Isaiahchapter 18

1 Woe to the land of whirring wings, along the rivers of Cush,

2 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.”

5 For before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, He will cut off the shoots with a pruning knife and remove and discard the branches.

6 They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey, and to the beasts of the land. The birds will feed on them in summer, and all the wild animals in winter.

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.

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Chapter summary

Beyond the rivers of Ethiopia lies the land of the rustling of wings, which sends ambassadors over the sea in vessels of papyrus.

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Beyond the rivers of Ethiopia lies the land of the rustling of wings, which sends ambassadors over the sea in vessels of papyrus. Swift messengers go to a nation tall and smooth, terrible from its beginning, whose land the rivers divide. All inhabitants of the world are told to watch for the ensign lifted on the mountains and listen for the trumpet. Jehovah himself declares his posture: he is still, beholding from his dwelling-place like clear heat in sunshine, like a dew-cloud in harvest heat. Before the harvest, when the blossom becomes a ripening grape, he cuts off the sprigs with pruning-hooks, leaving the branches to ravenous birds that summer on them and beasts that winter on them. The chapter ends with that same tall, smooth people bringing a present to Jehovah of hosts at Mount Zion.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Prophecy · Isaiah — Isaiah overview

A. 1–3 The Land of Whirring Wings Beyond Ethiopia's Rivers
B. 4–7 Pruning Before Harvest, and a Present Brought to Zion

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Isaiah 262 verses
- Isaiah 26:11O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!
- Isaiah 26:21For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.
- Read Isaiah 26 →
Song of Solomon 22 verses
- Song of Solomon 2:13The fig tree ripens its figs; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come away, my darling; come away with me, my beautiful one.”
- Song of Solomon 2:15Catch for us the foxes—the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—for our vineyards are in bloom.
- Read Song of Solomon 2 →
Zephaniah 31 verse
- Zephaniah 3:10From beyond the rivers of Cush My worshipers, My scattered people, will bring Me an offering.
- Read Zephaniah 3 →
Isaiah 181 verse
- Isaiah 18:7At 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 Isaiah 18 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

2 Kings 191 verse
- 2 Kings 19:9Now Sennacherib had been warned about Tirhakah king of Cush: “Look, he has set out to fight against you.” So Sennacherib again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
- Read 2 Kings 19 →
Zephaniah 21 verse
- Zephaniah 2:12“You too, O Cushites, will be slain by My sword.”
- Read Zephaniah 2 →
Genesis 101 verse
- Genesis 10:8Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one on the earth.
- Read Genesis 10 →
2 Chronicles 141 verse
- 2 Chronicles 14:9Then 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 2 Chronicles 14 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.