Isaiah 21:11
The burden of Dumah
Whether this prophecy concerns the Edomites or Idumeans, or
whether the Arabians, particularly the Dumean Arabians, is a
question, since Dumah was a son of Ishmael, ( Genesis
25:14 ) and there was a place in Arabia called Dumatha
F25; and Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret
it here of Dumah the son of Ishmael; but inasmuch as mention is
made of Seir, a mountain, which belonged to the Edomites, (
Genesis
36:8 Genesis 36:9
) and a distinct prophecy afterwards follows concerning Arabia,
it is more generally thought that Dumah signifies Edom or Idumea;
the Septuagint version renders it, the vision of Idumea; and the
Arabic version calls it, a prophecy concerning Edom and Seir; and
Jarchi, by Dumah, understands Edom; and Kimchi himself observes,
that in a book of R. Meir's, it was found written,
``the burden of Duma, the burden of Edom.''
Jerom says, Duma is not the whole province of Idumea, but a certain
country in it, that lay to the south, twenty miles distant from a
city of Palestine, in his days called Eleutheropolis; and further
observes, that some of the Hebrews read "Roma" for "Duma", and
suppose that the Roman empire is designed; and certain it is, that
nothing is more common with them than to call the Roman empire, and
Rome itself, by the name of Edom, and the Romans, or Christians,
Edomites
F26:
he calleth to me out of
Seir;
a mountain inhabited by the Edomites, the posterity of Esau, so
called from Seir the Horite, (
Genesis 36:8 Genesis 36:9 Genesis 36:20 ) . The
Targum understands this of God calling from heaven to the prophet
to prophesy; and Jarchi of an angel, or a prophet out of Seir,
calling to God, who he supposes is meant by the watchman; but it
seems best to interpret it of an Edomite, or an inhabitant of Mount
Seir, calling to the watchman, and saying, as follows:
watchman, what of the night? watchman, what of the
night?
what time of night is it? what o'clock is it? how much of the night
is gone, and what remains to come? it is the business of watchmen
to give or tell the time of night: or, "what from the night?"
F1 what has happened since it was night?
hast thou observed nothing? is not the enemy nigh, or danger at
hand? or, "what" sayest thou "concerning the night?" the night of
darkness, affliction, and distress, in which we are, when will it
be over? the question is repeated, as is usual with persons in a
panic, and fearing the watchman should not hear them the first
time; or it may denote one coming after another in a fright, asking
the same question. Some, by the watchman, understand God himself,
as Jarchi and Abarbinel, who is Israel's keeper, (
Psalms 121:4 Psalms 121:5 ) where the
same word is used as here; and well agrees with God, who is the
keeper and preserver of all men in a way of providence; and of his
own people in a way of grace; and who, as he watches over the evil
of sin, to bring the evil of affliction or punishment for it; so he
watches over his, to do good unto them; and, as the times and
seasons are in his power only, and are known by him, it is most
proper to apply unto him. Others think Christ is meant, as
Cocceius; and so the Jews say
F2, this is Metatron the keeper of
Israel, which with them is one of the names of the Messiah; and to
whom this character of a watchman agrees, as he is the shepherd of
his flock, and the keeper of his people; and who, as the omniscient
God, knows all things that are, and shall be, and which will
quickly come to pass: though it may be best of all to understand it
of a prophet or prophets, who were called watchmen under the Old
Testament, (
Isaiah 21:6 Isaiah 21:8 ) (
Ezekiel 3:17 ) as
ministers of the word are under the New, in allusion to shepherds
and watchmen of cities; and whose business it is, as to show
sinners the danger of their ways, and to arouse sleepy saints, so
to give the time of night, that the churches of Christ may know
whereabout they are. Now let it be observed, that this prophecy may
refer to the times when Dumah, Edom, or Idumea, was possessed by
the Jews, according to the prophecy in (
Numbers 24:18 Numbers 24:19 ) as it
was before the coming of Christ; Herod, an Idumean, was upon the
throne of Judea when he came, at which time the Jews and Idumeans
were mixed together; and the latter, at least many of them,
embraced the Jewish religion
F3, and so had knowledge of the
Messiah and his coming, after which they may be thought to be
inquiring here. The Mosaic dispensation was a night season, there
was much obscurity in it, the shadows of darkness were stretched
out on it; and though there was the moon of the ceremonial law, and
there were the stars the prophets, yet the sun of righteousness was
not risen; and it was a time of gross darkness with the Gentile
world: now one or more of these proselyted Idumeans, or of the Jews
among them, may be supposed to be inquiring of the prophet or
prophets of the Lord in their time, how much of this night was
gone, when it would be over, or the Messiah would appear, and bring
in the morning, and make the bright day of the Gospel dispensation.
And again, as Edom and Seir were typical of Rome Papal, or the
Romish antichrist, the person calling out to the watchman may
design such of the people of God in the midst of them, for which
see (
Revelation 18:4 ) who,
sensible of the night of darkness they are in, are looking for and
inquiring after latter day light and glory. The Targum of the whole
verse is,
``the burden of the cup of curse, to give Dumah to drink: to me
he calls out of heaven, prophet, declare unto them the prophecy;
prophet, declare unto them what shall hereafter come to pass.''