The images. — Rather, the pillars; which were of wood, and had a sacred significance. (Comp. Hosea 3:4.) “In primitive times a pillar was the distinguishing mark of a holy place. Idolatrous pillars were commanded to be destroyed (Exodus 23:24), but most critics think that pillars to Jehovah were quite allowable till the time of Hezekiah or Josiah, to which they assign the Book of Deuteronomy. (Comp. Deuteronomy 16:21.) At any rate, the prophet (Isaiah) gives an implicit sanction to the erection of a sacred pillar in Egypt” (Cheyne’s Note on Isaiah 19:19). The LXX. has the singular here (τὴν στήλην) and the plural in the next verse. The Syriac has the singular “statue” in both.

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