, who now lifts up his hand against them, as he did against their forefathers. Tremble at the shaken hand.

The next verses will name mercy; this fear is the door.

Calvin: in that day shall Egypt be like women. He again repeats that the Egyptians will have nothing that is manly. They shall be afraid and fear, because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which he shaketh over them. The same hand that emptied the spirit now makes them tremble.

Common to both: like women, fear.

Wesley: A terror—because of their manifold injuries against Judah, for which they now apprehend God is calling them to account. Determined—because God is now about to execute his appointed judgments. It—against Egypt. Judah a terror because of the LORD’s purpose.

The purpose is already appointed.

Calvin: and the land of Judah shall be a terror to the Egyptians. Some explain it simply of military fear; he means that they will dread Judah because they perceive that God fights for his people, and that the purpose of the Lord of hosts against Egypt is the true cause of the terror. Mention of Judah will be enough to make them fear.

Judah a terror; the LORD has purposed.

Wesley: In that day—after that time. In the times of the gospel. Five—a considerable number of their chief cities: a certain number being put for an uncertain. Speak—profess the Jewish religion, agree with them in the same mind; which is fitly signified by speaking the same language. Swear—the dedication and yielding up of a person or thing to the Lord by a solemn vow. One—not one of the five, but another city, the sixth city. As divers cities shall be converted and saved, so some other cities shall continue in their impenitency, and be destroyed.

The language of Canaan will be spoken in Egypt, a sign that the gospel will reach it. Five cities swear; a sixth remains for destruction.

Calvin: in that day there shall be five cities. After threatening, he promises restoration. Five cities out of six would be saved; the cities in Egypt were very numerous, so that only a sixth part perishes. Speaking with the lip of Canaan: he means agreement with the people of God in the truth revealed to the fathers, confession of the name of God. It is not every kind of agreement that is sufficient. One shall be called the city of destruction, or of the sun, as some read; in any case a remnant of refusal stands beside the swearing cities.

Canaan’s lip is true religion. Five cities swear to the LORD of Armies.

Wesley: An altar—the altar is put for the worship of God, as it is in many places both of the Old and New Testament. And nothing is more common in the prophets than to speak of gospel-worship in the phrases of the law. Pillar—a monument of the true religion. Here also he alludes to the ancient custom of erecting pillars to God. The border—as before, in the midst of it. The meaning is, there shall be evidences of their piety in all places. Altar and pillar to the LORD in Egypt.

Gospel worship in law’s phrases, not a rebuilt Egyptian temple as a headline.

Calvin: in that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the middle of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border. He continues the promise of worship. The altar does not bind us to a new Levitical house in Egypt; the prophets speak of gospel worship in the phrases of the law. Midst and border: piety through the land, not one corner.

Wesley and Calvin share this christological reading of the phrases.

Wesley: It—the altar or pillar last mentioned. A witness—to testify that they own the Lord for their God. Cry—being sorely distressed, they shall turn unto the true God. A great one—a great or mighty saviour, even Christ. Neither side disputes this: a savior sent when they cry.

The cry is not imaginary, and the savior is Christ—shared with Calvin.

Calvin: and he will send them a Savior. We cannot serve God unless he first bestow his grace upon us. They will cry unto the Lord: the cry proceeds from faith after they have been allured by his goodness. When the Lord promises that he will send a Savior, by whose hand the Egyptians will be delivered, this can mean no other than Christ; for Egypt was not delivered from its distresses before the doctrine of Christ reached it. Thus Christ delivered that country when it had begun to know him.

The savior is Christ. Wesley’s mighty saviour, even Christ, and Calvin’s no other than Christ.

Wesley: Shall sacrifice—shall worship God spiritually; which yet is signified by typical phrases. Shared: known, and they know; vows performed.

Spiritual worship in sacrificial speech, as v. 19.

Calvin: and the Lord shall be known to the Egyptians. Isaiah now adds what was most important: not only that they shall be delivered, but that they shall know the Lord, and shall do sacrifice and oblation, and shall vow a vow to the LORD, and will perform it. Knowledge of God is the fruit; outward acts of devotion follow, but we have no right to invent them. Away with the inventions of men, that we may listen to God alone on this subject.

Worship with offering; vows kept.

Wesley: Smite—God will afflict them and by those afflictions will convert and save them. Common to both: strike and heal; they return; he hears.

Affliction may yet turn them.

Calvin: therefore Jehovah will smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal. From what has been already said, the Prophet shews that the same God who wounds also binds up. They shall return to the Lord, and he shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them. Conversion is his work; the healing answers the cry of v. 20.

Shared: they return; he heals.

Wesley: Assyria—they who were implacable enemies one to another, and both to the church of God, shall now be reconciled and united together in the service of God, and love to his church. Serve—the Lord. Either reading: a highway, and worship together.

The road is gospel peace between enemies, not a twenty-first-century trade corridor.

Calvin: in that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria. The Lord will diffuse his goodness toward nations formerly hostile. The Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians: not a political merger for its own sake, but joint worship of the true God, the wall of hostility broken in the knowledge of the Lord.

Egypt and Assyria worship together.

Wesley: The third—the third party, in that sacred league, whereby all of them oblige themselves to serve God. Egypt—these are named, because they were the most obstinate enemies to God’s church, but they are here put for all the Gentiles. A blessing—this is peculiar to Israel, who is not only a third party, but is the most eminent of the three, as being the fountain, by which the blessing is conveyed to the other two; because Christ was to be born of them, and the gospel-church and ordinances were first established among them, and from them derived to the Gentiles. The land—or, of those lands, Egypt and Assyria, between which Israel lay.

Christ born of Israel, blessing to Gentiles—shared christology with Calvin.

Calvin: in that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land. Isaiah concludes the promise: Israel holds her place among the nations now brought in, a blessing within the earth, because from her the knowledge of God went forth. Egypt and Assyria, once the rod and the refuge, now stand with her in worship.

Both traditions agree: a blessing within the earth.

Wesley: Whom—that is, which people, Israel, Egypt, and Assyria; of whom he speaks as of one people, because they are all united into one church. My people—this title, and those which follow, that were peculiar to the people of Israel, shall now be given to these and all other nations. Egypt my people; Assyria the work of my hands; Israel my inheritance.

The titles of Israel spill over to enemies now in one church. Gospel mercy, not a twenty-first-century coalition. Wesley and Calvin share the christological reading.

Calvin: because the Lord of hosts will bless him, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. He assigns a reason: the Lord will not be ashamed to bestow on former enemies the titles that belonged to Israel, when they are united in his worship. The work of his hands and his inheritance stand together. This is the gospel’s reach.

Egypt, Assyria, and Israel named as one people in the church.