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
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