Isaiah 18:2
1 Woe to the land of whirring wings, along the rivers of Cush,
which sends couriers by sea, in papyrus vessels on the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people widely feared, to a powerful nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers.
3 All you people of the world and dwellers of the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it; when a ram’s horn sounds, you will hear it.
4 For this is what the LORD has told me: “I will quietly look on from My dwelling place, like shimmering heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- which sends couriers by sea, in papyrus vessels on the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people widely feared, to a powerful nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers.
- 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!
- WEB
- that sends ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of papyrus on the waters, saying, “Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people awesome from their beginning onward, a nation that measures out and treads down, whose land the rivers divide!”
- ASV
- that sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of papyrus upon the waters, [saying], Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation that meteth out and treadeth down, whose land the rivers divide!
- DARBY
- that sendest ambassadors over the sea, and in vessels of papyrus upon the waters, [saying,] Go, swift messengers, to a nation scattered and ravaged, to a people terrible from their existence and thenceforth; to a nation of continued waiting and of treading down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!
- BLB
- that is sending envoys by sea, and in vessels of papyrus over the face of the waters! Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people feared from that and onward, a nation of strength and trampling, whose land the rivers divide.
- ÅB
- du som sender bud over havet[^2] og i rørbåter over vannene! Gå avsted, dere raske sendebud, til det ranke folk med den glinsende hud, til det folk som er fryktet viden om, det folk som stadig bruker målesnor[^3] og treder ned, det folk hvis land gjennomskjæres av strømmer!
- OTB
- som sender budbærere over havet i papyrusbåter over vannene. Gå, raske sendebud, til et høyt og glattfolket folk, til et folk fryktet vidt og bredt, et mektig og aggressivt folk hvis land er delt av elver.
- B1930
- du som sender bud over havet og i rørbåter over vannene! Gå avsted, I raske sendebud, til det ranke folk med den glinsende hud, til det folk som er fryktet viden om, det folk som stadig bruker målesnor og treder ned, det folk hvis land gjennemskjæres av strømmer! / < Nilfloden.> / < med målesnoren utmåler hvad som skal ødelegges. 2KG 21, 13. JES 34, 11.>
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Isaiah 18:7
At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD of Hosts— from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people widely feared, from a powerful nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers— to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD of Hosts.
Read in contextGenesis 10:8–9
Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one on the earth.
Read in context2 Chronicles 16:8
Were not the Cushites and Libyans a vast army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand.
Read in context2 Chronicles 12:2–4
In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem
Read in context2 Chronicles 14:9
Then Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots, and they advanced as far as Mareshah.
Read in contextEzekiel 30:9
On that day messengers will go out from Me in ships to frighten Cush out of complacency. Anguish will come upon them on the day of Egypt’s doom. For it is indeed coming.
Read in contextIsaiah 19:5–7
The waters of the Nile will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and empty.
Read in contextIsaiah 30:2–4
They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shade.
Read in context