Isaiah 16

KJV · Chapter 16/66

1Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.

2For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.

3Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth.

4Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.

5And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

6We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so.

7Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kir–hareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.

8For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.

9Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen.

10And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.

11Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir–haresh.

12And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.

13This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning Moab since that time.

14But now the Lord hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The lament over Moab continues: the prophet asks for refuge for Moabite fugitives in Judah and mourns the destruction of its vineyards and cities. At the end, a specific deadline is given: in three years Moab's glory will be almost entirely wiped out.

Explanation

The chapter directly continues the subject of the previous one, with Isaiah suggesting that Moab should seek protection under David's throne ('the tabernacle of David') instead of trusting in its own pride, cited as a defining trait of the Moabite people. The mention of the vineyards of Sibmah and Jazer shows that wine agriculture was the region's economic pride, and its destruction meant the total collapse of the local economy. The deadline of 'three years, as the years of a hired worker' (an exact count, not rounded) demonstrates the precision of Isaiah's prophecies, fulfilled when Assyria invaded the region. Today's application is that pride often keeps us from accepting help or refuge even when it is available.

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