Isaiah 16

1 Lord, send thou out a lamb, (to) the lordly governor of [the] earth, from the stone of desert, to the hill of the daughter of Zion. (Lord, let them send out a lamb, from Sela in the wilderness, to the governor of the land, yea, to the hill of the daughter of Zion.)

2 And it shall be, as a fowl flying, and (as) birds flying away from the nest, so shall be the daughters of Moab, in the passing over of Arnon. (And it shall be, that like a flying bird, and like birds flying away from the nest, so shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords, or on the banks, of the Arnon River.)

3 Take thou counsel, constrain thou counsel; set thou as night thy shadow in midday, hide thou them that flee, and betray thou not men of unsteadfast dwelling. (Take thou counsel, or advice, and constrain thou counsel; make thou thy shadow like the night at midday, hide thou them who flee away, and betray thou not those of unsteadfast dwelling.)

4 My fleers-away shall dwell at thee. Moab, be thou the hiding place of them from the face of the destroyer. For why dust is ended, the wretched is wasted; he that defouled the land failed. (My fleers-away shall live with thee. Moab, be thou their hiding place from the face of the destroyer. For the destroyer is ended, the wretchful is wasted, he who defiled the land hath failed.)

5 And the king's seat shall be made ready in mercy, and he shall sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, deeming, and seeking doom, and yielding swiftly that that is just. (And the king's throne shall be prepared in mercy, and he shall sit on it in truth, in the house of David, judging, and seeking justice, and swiftly yielding what is just, or what is right.)

6 We have heard the pride of Moab, he is full proud; his pride, and his boast, and his indignation is more than his strength.

7 Therefore Moab shall yell to Moab, all Moab shall yell to them that be glad on the walls of baken tilestone; speak ye their wounds. (And so Moab shall yell, or shall wail, for Moab, yea, all Moab shall wail; ye shall mourn for the foundations of Kirhareseth; speak ye of their wounds.)

8 For why the suburbs of Heshbon and the vinery of Sibmah be forsaken. The lords of heathen men have cut down the scions thereof; they came unto Jazer, they erred in desert. The boughs thereof be forsaken, they passed (over) the sea. (For the orchards of Heshbon and the vineyards of Sibmah be deserted. The lords of the heathen have cut down its vines, that once came unto Jazer, and wandered through the wilderness. Now their boughs be forsaken, that before had passed over the sea.)

9 On this thing I shall weep in the weeping of Jazer, and on the vinery of Sibmah (And so I shall weep for the vineyard of Sibmah, like I weep for Jazer). Heshbon and Elealeh, I shall fill thee with my tears; for the voice of defoulers fell on thy vintage, and on thy harvest.

10 And gladness and full out joying shall be taken away from Carmel; and none shall make full out joy, neither shall sing heartily (a) song in vineries. He that was wont to wring out, shall not wring out wine in a presser; I have taken away the voice of [the] wringers-out. (And happiness and rejoicing shall be taken away from the plentiful land; and no one shall rejoice, nor shall heartily sing a song in the vineyards. He who was wont to wring out, shall not wring out wine with a winepress; I have taken away the voice of the wringers-out.)

11 On this thing my womb shall sound as an harp to Moab, and mine entrails to the wall of baken tilestone. (On this thing my womb, or my heart, shall sing like a harp for Moab, and my entrails for Kirhareseth.)

12 And it shall be, when it shall appear, that Moab hath travailed on his (high) places, it shall enter to his holy things, that it beseech, and it shall not be worth(y). (And it shall be, when it is seen that Moab hath laboured, or hath wearied himself, at his hill shrines, then he shall enter into his holy place/s, so that he can beseech his gods, but he shall gain nothing.)

13 This is the word which the Lord spake to Moab from that time.

14 And now the Lord spake, saying, In three years, that were as the years of an hired man, the glory of Moab shall be taken away on all the much people; and there shall (only) be left in it as a little raisin, and a little, and not much.

Isaiah 16 Commentary

Chapter 16

Moab is exhorted to yield obedience. (1-5) The pride and the judgments of Moab. (6-14)

Verses 1-5 God tells sinners what they may do to prevent ruin; so he does to Moab. Let them send the tribute they formerly engaged to pay to Judah. Take it as good advice. Break off thy sins by righteousness, it may lengthen thy quiet. And this may be applied to the great gospel duty of submission to Christ. Send him the lamb, the best you have, yourselves a living sacrifice. When you come to God, the great Ruler, come in the name of the Lamb, the Lamb of God. Those who will not submit to Christ, shall be as a bird that wanders from her nest, which shall be snatched up by the next bird of prey. Those who will not yield to the fear of God, shall be made to yield to the fear of every thing else. He advises them to be kind to the seed of Israel. Those that expect to find favour when in trouble themselves, must show favour to those in trouble. What is here said concerning the throne of Hezekiah, also belongs, in a much higher sense, to the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Though by subjection to Him we may not enjoy worldly riches or honours, but may be exposed to poverty and contempt, we shall have peace of conscience and eternal life.

Verses 6-14 Those who will not be counselled, cannot be helped. More souls are ruined by pride than by any other sin whatever. Also, the very proud are commonly very passionate. With lies many seek to gain the gratification of pride and passion, but they shall not compass proud and angry projects. Moab was famous for fields and vineyards; but they shall be laid waste by the invading army. God can soon turn laughter into mourning, and joy into heaviness. In God let us always rejoice with holy triumph; in earthly things let us always rejoice with holy trembling. The prophet looks with concern on the desolations of such a pleasant country; it causes inward grief. The false gods of Moab are unable to help; and the God of Israel, the only true God, can and will make good what he has spoken. Let Moab know her ruin is very near, and prepare. The most awful declarations of Divine wrath, discover the way of escape to those who take warning. There is no escape, but by submission to the Son of David, and devoting ourselves to him. And, at length, when the appointed time comes, all the glory, prosperity, and multitude of the wicked shall perish.

Chapter Summary

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.