Isaiah 18

4. take . . . rest . . . consider--I will calmly look on and not interpose, while all seems to promise success to the enemy; when figuratively, the sun's heat" and "the night dews" ripen their "harvest"; but "before" it reaches its maturity I will destroy it ( Isaiah 18:5 , Ecclesiastes 8:11 Ecclesiastes 8:12 ).
like a clear heat--rather, "at the time of the clear (serene) heat" [MAURER].
upon herbs--answering to "harvest" in the parallel clause. MAURER translates, "in the sunlight" ( Job 31:26 , 37:21 , Habakkuk 3:4 ).
like . . . dew--rather, "at the time of the dew cloud." God's "silence" is mistaken by the ungodly for consent; His delay in taking vengeance for forgetfulness ( Psalms 50:21 ); so it shall be before the vengeance which in the last day shall usher in the restoration of the Jews ( Isaiah 34:1-8 , 57:11 , end of the verse, 2 Peter 3:3-10 ).

5. For--rather, "But."
perfect--perfected. When the enemy's plans are on the verge of completion.
sour grape . . . flower--rather, "when the flower shall become the ripening grape" [MAURER].
sprigs--the shoots with the grapes on them. God will not only disconcert their present plans, but prevent them forming any future ones. HORSLEY takes the "harvest" and vintage here as referring to purifying judgments which cause the excision of the ungodly from the earth, and the placing of the faithful in a state of peace on the earth: not the last judgment ( John 15:2 , Revelation 14:15-20 ).

6. birds . . . beasts--transition from the image "sprigs," "branches," to the thing meant: the Assyrian soldiers and leaders shall be the prey of birds and beasts, the whole year through, "winter" and "summer," so numerous shall be their carcasses. HORSLEY translates the Hebrew which is singular: "upon it," not "upon them"; the "it" refers to God's "dwelling-place" ( Isaiah 18:4 ) in the Holy Land, which Antichrist ("the bird of prey" with the "beasts," his rebel hosts) is to possess himself of, and where he is to perish.

7. present . . . people scattered and peeled--For the right rendering, paid to Jehovah by so mighty a nation. The Ethiopians, wonderstruck at such an interposition of Jehovah in behalf of His people, shall send gifts to Jerusalem in His honor ( Isaiah 16:1 , Psalms 68:31 , 72:10 ). Thus translate: "a present . . . from a people." Or translate, as English Version; "the present" will mean "the people" of Ethiopia converted to God ( Romans 15:16 ). HORSLEY takes the people converted to Jehovah, as the Jews in the latter days.
place of the name--where Jehovah peculiarly manifests His glory; Acts 2:10 and Acts 8:27 show how worshippers came up to Jerusalem from Egypt" and "Ethiopia." Frumentius, an Egyptian, in the fourth century, converted Abyssinia to Christianity; and a Christian church, under an abuna or bishop, still flourishes there. The full accomplishment is probably still future.