The Burden of the Beasts of the South (Isaiah 30:6-7).
A prophetic burden usually indicates judgment on the subject of the burden. Here the judgment is on the beasts who carry the bribes to Egypt. For they carry them to no purpose, for Egypt is a powerless monster.
Analysis.
a ‘The burden of the beasts of the south (the Negeb). Through the land of trouble and anguish, from where come the lioness and the lion, the viper and the fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches on the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures on the humps of camels (Isaiah 30:6 a).
b To a people who will not profit (Isaiah 30:6 b).
b For Egypt helps in vain and to no purpose. (Isaiah 30:7 a).
a Therefore have I called her, “Rahab who sits still” (Isaiah 30:7 b).
In ‘a' they make a great effort to seek Egypt's help circumventing all the fearsome creatures of the desert, and in the parallel Egypt is a monster who sits still and does nothing. In ‘b' they go to a people who will not profit, and in the parallel discover that Egypt helps in vain and to no purpose.
‘The burden of the beasts of the south (the Negeb).
Through the land of trouble and anguish,
From where come the lioness and the lion,
The viper and the fiery flying serpent,
They carry their riches on the shoulders of young asses,
And their treasures on the humps of camels,
To a people who will not profit.
For Egypt helps in vain and to no purpose.
Therefore have I called her,
Rahab who sits still.'
This is a word heavy with sarcasm. Isaiah declares himself to be burdened over the asses and camels that have to carry the heavy burden of the gifts sent by Hezekiah to Egypt, foreseeing judgment on them because of the task they carry out. The judgment will really be on their owners. They are being taken through the Negeb, a place full of wild and dangerous beasts, possibly in order to avoid the easy route along the coast lest news of their journey gets out. The caravan is doing exactly the same in the opposite direction as Israel did when they came out of Egypt at the Exodus, avoiding the trade route, presumably for the sake of secrecy. This is probably intended to be seen as significant. Israel are retracing their steps towards their previous tormentors instead of trusting in Yahweh.
They bear gifts to Egypt in order to prepare the way for their discussions on the Assyrian question. But they are here warned that they will gain no benefit from it, because Egypt's aid will be in vain (as it did indeed prove to be).
‘The land of trouble and anguish.' That is, the wilderness where all kinds of problem can be encountered, from heat and lack of water, to fierce and dangerous wild animals and rough terrain. ‘The south' was the description often used for the Negeb, the semi-desert land on the south of Palestine, and stretching into the desert.
‘Therefore have I called her, Rahab who sits still.' Rahab was a mythical monster whose name was applied in black humour to Egypt (see Psalms 87:4). Here the mockery is increased by calling her ‘the great monster who sits about and does nothing', depicting the half-hearted attempts that Egypt will make to fulfil her part in the alliance. Hezekiah's men have braved the creatures of the desert in order to get this monster on their side, and all it does is sit still.
‘The fiery flying serpent.' Possibly the action of the particular snake as it lunged and struck gave the impression that it was flying so that it gained this nickname.