1 שִׁלְחוּH7971 כַרH3733 מֹשֵֽׁלH4910 אֶרֶץH776 מִסֶּלַעH5554 מִדְבָּרָהH4057 אֶלH413 הַרH2022 בַּתH1323 צִיּֽוֹןH6726
2 וְהָיָהH1961 כְעוֹףH5775 נוֹדֵדH5074 קֵןH7064 מְשֻׁלָּחH7971 תִּֽהְיֶינָהH1961 בְּנוֹתH1323 מוֹאָבH4124 מַעְבָּרֹתH4569 לְאַרְנֽוֹןH769
3 הביאוH935 הָבִיאִיH935 עֵצָהH6098 עֲשׂוּH6213 פְלִילָהH6415 שִׁיתִיH7896 כַלַּיִלH3915 צִלֵּךְH6738 בְּתוֹךְH8432 צָהֳרָיִםH6672 סַתְּרִיH5641 נִדָּחִיםH5080 נֹדֵדH5074 אַלH408 תְּגַלִּֽיH1540
4 יָגוּרוּH1481 בָךְH0 נִדָּחַיH5080 מוֹאָבH4124 הֱוִיH1933 סֵתֶרH5643 לָמוֹH0 מִפְּנֵיH6440 שׁוֹדֵדH7703 כִּֽיH3588 אָפֵסH656 הַמֵּץH4160 כָּלָהH3615 שֹׁדH7701 תַּמּוּH8552 רֹמֵסH7429 מִןH4480 הָאָֽרֶץH776
5 וְהוּכַןH3559 בַּחֶסֶדH2617 כִּסֵּאH3678 וְיָשַׁבH3427 עָלָיוH5921 בֶּאֱמֶתH571 בְּאֹהֶלH168 דָּוִדH1732 שֹׁפֵטH8199 וְדֹרֵשׁH1875 מִשְׁפָּטH4941 וּמְהִרH4106 צֶֽדֶקH6664
6 שָׁמַעְנוּH8085 גְאוֹןH1347 מוֹאָבH4124 גֵּאH1341 מְאֹדH3966 גַּאֲוָתוֹH1346 וּגְאוֹנוֹH1347 וְעֶבְרָתוֹH5678 לֹאH3808 כֵןH3651 בַּדָּֽיוH907
7 לָכֵןH3651 יְיֵלִילH3213 מוֹאָבH4124 לְמוֹאָבH4124 כֻּלֹּהH3605 יְיֵלִילH3213 לַאֲשִׁישֵׁיH808 קִירH0 חֲרֶשֶׂתH7025 תֶּהְגּוּH1897 אַךְH389 נְכָאִֽיםH5218
8 כִּיH3588 שַׁדְמוֹתH7709 חֶשְׁבּוֹןH2809 אֻמְלָלH535 גֶּפֶןH1612 שִׂבְמָהH7643 בַּעֲלֵיH1167 גוֹיִםH1471 הָלְמוּH1986 שְׂרוּקֶּיהָH8291 עַדH5704 יַעְזֵרH3270 נָגָעוּH5060 תָּעוּH8582 מִדְבָּרH4057 שְׁלֻחוֹתֶיהָH7976 נִטְּשׁוּH5203 עָבְרוּH5674 יָֽםH3220
9 עַלH5921 כֵּןH3651 אֶבְכֶּהH1058 בִּבְכִיH1065 יַעְזֵרH3270 גֶּפֶןH1612 שִׂבְמָהH7643 אֲרַיָּוֶךְH7301 דִּמְעָתִיH1832 חֶשְׁבּוֹןH2809 וְאֶלְעָלֵהH500 כִּיH3588 עַלH5921 קֵיצֵךְH7019 וְעַלH5921 קְצִירֵךְH7105 הֵידָדH1959 נָפָֽלH5307
10 וְנֶאֱסַףH622 שִׂמְחָהH8057 וָגִילH1524 מִןH4480 הַכַּרְמֶלH3759 וּבַכְּרָמִיםH3754 לֹֽאH3808 יְרֻנָּןH7442 לֹאH3808 יְרֹעָעH7321 יַיִןH3196 בַּיְקָבִיםH3342 לֹֽאH3808 יִדְרֹךְH1869 הַדֹּרֵךְH1869 הֵידָדH1959 הִשְׁבַּֽתִּיH7673
11 עַלH5921 כֵּןH3651 מֵעַיH4578 לְמוֹאָבH4124 כַּכִּנּוֹרH3658 יֶֽהֱמוּH1993 וְקִרְבִּיH7130 לְקִירH0 חָֽרֶשׂH7025
12 וְהָיָהH1961 כִֽיH3588 נִרְאָהH7200 כִּֽיH3588 נִלְאָהH3811 מוֹאָבH4124 עַלH5921 הַבָּמָהH1116 וּבָאH935 אֶלH413 מִקְדָּשׁוֹH4720 לְהִתְפַּלֵּלH6419 וְלֹאH3808 יוּכָֽלH3201
13 זֶהH2088 הַדָּבָרH1697 אֲשֶׁרH834 דִּבֶּרH1696 יְהוָהH3068 אֶלH413 מוֹאָבH4124 מֵאָֽזH227
14 וְעַתָּהH6258 דִּבֶּרH1696 יְהוָהH3068 לֵאמֹרH559 בְּשָׁלֹשׁH7969 שָׁנִיםH8141 כִּשְׁנֵיH8141 שָׂכִירH7916 וְנִקְלָהH7034 כְּבוֹדH3519 מוֹאָבH4124 בְּכֹלH3605 הֶהָמוֹןH1995 הָרָבH7227 וּשְׁאָרH7605 מְעַטH4592 מִזְעָרH4213 לוֹאH3808 כַבִּֽירH3524
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 CONTINUATION OF THE PROPHECY AS TO MOAB. (
Isa 16:1-
Isa 16:14)
lamb--advice of the prophet to the Moabites who had fled southwards to Idumea, to send to the king of Judah the tribute of lambs, which they had formerly paid to Israel, but which they had given up (
2Kgs 3:4-5). David probably imposed this tribute before the severance of Judah and Israel (
2Sam 8:2). Therefore Moab is recommended to gain the favor and protection of Judah, by paying it to the Jewish king. Type of the need of submitting to Messiah (
Ps 2:10-
Ps 2:12;
Rom 12:1).
from Sela to--rather, "from Petra through (literally, 'towards') the wilderness" [MAURER]. "Sela" means "a rock," Petra in Greek; the capital of Idumea and Arabia-Petrća; the dwellings are mostly hewn out of the rock. The country around was a vast common ("wilderness") or open pasturage, to which the Moabites had fled on the invasion from the west (
Isa 15:7).
ruler of the land--namely, of Idumea, that is, the king of Judah; Amaziah had become master of Idumea and Sela (
2Kgs 14:7).
2 cast out of . . . nest--rather, "as a brood cast out" (in apposition with "a wandering bird," or rather, wandering birds), namely, a brood just fledged and expelled from the nest in which they were hatched [HORSLEY]. Compare
Isa 10:14;
Deut 32:11.
daughters of Moab--that is, the inhabitants of Moab. So
2Kgs 19:21;
Ps 48:11;
Jer 46:11;
Lam 4:22 [MAURER].
at the fords--trying to cross the boundary river of Moab, in order to escape out of the land. EWALD and MAURER make "fords" a poetical expression for "the dwellers on Arnon," answering to the parallel clause of the same sense, "daughters of Moab."
3 GESENIUS, MAURER, &c., regard these verses as an address of the fugitive Moabites to the Jews for protection; they translate
Isa 16:4, "Let mine outcasts of Moab dwell with thee, Judah"; the protection will be refused by the Jews, for the pride of Moab (
Isa 16:6). VITRINGA makes it an additional advice to Moab, besides paying tribute. Give shelter to the Jewish outcasts who take refuge in thy land (
Isa 16:3-
Isa 16:4); so "mercy" will be shown thee in turn by whatever king sits on the "throne" of "David" (
Isa 16:5). Isaiah foresees that Moab will be too proud to pay the tribute, or conciliate Judah by sheltering its outcasts (
Isa 16:6); therefore judgment shall be executed. However, as Moab just before is represented as itself an outcast in Idumea, it seems incongruous that it should be called on to shelter Jewish outcasts. So that it seems rather to foretell the ruined state of Moab when its people should beg the Jews for shelter, but be refused for their pride.
make . . . shadow as . . . night . . . in . . . noonday--emblem of a thick shelter from the glaring noonday heat (
Isa 4:6;
Isa 25:4;
Isa 32:2).
bewray . . . wandereth--Betray not the fugitive to his pursuer.
4 Rather, "Let the outcasts of Moab dwell with thee" (Judah) [HORSLEY].
for the extortioner, &c.--The Assyrian oppressor probably.
is at an end--By the time that Moab begs Judah for shelter, Judah shall be in a condition to afford it, for the Assyrian oppressor shall have been "consumed out of the land."
5 If Judah shelters the suppliant Moab, allowing him to remain in Idumea, a blessing will redound to Judah itself and its "throne."
truth . . . judgment . . . righteousness--language so divinely framed as to apply to "the latter days" under King Messiah, when "the Lord shall bring again the captivity of Moab" (
Ps 72:2;
Ps 96:13;
Ps 98:9;
Jer 48:47;
Rom 11:12).
hasting--"prompt in executing."
6 We--Jews. We reject Moab's supplication for his pride.
lies--false boasts.
not be so--rather, "not right"; shall prove vain (
Isa 25:10;
Jer 48:29-
Jer 48:30;
Zeph 2:8). "It shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it."
7 Therefore--all hope of being allowed shelter by the Jews being cut off.
foundations--that is, "ruins"; because, when houses are pulled down, the "foundations" alone are left (
Isa 58:12). Jeremiah, in the parallel place (
Jer 48:31), renders it "men," who are the moral foundations or stay of a city.
Kirhareseth--literally, "a citadel of brick."
surely they are stricken--rather, joined with "mourn"; "Ye shall mourn utterly stricken" [MAURER and HORSLEY].
8 fields--vine-fields (
Deut 32:32).
vine of Sibmah--near Heshbon: namely, languishes.
lords of . . . heathen--The heathen princes, the Assyrians, &c., who invaded Moab, destroyed his vines. So Jeremiah in the parallel place (
Jer 48:32-
Jer 48:33). MAURER thinks the following words require rather the rendering, "Its (the vine of Sibmah) shoots (the wines got from them) overpowered (by its generous flavor and potency) the lords of the nations" (
Gen 49:11-
Gen 49:12,
Gen 49:22).
come . . . Jazer--They (the vine shoots) reached even to Jazer, fifteen miles from Heshbon.
wandered--They overran in wild luxuriance the wilderness of Arabia, encompassing Moab.
the sea--the Dead Sea; or else some lake near Jazer now dry; in
Jer 48:32 called "the sea of Jazer"; but see on
Jer 48:32 (
Ps 80:8-
Ps 80:11).
9 I--will bewail for its desolation, though I belong to another nation (see on
Isa 15:5).
with . . . weeping of Jazer--as Jazer weeps.
shouting for . . . fallen--rather, "Upon thy summer fruits and upon thy luxuriant vines the shouting (the battle shout, instead of the joyous shout of the grape-gatherers, usual at the vintage) is fallen" (
Isa 16:10;
Jer 25:30;
Jer 51:14). In the parallel passage (
Jer 48:32) the words substantially express the same sense. "The spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits."
10 gladness--such as is felt in gathering a rich harvest. There shall be no harvest or vintage owing to the desolation; therefore no "gladness."
11 bowels--in Scripture the seat of yearning compassion. It means the inward seat of emotion, the heart, &c. (
Isa 63:15; compare
Isa 15:5;
Jer 48:36).
sound . . . harp--as its strings vibrate when beaten with the plectrum or hand.
12 when it is seen that--rather, "When Moab shall have appeared (before his gods; compare
Exod 23:15), when he is weary (that is, when he shall have fatigued himself with observing burdensome rites;
1Kgs 18:26, &c.), on the high place (compare
Isa 15:2), and shall come to his sanctuary (of the idol Chemosh on Mount Nebo) to pray, he shall not prevail"; he shall effect nothing by his prayers [MAURER].
13 since that time--rather, "respecting that time" [HORSLEY]. BARNES translates it, "formerly" in contrast to "but now" (
Isa 16:14): heretofore former prophecies (
Exod 15:15;
Num 21:29) have been given as to Moab, of which Isaiah has given the substance: but now a definite and steady time also is fixed.
14 three years . . . hireling--Just as a hireling has his fixed term of engagement, which neither he nor his master will allow to be added to or to be taken from, so the limit within which Moab is to fall is unalterably fixed (
Isa 21:16). Fulfilled about the time when the Assyrians led Israel into captivity. The ruins of Elealeh, Heshbon, Medeba, Dibon, &c., still exist to confirm the inspiration of Scripture. The accurate particularity of specification of the places three thousand years ago, confirmed by modern research, is a strong testimony to the truth of prophecy.
Already, Tiglath-pileser had carried away the people of Damascus to Kir, in the fourth year of Ahaz (
2Kgs 16:9); but now in Hezekiah's reign a further overthrow is foretold (
Jer 49:23;
Zech 9:1). Also, Shalmaneser carried away Israel from Samaria to Assyria (
2Kgs 17:6;
2Kgs 18:10-11) in the sixth year of Hezekiah of Judah (the ninth year of Hoshea of Israel). This prophecy was, doubtless, given previously in the first years of Hezekiah when the foreign nations came into nearer collision with Judah, owing to the threatening aspect of Assyria.