Isaiah 19:4

“And the Egyptians will I give over into the hands of a cruel lord, &c.] Not of Sennacherib king of Assyria, which way go many interpreters, both Christian and Jewish, as Aben Ezra, Jarchi, and Kimchi; nor of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, as in (<244625>Jeremiah 46:25,26) but either of the twelve tyrants that rose up after the death of Sethon above mentioned; for the word is in the plural number, “lords”, though the adjective rendered “cruel” is singular; or else Psammiticus, the father of Pharaohnecho, that slew Josiah; and who conquered the other eleven tyrants, and ruled alone, for the space of fifty four years, with great rigour; and the same is designed in the next clause: and a fierce…”

“cruel lord--"Sargon," in Hebrew it is lords; but plural is often used to express greatness, where, one alone is meant (Gen 39:2). The parallel word "king" (singular) proves it. NEWTON makes the general reference to be to Nebuchadnezzar, and a particular reference to Cambyses, son of Cyrus (who killed the Egyptian god, Apis), and Ochus, Persian conquerors of Egypt, noted for their "fierce cruelty." GESENIUS refers it to Psammetichus, who had brought into Egypt Greek and other foreign mercenaries to subdue the other eleven princes of the dodecarchy.”

“And the Egyptians - The Egyptian nation; the entire people, though divided into factions and contending with each other. Will I give over - Margin, ‘Shut up.’ The Hebrew word (סכר sākar) usually has the sense of shutting up, or closing. Here it means that these contentions would be “closed” or concluded by their being delivered to of a single master. The Septuagint renders it, Παραδώσω Paradōsō - ‘I will surrender.’ Into the hands of a cruel lord - Hebrew, ‘Lords of cruelty, or severity.’ The word rendered ‘lord,’ meaning master, is in the Hebrew in the plural number (אדנים 'ădônı̂y). It is, however, generally supposed that it is pluralis excellentiae - denoting majesty and dignity,…”

“A fierce king - Psammetichus, who being at first one of those twelve kings, waged war with the rest, and subdued them, and conquered all the land of Egypt and ruled it with rigour. Isaiah 19:5”

“19:4 hard, cruel master: In 671 BC, the Assyrian king Esarhaddon invaded Egypt and destroyed the royal city of Memphis. In 663 BC, Ashurbanipal attacked and destroyed Thebes (see Nah 3:8-10).”

“give over: or, shut up, Sa1 23:7; Psa 31:8 a cruel lord: Rather, "cruel lords," agreeable to the LXX, Syriac, Vulgate, and the original adonim kasheh. Nebuchadnezzar, who first conquered and ravaged Egypt, bc 573, and the following year; and then, not only his successors, but Cambyses (who invaded Egypt, bc 526), the son of Cyrus, and the whole succession of Persian kings till the time of Alexander, who were in general hard masters, and grievously oppressed the country. Isa 19:2, Isa 20:4; Jer 46:26; Eze 29:19 Isaiah 19:5”