Isaiah 21:13-17

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 21:13-17

Arabia was a large country, that lay eastward and southward of the land of Canaan. Much of it was possessed by the posterity of Abraham. The Dedanim, here mentioned (Isa. 21:13), descended from Dedan, Abraham's son by Keturah; the inhabitants of Tema and Kedar descended from Ishmael, Gen. 25:3, 13, 15. The Arabians generally lived in tents, and kept cattle, were a hardy people, inured to labour; probably the Jews depended upon them as a sort of a wall between them and the more warlike eastern... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:13

The burden upon Arabia ,.... Which lay heavy upon it, as a burden upon a beast; or "concerning" it, or "against" it, as Kimchi notes; which Arabia, or what part thereof, is meant, may be gathered from the names after mentioned. The Targum is, "the burden of the cup of cursing, to give the Arabians to drink.' Ben Melech says, these are the Arabians that dwell in the wilderness: in the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge ; not in their tents and huts, which they had used to carry with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:15

For they fled from the swords ,.... Of their enemy, whom they could not withstand; perhaps the Assyrian army: from the drawn sword ; just ready to be sheathed in them: and from the bent bow ; just going to let the arrow fly at them: and from the grievousness of war : too heavy for them to bear. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:16

For thus hath the Lord said unto me ,.... The prophet; which confirms what is before said, as well as assures the accomplishment of what follows: within a year, according to the years of an hireling ; that is, exactly and precisely, as soon as ever the year is come to an end; for the hireling, when his year is up, instantly demands dismissal from his service, or his wages, or both. The time is to be reckoned from the delivery of this prophecy; and so the calamity predicted was brought... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:17

And the residue of the number of archers ,.... Or of "bow" F7 מספר קשת "numeri arcus", Montanus, Cocceius. , for "bows": that is, of men that use the bow, or are expert at it, as the Kedarenes were, both for taking wild beasts, and fighting with men, in which they followed their original ancestor Ishmael, Genesis 21:20 the number of these archers it seems had been great, but would be lessened by the calamity threatened; and those that would escape that, and be preserved from it,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 21:13

The burden upon Arabia "The oracle concerning Arabia" - This title is of doubtful authority. In the first place, because it is not in many of the MSS. of the Septuagint; it is in MSS. Pachom. and 1. D. 2. only, as far as I can find with certainty. Secondly, from the singularity of the phraseology; for משא massa is generally prefixed to its object without a preposition, as בבל משא massa babel ; and never but in this place with the preposition ב beth . Besides, as the word בערב ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 21:14

The land of Tema "The southern country" - Θαιμαν , Sept.; Austri, Vulg. They read תימן teiman , which seems to be right; for probably the inhabitants of Tema might be involved in the same calamity with their brethren and neighbors of Kedar, and not in a condition to give them assistance, and to relieve them, in their flight before the enemy, with bread and water. To bring forth bread and water is an instance of common humanity in such cases of distress; especially in those desert... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 21:17

The archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar "The mighty bowmen of the sons of Kedar" - Sagittariorum fortium , Vulg.; transposing the two words, and reading קשה גבורי gibborey kesheth ; which seems to be right. The strong men of the bow, the most excellent archers. For the Lord - hath spoken it "For Jehovah hath spoken it" - The prophetic Carmina of Marcius, foretelling the battle of Cannae, lib. 25:12, conclude with the same kind of solemn form: Nam mihi ita Jupiter... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 21:13

The burden upon Arabia ; rather, in Arabia . The phrase is varied from its usual form, probably because it is not Arabia generally, but only certain of the more northern tribes, on whom calamity is about to fall. In the forest … shall ye lodge . The word used is commonly translated "forest;" but Arabia has no forests, and the meaning hero must be "brushwood." Thorny bushes and shrubs are common in all parts of Arabia. The general meaning is that the caravans will have to leave the... read more

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