Isaiah 18:1
1 Woe [howy] to the land ['erets] shadowing [tsalatsal] with
wings [kanaph], which is beyond [`eber] the rivers [nahar] of
Ethiopia [Kuwsh]: KJV-Interlinear
1 Alas, oh land of whirring wings
Which lies beyond the rivers of Cush, NASB
The land of the
shadowing, ‘tsalatsal,’ which means a double shadowing, or a shadow from one
side and as well as a shadow from the other side, is a reference to the lands
beyond Ethiopia or all of Africa where the sun casts a shadow in opposite
directions depending on which side of the equator you are standing.
With wings, refers to
the sails of the many ships that come and go from the distant lands in trade.
Beyond the rivers of
Ethiopia, refers to the many rivers that run through or begin within Ethiopia
or have their origins throughout the continent of Africa, that flow down into
Ethiopia. And in Isaiah’s day,
everything beyond Egypt was typically referred to as Cush, ‘Kuwsh,’ which is
another reference to Africa.
And so the warning is
extended to far beyond the borders of Judah.
Even though you are not
in the neighborhood of Judah or Israel or the God of Israel, namely Jesus
Christ, you are still going to be held accountable for any and all activity
that places mans energy first and above that of God.
