Isaiah 19:8-10 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The fishers also shall mourn— The prophet here sets forth the common and universal grief of the Egyptian nation, upon the calamity above described. The 10th verse should be rendered, And their stamina [or networks] shall be broken; all that make drag-nets for pond-fish [shall be confounded]. In this passage three things are supposed; first, that the fish in Egypt, as well in the Nile, as in the lakes and ponds which were formed by the waters of that river, were abundant; secondly, that flax, and that of the better kind, was used for fishing; and thirdly, that this flax was of Egypt; particulars well known from history: hence the letter of the passage is clear enough. The metaphorical sense is this: the persons who reaped advantage from the Nile and its branches were the fishermen, and the makers of nets for those fishermen; who may be considered in a more general or particular view. If we consider them in general, by the fishermen of the Nile may be understood all the Egyptians of the higher class, who from the abundance of that kingdom gained their wealth; and by the makers of the nets for the fishermen, those of inferior rank in the state, who are doomed to labour for the advantage of others. If under this general sense a more particular one may be included, the fishermen may mean those in the state, who, by their superior policy and art, whether by the hook or net, gained wealth and advantages to themselves, and kept all the meaner artificers and mechanics in subordination to them. The former, the Demetriuses, who made the silver shrines; the latter, the craftsmen who had their livelihood thence. See Acts 19:24. The plain meaning is, that all the inhabitants of Egypt, high and low, should mutually deplore this common calamity.