Poems about the Southern Powers: For three chapters we turn to the far south. Cush covers an area corresponding to the very south of modern Egypt and the northern part of Sudan. A Cushite dynasty ruled Egypt itself at the end of the eighth century, so this poem about Cush is as much a poem about Egypt (cf. 20:1–6).

18:1–7 This poem begins “Oh,” like the preceding poem about the nations in general (NIV translates woe this time). This parallel suggests that the embassy from Cush raises issues covered by the generalization that appeared in 17:12–14. It also presupposes yet another form of Realpolitik. A Cushite embassy arrives in Judah by sea, presumably seeking Judean cooperation for its control of Egypt, which in itself would involve resistance to Assyria like Aram’s and Ephraim’s. Reliance …