Isaiah 21:14

14 Bring water for the thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema meet^[a] the refugees with food.

Isaiah 21:14 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 21:14

The inhabitants of the land of Tema
This country had its name from Tema, one of the sons of Ishmael, ( Genesis 25:15 ) . The Targum calls it the land of the south, as if it was Teman. These people were Arabians, and are here said to assist their countrymen, the Dedanites, in distress: brought water to him that was thirsty;
as travellers are wont to be, especially in a desert land, and when fleeing from an enemy; in which circumstances the travelling companies of Dedanim now were: they prevented with their bread him that fled;
gave it to him, being hungry and necessitous, without asking for it. Now all this seems to show what calamities should come upon the inhabitants of some parts of Arabia; that they should lodge in a forest, be hungry and thirsty, and flee before their enemy, as follows.

Isaiah 21:14 In-Context

12 The watchman said, "Morning has come, and also night. If you want to ask, ask! Come back again."

13 An oracle against Arabia: You will camp for the night in the scrublands of the desert, you caravans of Dedanites.

14 Bring water for the thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema meet the refugees with food.

15 For they have fled from swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, from the stress of battle.

16 For the Lord said this to me: "Within one year, as a hired worker counts years, all the glory of Kedar will be gone.

Footnotes

• [a]. LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read meet as a command