23 They shall cut down her forest, says Yahweh, though it can't be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
He goes on here with the same subject. He indeed uses the past tense, but we know that this was commonly done by the Prophets. He compares the people of Egypt to a forest, as he had said that individual men would be like trees: They have then cut down, that is, they shall cut down its forest, saith Jehovah For the sake of confirmation he ascribes the words to God; as though he had said, that he predicted nothing but what God had determined to do. His object then was to remove every doubt; because the Jews might on the one hand have refused to believe this prophecy on considering the power of Egypt; and the Egyptians on the other might have disregarded these threatenings, confiding in their own strength. Hence the Prophet introduces God as the speaker, as though he had said, "This decree cannot be revoked, because God hath spoken." And he says, that they had multiplied more than locusts, so there could be no number I have omitted one previous sentence, It shall not be searched. As the particle ky, ki, is read twice, some think that both clauses refer to the Chal-deans. Others read, "It shall not be numbered;" but the verb chqr, chekor, properly means to inquire, to investigate; and the sentence may be thus suitably rendered, "That the forest may not be investigated." Yet another meaning has been more approved, that the Chaldeans shall not be numbered. If this view be received, there is a Change of number, for it immediately follows, "They shall multiply," rvv, rebu; and then, there shall not be a number to them, lhm, laem. But what I stated in the first place, as it appears to me, does not ill suit the passage, that is, that there would be no investigation of the forest of Egypt, that is, of the people; for when a forest is cut down, it appears a naked plain, nor can the place of any tree be pointed out. As to the general meaning, there is not much difference. The Prophet, in short, means, that the slaughter, of which he prophecies, would be so great, that Egypt would be reduced to a waste, because the Chaldeans would come with a numerous army: and he sets up this number in opposition to the Egyptian forces, that they might know that their enemies would be far superior to them. It follows --
Or, "They have cut down her forest, saith Yahweh, for it is impenetrable," i. e., just as a pathless forest must be cleared to assist agriculture and the passage to and fro of men, so must the false worship and the material prosperity of Egypt be overthrown.
Grasshoppers - The invading host advances as multitudinous as the locusts which consume the whole vegetation of the land on which they alight.
They shall cut down her forest - Supposed to mean her cities, of which Egypt had no fewer than one thousand and twenty.
They shall cut down (u) her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the
(x) grasshoppers, and [are] innumerable.
(u) That is, they will slay the great and mighty men of power.
(x) That is, Nebuchadnezzar's army.
They shall cut down her forest, saith the Lord,.... The land of Egypt, compared to a forest, for the multitude of its cities and towns, and the inhabitants of them; which should be destroyed by the Chaldeans, as a forest is cut down by hewers of wood; the metaphor is here continued. The Targum interprets this of the princes of Egypt, and the destruction of them;
though it cannot be searched; either the forest of Egypt, which was so thick of trees; that is, the land was so full of towns and cities, that they could not be searched and numbered; and though the way through it seemed impassable, yet was made passable by the hewers of wood: or its destruction would be so general, "that it cannot be searched" (o); or found out, where this forest was, where those trees grew, not one of them standing: or else this is to be understood of the Chaldean army, which was so great, that it could not be numbered:
because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable; which creatures come in large numbers, and eat up every green tree and herb; and so the Chaldean army, being alike numerous, would easily cut down the trees of this forest, though they were so many.
(o) "ut non investigetur", Calvin.
her forest-- (Isaiah 10:34).
though it cannot be searched--They cut down her forest, dense and unsearchable (Job 5:9; Job 9:10; Job 36:26) as it may seem: referring to the thickly set cities of Egypt, which were at that time a thousand and twenty. The Hebrew particle is properly, "for," "because."
because--the reason why the Chaldeans shall be able to cut down so dense a forest of cities as Egypt: they themselves are countless in numbers.
grasshoppers--locusts (Judges 6:5).
Tho' - Tho' it seem impenetrable.
*More commentary available at chapter level.