Isaiah 18:1

Terrible things will happen to you people of Ethiopia! In your land there are many sailboats at the upper part of the Nile River.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:

In Context

2Your rulers send ambassadors that sail quickly down the river in papyrus boats. You messengers to Ethiopia, go quickly! Go up the river to people who are tall and who have smooth skin. People everywhere are afraid of those people, because they conquer and destroy other nations; they live in a land that is divided by branches of one large river.

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Cross References

Ruth 2:12I hope/desire that Yahweh will repay you for what you have done. You have put yourself in the care of Yahweh, like a little bird puts itself under its mother’s wings [MET]. I desire that he will reward you very greatly.”

Psalms 17:8Protect me as people carefully protect their own eyes; protect me like birds protect their babies under their wings [MET].

Psalms 57:1God, be merciful to me! Act mercifully toward me because I come to you to protect me. I ask you to protect me like little birds are protected under their mother’s wings [MET] until the storm/danger is ended.

Psalms 63:7because you have always helped me, and I sing joyfully knowing that I am protected by you as a little bird is protected under its mother’s wings [MET].

Isaiah 20:3Then Yahweh said this to the people of Judah: “My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the past three years. That is to show the terrible disasters that I will cause the people of Egypt and Ethiopia to experience.

Isaiah 31:1Terrible things will happen to those who reply on Egypt to help them, trusting in their soldiers’ horses and their many chariots and their strong chariot-drivers, instead of trusting that Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, will help them.

Matthew Henry on Isaiah 18:1

Whatever country it is that is meant here by "the land shadowing with wings," here is a woe denounced against it, for God has, upon his people's account, a quarrel with it. I. They threaten God's people, ver. 1, 2 . II. All the neighbours are hereupon called to take notice what will be the issue, ver. 3 . III. Though God seem unconcerned in the distress of his people for a time, he will at length appear against their enemies and will remarkably cut them off, ver. 4-6 . IV. This shall redound very much to the glory… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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