Jesaja 16:12

12 Alsdann wird's offenbar werden, wie Moab müde ist bei den Altären und wie er zu seinem Heiligtum gegangen sei, zu beten, und doch nichts ausgerichtet habe.

Jesaja 16:12 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 16:12

And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is
weary on the high place
With weeping there, ( Isaiah 15:2 ) or with frequent sacrifices, and going from one high place to another, as Balak king of Moab did; and by comparing places together, it looks as if this was the way of the Moabites in their distress, to offer up a multitude of sacrifices in different places; now, when it should be seen by others, and appear to themselves, that they wearied themselves in vain, and all their cries and sacrifices were to no purpose, they should then be ashamed of them, leave off, and betake themselves to some other method; though Jarchi interprets it of their being weary of fighting on the high places of their towers, which when observed, they would take another course, and apply to devotion: that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray;
to the temple of Chemosh, and to pray to that idol to help him, ( 1 Kings 11:7 ) : but he shall not prevail;
his prayers shall be ineffectual; his suit will be fruitless, and without success; or "he cannot", that is, his idol cannot help him. So Kimchi interprets his sanctuary of the house of his God; and the Targum, of the house of his idolatry; yet since the house or temple of an idol is never called a sanctuary, it may be understood of God's sanctuary, the temple at Jerusalem; and the sense be, that when Moab shall see that his praying and sacrificing to idols are in vain, and he has tired himself with his superstition and idolatry, without having any redress, he shall think and express his desire of going up to the temple of Jerusalem, and of praying to the God of Israel; but he shall not be able to do it, because of the enemy; and could he get thither, he would not prevail with God, for the decree was gone forth, which could not be frustrated, as follows. Ben Melech interprets it of the palace of the king.

Jesaja 16:12 In-Context

10 daß Freude und Wonne im Felde aufhört, und in den Weinbergen jauchzt noch ruft man nicht. Man keltert keinen Wein in den Keltern; ich habe dem Gesang ein Ende gemacht.

11 Darum rauscht mein Herz über Moab wie eine Harfe und mein Inwendiges über Kir-Heres.

12 Alsdann wird's offenbar werden, wie Moab müde ist bei den Altären und wie er zu seinem Heiligtum gegangen sei, zu beten, und doch nichts ausgerichtet habe.

13 Das ist's, was der HERR dazumal gegen Moab geredet hat.

14 Nun aber redet der HERR und spricht: In drei Jahren, wie eines Tagelöhners Jahre sind, wird die Herrlichkeit Moabs gering werden bei all seiner großen Menge, daß gar wenig übrigbleibe und nicht viel.