I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction
The same with Cush or Ethiopia; hence the Septuagint and Vulgate
Latin versions render it, "the tents of the Ethiopians"; and
these are the same with "the curtains of Midian" in the next
clause, tents being made of curtains, and the Ethiopians and
Midianites the same people; so the daughter of the priest of
Midian, whom Moses married, is called an Ethiopian woman, (
Exodus 2:21 )
( Numbers
12:1 ) . This seems to have respect to that panic which
seized the neighbouring nations by whom the Israelites passed, as
well as the Canaanites, into whose land they were marching, when
they heard what wonderful things were done for them in Egypt, at
the Red sea, and in the wilderness, which was predicted by Moses
in ( Exodus
15:14 Exodus 15:15
) and not only fulfilled in the Canaanites, as appears from what
Rahab says, ( Joshua
2:9-11 ) but particularly in the Moabites and Midianites, who
sent to each other, and consulted together against Israel; and,
by the advice of Balaam, found ways and means to draw them into
fornication, and so to idolatry; for which the Israelites having
suffered, were stirred up to avenge themselves on them, and slew
five of their kings, and a great multitude of their people; and
so the words may be rendered, "for iniquity" F12; and
the word is often used for idolatry; that is, for the sin they
drew the Israelites into, they were brought into trembling and
great distress, which the prophet saw, perceived, and understood
by reading the history of those times; see ( Numbers 22:3
Numbers
22:4 Numbers 22:7
) ( Numbers
25:6 Numbers
25:17 Numbers
25:18 ) ( 31:2-8
) though the Jewish commentators, and others, generally refer
this to the case of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia, who
carried Israel into captivity, from whence they were delivered by
Othniel, who prevailed against Cushan, and into whose hands he
fell; and so then he and his people were seen in affliction, (
Judges
3:7-10 ) but Cushan here is not the name of a man, but of a
country: and whereas it follows, the curtains of the land
of Midian did tremble;
this is thought to refer to the times of Gideon, when the
Midianites were overcome by him with three hundred men, and in
their fright fell upon and destroyed each other; signified by a
barley cake tumbling into the host of Midian, and overturning a
tent, as represented in a dream to one of Gideon's men, (
Judges 7:13
Judges 7:21
Judges 7:22 )
but the former reference seems best; and it should be observed,
that Cush or Ethiopia, and Midian, were parts of Arabia; for not
only the Arabians are said to be near the Ethiopians, or at the
hand of the Cushites, ( 2
Chronicles 21:16 ) but Sinai, a part of Horeb, where Moses
fed the flock of his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, is
expressly said to be in Arabia; compare ( Exodus 3:1 ) ( Galatians
4:25 ) and with those Arabians called Scenitae, from their
dwelling in tents, agree the characters in the text: now the
people inhabiting those places, the prophet foresaw by a spirit
of prophecy "under vanity" F13, as it may be rendered; that
is, "subject" to it, as the whole Gentile world was, ( Romans 8:20 ) or under
the power of idolatry; but it was foretold that these should be
converted in Gospel times, ( Psalms 68:31
) ( 87:4 )
which was brought about, partly by the Apostles Matthew and
Matthias, said to be sent into Ethiopia; and partly by the
Ethiopian eunuch, converted and baptized by Philip, who doubtless
was the means of spreading the Gospel in his own country, when
returned to it, ( Acts 8:27 ) and chiefly
by the Apostle Paul, who went into Arabia, and preached there,
quickly after his conversion; and here were churches in the first
times of Christianity; (See Gill on
Galatians 1:17) and at this time Cushan or Ethiopia was
in affliction; and the Midianites trembled, such of them to whom
the word came in power, and they were made sensible of their
danger and misery, as the apostle did, the instrument of their
conversion, ( Acts 9:6 ) once more, as
an Ethiopian is an emblem of a man in a state of nature, and
describes very aptly wicked and profligate persons, apostates
from religion, and such as are persecutors of good men, (
Jeremiah
13:23 ) ( Amos 9:7 ) it may design
such here; and be expressive of their distress and trouble, the
fear and dread they would be seized with on seeing Christianity
prevail, and Paganism falling in the Roman empire; which distress
and trembling are in a very lively manner set forth in ( Revelation
6:15-17 ) .