1SendH7971 ye the lambH3733 to the rulerH4910 of the landH776 from SelaH5554 to the wildernessH4057, unto the mountH2022 of the daughterH1323 of ZionH6726. 2For it shall be, that, as a wanderingH5074 birdH5775 cast outH7971 of the nestH7064, so the daughtersH1323 of MoabH4124 shall be at the fordsH4569 of ArnonH769. 3TakeH935 counselH6098, executeH6213 judgmentH6415; makeH7896 thy shadowH6738 as the nightH3915 in the midstH8432 of the noondayH6672; hideH5641 the outcastsH5080 ; bewrayH1540 not him that wanderethH5074 . 4Let mine outcastsH5080 dwellH1481 with thee, MoabH4124; beH1933 thou a covertH5643 to them from the faceH6440 of the spoilerH7703 : for the extortionerH4160 is at an endH656, the spoilerH7701 ceasethH3615, the oppressorsH7429 are consumedH8552 out of the landH776. 5And in mercyH2617 shall the throneH3678 be establishedH3559 : and he shall sitH3427 upon it in truthH571 in the tabernacleH168 of DavidH1732, judgingH8199, and seekingH1875 judgmentH4941, and hastingH4106 righteousnessH6664. 6We have heardH8085 of the prideH1347 of MoabH4124; he is veryH3966 proudH1341: even of his haughtinessH1346, and his prideH1347, and his wrathH5678: but his liesH907 shall not be so. 7Therefore shall MoabH4124 howlH3213 for MoabH4124, every one shall howlH3213 : for the foundationsH808 of KirharesethH7025 shall ye mournH1897 ; surely they are strickenH5218. 8For the fieldsH7709 of HeshbonH2809 languishH535, and the vineH1612 of SibmahH7643: the lordsH1167 of the heathenH1471 have broken downH1986 the principal plantsH8291 thereof, they are comeH5060 even unto JazerH3270, they wanderedH8582 through the wildernessH4057: her branchesH7976 are stretched outH5203, they are gone overH5674 the seaH3220. 9Therefore I will bewailH1058 with the weepingH1065 of JazerH3270 the vineH1612 of SibmahH7643: I will waterH7301 thee with my tearsH1832, O HeshbonH2809, and ElealehH500: for the shoutingH1959 for thy summer fruitsH7019 and for thy harvestH7105 is fallenH5307 . 10And gladnessH8057 is taken awayH622, and joyH1524 out of the plentiful fieldH3759; and in the vineyardsH3754 there shall be no singingH7442, neither shall there be shoutingH7321 : the treadersH1869 shall tread outH1869 no wineH3196 in their pressesH3342; I have made their vintage shoutingH1959 to ceaseH7673 . 11Wherefore my bowelsH4578 shall soundH1993 like an harpH3658 for MoabH4124, and mine inward partsH7130 for KirhareshH7025. 12And it shall come to pass, when it is seenH7200 that MoabH4124 is wearyH3811 on the high placeH1116, that he shall comeH935 to his sanctuaryH4720 to prayH6419 ; but he shall not prevailH3201 . 13This is the wordH1697 that the LORDH3068 hath spokenH1696 concerning MoabH4124 since that timeH227. 14But now the LORDH3068 hath spokenH1696, sayingH559, Within threeH7969 yearsH8141, as the yearsH8141 of an hirelingH7916, and the gloryH3519 of MoabH4124 shall be contemnedH7034, with all that greatH7227 multitudeH1995; and the remnantH7605 shall be veryH4592 smallH4213 and feebleH3808 H3524.
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.
