Isaiah 16:5-14

5 A 1throne will even be established in lovingkindness, And a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of 2David; Moreover, he will seek justice And be prompt in righteousness.
6 3We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive pride; Even of his arrogance, pride, and fury; 4His idle boasts are false *.
7 Therefore Moab will wail; everyone of Moab will wail. You will moan for the 5raisin cakes of 6Kir-hareseth As those who are utterly stricken.
8 For the fields of 7Heshbon have withered, the vines of 8Sibmah as well; The lords of the nations have trampled down its choice clusters Which reached as far as Jazer and wandered to the deserts; 9Its tendrils spread themselves out and passed over the sea.
9 Therefore * I will 10weep bitterly for Jazer, for the vine of Sibmah; I will drench you with my tears, O 11Heshbon and Elealeh; For the shouting over your 12summer fruits and your harvest has fallen away.
10 13Gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field; In the 14vineyards also there will be no cries of joy or jubilant shouting, No 15treader treads out wine in the presses, For I have made the shouting to cease.
11 Therefore * my 16heart intones like a harp for Moab And my inward feelings for Kir-hareseth.
12 So it will come about when Moab 17presents himself, When he 18wearies himself upon his 19high place And comes to his sanctuary to pray, That he will not prevail.
13 This is the word which the LORD spoke earlier concerning Moab.
14 But now the LORD speaks, saying, "Within three years, as 20a hired man would count them, the glory of 21Moab will be degraded along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and impotent *."

Isaiah 16:5-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 16

This chapter is a continuation of the prophecy against Moab; in which the prophet gives good advice, but in case of a haughty neglect of it, which he foresaw, threatens with ruin, and fixes a time for it. He advises the Moabites to pay their tribute to the king of Judah, or otherwise they should be turned out of their land, as a bird out of its nest, Isa 16:1,2 to protect, and not betray the people of the Jews that should flee to them, because of the Assyrian army, Isa 16:3,4 and for this end gives a great character of the king of Judah, and assures them of the stability of his kingdom, Isa 16:5 but for their pride, wrath, and lying, they are threatened with destruction, and are represented as howling under it, Isa 16:6,7 because of the spoil of their cities, vineyards, and fields, so that they have no harvest, nor vintage, nor gathering of summer fruits, or joy on these accounts, Isa 16:8-10 for which even the prophet expresses a concern, Isa 16:11 and after having observed the application of the Moabites to their gods without success, Isa 16:12 the chapter is closed with an assurance of the certain ruin of Moab, and of the time when it should be, Isa 16:13,14.

Cross References 21

  • 1. Isaiah 9:6, 7; Isaiah 32:1; Isaiah 55:4; Daniel 7:14; Micah 4:7; Luke 1:33
  • 2. Isaiah 9:7
  • 3. Jeremiah 48:29; Amos 2:1; Obad 3, 4; Zephaniah 2:8, 10
  • 4. Jeremiah 48:30
  • 5. 1 Chronicles 16:3
  • 6. 2 Kings 3:25; Jeremiah 48:31
  • 7. Isaiah 15:4
  • 8. Numbers 32:38
  • 9. Jeremiah 48:32
  • 10. Jeremiah 48:32
  • 11. Isaiah 15:4
  • 12. Jeremiah 40:10, 12; Jeremiah 48:32
  • 13. Isaiah 24:8; Jeremiah 48:33
  • 14. Judges 9:27; Isaiah 24:7; Amos 5:11, 17
  • 15. Job 24:11; Amos 9:13
  • 16. Isaiah 15:5; Isaiah 63:15; Jeremiah 48:36; Hosea 11:8; Philippians 2:1
  • 17. Numbers 22:39-41; Jeremiah 48:35
  • 18. 1 Kings 18:29
  • 19. Isaiah 15:2
  • 20. Job 7:1; Job 14:6; Isaiah 21:16
  • 21. Isaiah 25:10; Jeremiah 48:42

Footnotes 6

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