“I saw the tents
Of Cushan
Under affliction.
I saw the curtains
Of the land of Midian
Tremble.”
Habakkuk said that he saw the afflicted tents of Cushan. Where is this Cushan? It is probably not Cush in Ethiopia. However, it could be a tribe next to the Midians in the Sinai area. In Midian, the curtains on their tents were shaking or trembling. This might be a vague allusion to the route from Egypt to the promised land.
“Are you better
Than Thebes?
They sat by the Nile,
With water around her.
Her rampart was a sea.
Water was her wall.
Ethiopia was her strength.
Egypt too was her strength,
Without any limit.
Put
With the Libyans
Were her helpers.
Yet Egypt became an exile.
She went into captivity.
Even her infants were
Dashed into pieces
At the head
Of every street.
Lots were cast
For her nobles.
All her dignitaries
Were bound in chains.”
The Assyrians had captured Thebes, the capital of Egypt in 663 BCE. Thus, Nahum pointed out that the Assyrians were no better than the Egyptian capital town of Themes on the Nile River. Even though they were on the Nile River and protected by water all around them, they still fell to these Assyrians. All their neighbors, including the other people of Egypt, and the surrounding counties of Ethiopia and Libya, were not able to help her. Thus, Nahum pointed out that Egypt went into exile and captivity. Even their children and infants were dashed to pieces on the street corners. They held a lottery for their noble men. All the important dignitaries of the city of Thebes were bound in chains. So too, it would be the same for Nineveh and Assyria.
“He shall stretch out his hand
Against the countries.
The land of Egypt
Shall not escape.
He shall become ruler
Of the treasures
Of gold,
Of silver,
All the precious things
Of Egypt.
The Libyans.
The Ethiopians,
Shall follow in his train.”
Next Gabriel talked about another war against Egypt that King Antiochus IV would win. He would then become the ruler of all the gold, silver, and precious things in Egypt. He would then go and capture Libya and Ethiopia. In fact, nothing like this ever took place. That might indicate the date of this writing as before the end of the life of King Antiochus IV.
“Persia,
Cush,
Put,
Are with them.
All of them
Have shields
With helmets.
Gomer
With all its troops
Are with them.
Beth-togarmah,
From the remotest parts
Of the north,
Are with them,
With all its troops.
Many people
Are with you.”
Yahweh, via Ezekiel, listed the allies of Gog. Ezekiel seemed to remind Gog who was on his side. Persia was an ally. Cush or Ethiopia was also on his side. Put or Libya was also with him. Of course, they all had their shields and helmets. Also with Gog were the people of Gomer, who was the biblical son of Japheth, the son of Noah, with his army. Beth-togarmah, the horse traders with Tyre from chapter 27, from the remote north, was also with Gog. Once again, these northern countries had lots of people in their armies.
“A sword shall come
Upon Egypt.
Anguish shall be
In Ethiopia.
When the slain
Fall
In Egypt,
Its wealth
Will be carried away.
Its foundations
Will be torn down.
Ethiopia,
Put,
Lud,
All Arabia,
Libya,
The people
Of the allied lands
Shall fall
With them
By the sword.”
When the sword or battle would come to Egypt, the anguish would also come to Ethiopia, which is south of Egypt. The wealth of the dead people in Egypt would be carried away. The foundations of Egypt would be shaken and torn down. However, the neighboring countries and those allied with Egypt would also suffer. Besides Ethiopia, there were the people from Put and Lud, who had also served in the army of Tyre, as mentioned earlier in chapter 27. However, those affected by this invasion were also the people from Libya, west of Egypt, as well as all the Arabian tribes and those people allied with Egypt. They would all fall by the sword.
“Who is this?
Who is rising like the Nile?
Who is like rivers
Whose waters surge?
Egypt rises
Like the Nile.
They are
Like rivers
Whose waters surge.
It said.
Let me rise!
Let me cover the earth!
Let me destroy cities!
Let me destroy their inhabitants!
Advance!
O horses!
Dash madly!
O chariots!
Let the warriors go forth!
Men of Ethiopia!
Men of Put
Who carry the shield!
Men of Lud,
Who draw the bow!”
The Egyptians had originally thought that they would have the waters of the Nile River, or their power, take over the Babylonians, but the reverse was true. They wanted to be like rivers surging forth. They wanted to destroy other cities and their inhabitants. They had horses and chariots to carry out their mission as they advanced. They had the people from Ethiopia and Somalia. They had the people of Put, the Libyans, and Lud, the Lydians, who had shields and were good at bows and arrows. However, all this great might was turned back by the Babylonians.
“Look!
These shall come from far away.
Look!
These shall come from the north.
These shall come from the west.
These shall come from the land of Syene.”
The new Israelites would come from all over. Second Isaiah has them come from the north and the west. There is also a special mention of the city of Syene, which is on the border of Egypt and Ethiopia, what is now called Assouan. The book of Ezekiel, the prophet, also mentions this town in chapters 29-30, but there is no other mention of it in the biblical literature.
“I give Egypt as your ransom.
I give Ethiopia in exchange for you.
I give Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my sight,
I honored you.
I love you.
I give people in return for you.
I give nations in exchange for your life.
Do not fear!
I am with you!
I will bring your offspring from the east.
I will gather you from the west.
I will say to the north.
‘Give them up!’
I will say to the south.
‘Do not withhold!’
Bring my sons from far away!
Bring my daughters from the end of the earth!
Bring everyone who is called by my name,
Whom I created for my glory,
Whom I formed,
Whom I made.”
Yahweh God, using the first person singular in Second Isaiah, wants to ransom the Israelites, whether they were in Egypt, Ethiopia, or Arabia Seba. The Israelites were precious in his sight. He loved and honored them. He would give other people up to save their lives. The Israelite offspring shall be from the east, the west, the north, and the south. He would gather his sons and daughters from the ends of the earth. He would have everyone who called on his name and gave him glory ransomed, since he had formed and made them.
“Rabshakeh returned to his king.
He found the king of Assyria
Fighting against Libnah.
He had heard
That the king had left Lachish.
Now the king of Assyria heard
Concerning King Tirhakah of Ethiopia.
‘He has set out to fight against you.’”
Once again, this is almost word for word from 2 Kings, chapter 19. Rabshakeh wanted to return to his king to let him know what was happening in Jerusalem. However, the king of Assyria had left Lachish to fight against the town of Libnah since Lachish and Libnah were about 10 miles apart in the Judah territory, about 25 miles west of Jerusalem. The Assyrian king also got word that the Ethiopian King Tirhakah was setting out to fight against him. This King Tirhakah is sometimes known as Taharqa. As a young 20 year old general, he fought with King Sennacherib in Palestine. He then served as king of Egypt and Ethiopia from 690-664 BCE. So he would not have been king when this occurred about 10-15 years earlier. Nevertheless, there was a constant war between these two great Mideast powers, Egypt and Assyria.
“Yahweh said.
‘Just as my servant Isaiah
Has walked naked and barefoot
For three years,
As a sign against Egypt,
As a portent against Ethiopia,
So shall the king of Assyria
Lead away the Egyptians as captives.
The Ethiopians also will be exiles,
Both the young and the old,
The naked and the barefoot,
With buttocks uncovered,
To the shame of Egypt.
They shall be dismayed.
They shall be confounded
Because of Ethiopia,
Their hope,
As well as Egypt
Their boast.’”
Now we have the oracle of Yahweh, via Isaiah. The prophet Isaiah had been naked for 3 years, as a sign against Egypt and Ethiopia. Now, the Assyrian king would capture Egypt and Ethiopia. They will be lead away as captives and exiles. No one will be saved. The young and the old will all be captured naked and barefooted. Thus the symbolism of Isaiah will actually happen to the Egyptians and Ethiopians as their naked butts will bring them shame. They will be dismayed and confused. Their hope and their boast about Egypt and Ethiopia will come to an end.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 