Isaías 7:18

18 Y acontecerá que aquel día silbará Jehová á la mosca que está en el fin de los ríos de Egipto, y á la abeja que está en la tierra de Asiria.

Isaías 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.

Isaías 7:18 In-Context

16 Porque antes que el niño sepa desechar lo malo y escoger lo bueno, la tierra que tú aborreces será dejada de sus dos reyes.

17 Jehová hará venir sobre ti, y sobre tu pueblo, y sobre la casa de tu padre, días cuales nunca vinieron desde el día que Ephraim se apartó de Judá, es á saber, al rey de Asiria.

18 Y acontecerá que aquel día silbará Jehová á la mosca que está en el fin de los ríos de Egipto, y á la abeja que está en la tierra de Asiria.

19 Y vendrán, y se asentarán todos en los valles desiertos, y en las cavernas de las piedras, y en todos los zarzales, y en todas las matas.

20 En aquel día raerá el Señor con navaja alquilada, con los que habitan de la otra parte del río, á saber, con el rey de Asiria, cabeza y pelos de los pies; y aun la barba también quitará.