Isaia 7:18

18 Ed avverrà che, in quel giorno, il Signore fischierà alle mosche che sono all’estremità de’ fiumi di Egitto; ed alle api, che son nel paese di Assiria.

Isaia 7:18 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 7:18

And it shall come to pass in that day
the time when those evil days before spoken of should take place: [that] the Lord shall hiss for the fly that [is] in the uttermost
part of the rivers of Egypt;
or flies, as the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions render it; the Egyptians, so called because their country abounded with flies; and because of the multitude of their armies, and the swiftness of their march; this seems to have had its accomplishment when Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt slew Josiah, put his son Jehoahaz, that reigned after him, in bands, placed Eliakim his brother in his stead, and made the land of Judah tributary to him, ( 2 Kings 23:29-35 ) though some think either the Edomites or Philistines, that bordered on Egypt, are meant; who in Ahaz's time invaded Judah, and brought it low, ( 2 Chronicles 28:17-19 ) or else the Ethiopians, that inhabited on the furthermost borders of Egypt, and the rivers of it; who either came up separately against Judah, or served under Nebuchadnezzar; see ( Isaiah 18:1 ) ( 20:1-5 ) ( 37:9 ) ( 2 Kings 24:2 ) : and for the bee that [is] in the land of Assyria;
the Assyrian army, so called because the country abounded with bees; and because of the number of their armies, their military order and discipline, and their hurtful and mischievous nature. The Targum paraphrases the whole thus,

``and it shall be at that time that the Lord shall call to a people, bands of armies, of mighty men, who are numerous as flies, and shall bring them from the ends of the land of Egypt; and to mighty armies, who are powerful as bees, and shall bring them from the uttermost parts of the land of Assyria:''

hissing or whistling for them denotes the ease with which this should be done, and with what swiftness and readiness those numerous and powerful armies should come; and the allusion is to the calling of bees out of their hives into the fields, and from thence into their hives again, by tinkling of brass, or by some musical sound, in one way or another.

Isaia 7:18 In-Context

16 Perciocchè, avanti che questo fanciullo sappia riprovare il male ed eleggere il bene, la terra che tu abbomini sarà abbandonata dalla presenza de’ suoi due re.

17 Il Signore farà venir sopra te, e sopra il tuo popolo, e sopra la casa di tuo padre, de’ giorni, quali non son giammai venuti, dal giorno che Efraim si dipartì da Giuda; cioè: il re degli Assiri.

18 Ed avverrà che, in quel giorno, il Signore fischierà alle mosche che sono all’estremità de’ fiumi di Egitto; ed alle api, che son nel paese di Assiria.

19 E quelle verranno, e si riposeranno tutte nelle valli deserte, e nelle caverne delle rocce, e sopra ogni spino, e sopra ogni arboscello.

20 In quel giorno il Signore raderà, col rasoio tolto a prezzo, che è di là dal Fiume, cioè, col re di Assiria, il capo, e i peli de’ piedi; e anche la barba tutta interamente.