Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:
Isaiah announces the overthrow of Sennacherib's hosts, and desires the Ethiopian ambassadors, now in Jerusalem, to bring word of it to their own nation, and calls on the whole world to witness the event (Isaiah 18:3). As Isaiah 17:12-13 announced the presence of the foe, so Isaiah 17:14 and Isaiah 18:1-7 foretell his overthrow. The heading in the English version, 'God will destroy the Ethiopians,' is a mistake arising from the wrong rendering "Woe," whereas the Hebrew, hoi, does not express a threat, but is an appeal calling attention (Isaiah 55:1; Zechariah 2:6), "Ho." He is not speaking against, but to the Ethiopians, calling on them to hear his prophetic announcement as to the destruction of Judah's and their common enemy.
To the land shadowing with wings - rather, 'land of the winged bark;' i:e., 'barks with wing-like sails:' answering to "vessels of bulrushes" in Isaiah 18:2. So the Septuagint [gees ploioon pteruges] and Chaldaic Targum ('the land to which they come in ships from a distant land: and their sails are extended as an eagle which flies with its wings') (Ewald). 'Land of the clanging sound of wings' - i:e., land of armies (as in Isaiah 8:8) that clash their arms together. The rendering 'bark,' or 'ship' ( tsiltsal (H6767)), is rather dubious. Tsaalal (H6750), the root, is to make a clang. So the Vulgate (Maurer and Gesenius). The armies referred to are those of the Ethiopian Tirhakah, advancing to meet the Assyrians (Isaiah 37:9). In the English version (which accords best with the ordinary meaning of tsiltsal (H6767), if from tseel, a shadow) "shadowing" means protecting-namely, Ethiopia stretching out its wings (both its armies and its winged ships) to defend a feeble people-namely, the Hebrews (Vitringa). The Hebrew ( kªnaapaayim (H3671)) for "wings" is the same as for the idol Cneph, which was represented in temple- sculptures with wings (Psalms 91:4).
Which (is) beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. Meroe, the island between the "rivers" Nile and Astaboras is meant, famed for its commerce, and perhaps the seat of the Ethiopian government, hence addressed here as representing the whole empire. Remains of temples are still found, and the name of 'Tirhakah' in the inscriptions. This island-region was probably the chief part of Queen Candace's kingdom (Acts 8:27). For, "beyond," others translate, less literally, 'which borderest on.'
Ethiopia - literally, Cush. Horsley is probably right, that the ultimate and fullest reference of the prophecy is to the restoration of the Jews to the Holy Land, through the instrumentality of some distant people skilled in navigation (Isaiah 18:2; Isaiah 60:9-10; Psalms 45:15; Psalms 68:31; Zephaniah 3:10, "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, (even) the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering"): perhaps England. Phoenician voyagers coasting along would speak of all West remote lands as "beyond" the Nile's mouth. 'Cush,' too, has a wide sense, being applied not only to Ethiopia, but Arabia Deserta and Felix, and along the Persian Gulf, as far as sense, being applied not only to Ethiopia, but Arabia Deserta and Felix, and along the Persian Gulf, as far as the Tigris (Genesis 2:13).