Isaiah 19:18

In that day, &c.— The latter part of this prophesy contains an account of the salutary benefits, temporal as well as spiritual, which God would bestow on Egypt after the above-mentioned calamity. Isaiah, to whom God had most clearly revealed the mystery of the calling of the nations to the grace of Christ, every where takes occasion to speak of it; and frequently finishes his prophesies concerning the nations, with a promise of the salutary blessings determined by God for them; but he does this no where more explicitly than in the present passage. He takes the most convenient occasion of passing from one argument to the other: he had said, that some of the Egyptians, when, under this calamity and oppression, they should observe the impotence of their gods, and seriously reflect upon the true cause of this judgment, should turn their minds to the God of Israel, and, under the sense of what he had foretold by his prophets, should tremble with fear at the mention of him. Isaiah teaches that this servile fear and trembling should in time [after that day, or time] be turned into religious fear; with this effect, that many Egyptians, not all, should speak the language of Canaan; that is to say, profess the true religion. For the analysis of this period, see on the 1st verse. The proposition has two members or gradations, distinguished by the prophet. The former in this verse, wherein the prophet assures us, that after the time of the preceding calamity, there should be five cities in Egypt, who should profess the true religion, and that one of them should be Heliopolis; for, instead of the city of destruction, we may read, the city of the sun, or Heliopolis, a celebrated city in Egypt, and most particularly remarkable for its superstition. It is said, that the conversion of the Egyptians should be effected principally in five cities. If a certain number be not put for an uncertain, the five cities wherein the worship of the one true God was first received, were, Heliopolis, which is particularly named in the text, and the four others, mentioned Jeremiah 44:1 viz. Migdol, or Magdolum, Tahpanhes, or Daphe, Noph, or Memphis, and that in the country of Pathros, or Thebais, not mentioned by name, perhaps Amonno or Diospolis. There the Jews chiefly resided at that time; and some good men, mingled among them, might open these prophesies to the Egyptians; and they themselves, when they saw them fulfilled, might embrace the Jewish religion. See Bishop Newton, vol. 1: p. 374 and Vitringa.