Here he speaks of the peoples who live on the shore of the Red Sea, as -a are the Troglodytes, Egyptians, Arabs, Ishmaelites 2c., who live from robbery, and have a great experience in navigation, and know how to handle the ships well. To them he proclaims first war, then famine. But it is still doubtful which people he is talking about. It seems to me that he is still talking about the king of Assyria, who, like a flood of sin, oppressed this part of the earth with his weapons.
V. 1. Woe to the land that sails in the shade.
002 That is, Woe to the land that hath the shadow of sails (umbras alurum), that is, which hath many harbors or ships. For the wings of a ship are the sails of ships. But "shadow" means the harbors. Moreover, that he says "shadow", he also indicates the confidence that they have in their ships.
V. 2. that sends messages on the sea.
3. this means their trade, that they are merchants.
Go, you swift messengers.
4 This is a threat of the prophet. But it is a figurative speech; as if he wanted to say: The rumor of the king of Assyria will come to them, who will devastate them.
To the people torn and plundered.
This is the one who takes everything and plunders everything. Such people, as they say nowadays, are the Turks or Tartars, who live only by robbery.
To the people measured out and trodden down here and there (ad g.entem exspectantem).
6 Translate: Ad gentem mensuratam sive dimensam, that is, "that divides itself everywhere, and in turn is robbed everywhere." A people who rob and plunder everywhere; people who rob both their neighbors and themselves among themselves. The secret interpretation of Oecolampad is all too forced.
To whom the streams of water occupy his land.
7. "The water streams," that is, the neighboring peoples who dwell along the rivers of Ethiopia.
Ad montem. 1)
Does not appear in Hebrew.
V. 3: All you who dwell on the earth.
8 That is, of that part which they inhabit, even as we have another earth than the Italians. And here he prophesies the war.
V. 4-6. I will keep still and look.
He proclaims famine. I will strike the earth in such a way that in the midst of growth everything will burn and perish from excessive heat. "I will keep still," that is, I will not make it rain, I will cease to bless, I will leave it to its attacks. However, I do not dislike the secret interpretation that by the "heat" 2) one understands the king of Assyria who should spoil the bloom of the youth. Which of both opinions comes closest to the history, I do not know, but they are both good.
V. 7. At that time the torn and plundered people will bring gifts.
10 These words add a consolation. The remnant of this people shall one day be converted to Christ. Thus we read in the Acts of the Apostles [Cap. 8, 26. ffI of the queen from Mohrenland, and of others. Also many holy men hid in those places in the times of Augustine and Athanasius, and it seems as if the book de vitis patrum originated mainly from this corner of the earth. But I like this passage mainly because we see that the Gospel generally occupies those places where Satan ruled mightily before. These are works of the glory and majesty of God.
1) These words are not found here in our Vulgate, but only at the end of the seventh verse.
2) In the 1534 edition, in the Wittenberg and in the Jena: istum instead of: aestum.