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
The tribes of Arabia. I. THE FATE OF THE DEDANITES . Their caravans must hide in the thorn-bushes away from the beaten track. These Dedanites belong to Edom ( Jeremiah 49:8 ; Ezekiel 25:13 ). They were merchants, and among others traded with wealthy Tyre ( Ezekiel 27:15 ). And probably the meaning is that when on their way from Tyre they would be compelled to camp in the desert, because of the wide spreading war from north to south. II. THE SYMPATHY OF THE ... read more
THE BURDEN OF ARABIA . Edom will have companions in misfortune among the Arab tribes upon her borders, Dedan, Tema, and Kedar. War will enter their territory, derange their commerce ( Isaiah 21:13 ), cause flight and privation ( Isaiah 21:14 , Isaiah 21:15 ), and within a year greatly diminish the number of their fighting men ( Isaiah 21:16 , Isaiah 21:17 ). The date of the prophecy is uncertain, but can scarcely be earlier than B.C. 715, when Sargon made an expedition into... read more
Our ills and their remedies. In this "burden" upon Arabia we may detect a picture or, at least, find a suggestion of— I. THE ILLS TO WHICH FLESH IS HEIR . 1. Being turned out of our course . The caravans of Dedan are obliged to forsake their track and find refuge in the forests or stony retreats of the desert ( Isaiah 21:13 ). Continually are we compelled to change our route as travelers along the road of life. We mark out our course and set out on our way, but... read more
For they fled ; rather, they have fled . The Dedanites have been attacked with sword and bow, and have fled from their assailants. Probably the enemy was Assyria, but no trace of the war has been found on the Assyrian monuments. read more
The grievousness of war. The grievousness of war is especially felt in defeat. Kedar was the most turbulent of the sons of Ishmael ( Genesis 25:13 ). "His hand" like that of his father, "was against every man, and every man's hand against him" ( Genesis 16:12 ). So long as his "mighty men," armed with their formidable bows, could ravage and plunder the inhabitants of more peaceable districts at their pleasure, and carry off plenty of spoil to their fastnesses in the rocky parts of the... read more
The grievousness of war. "For before the swords have they fled, before the drawn sword, and before the bent bow, and before the pressure of war." The figures imply that the people are conquered, their camp or city taken, and they pursued and cut down by a relentless, blood-thirsty enemy. As this subject is a familiar one, and illustrations lie ready to hand, only divisions need be given. The grievousness of war may be shown. I. IN THE SACRIFICES IT DEMANDS . II. IN THE... read more
For they fled - The inhabitants of one part of the land.The grievousness of war - Hebrew, כבד kobed - “the weight, the heaviness, the oppression” of war; probably from the calamities that would result from the march of the Assyrian through their land, either on his way to Judea or to Egypt. read more
Isaiah 21:14-15. The inhabitants of the land of Tema Another part of Arabia, (of which see Job 6:19; Jeremiah 25:23,) namely, the posterity of Tema, Ishmael’s son; brought water to him that was thirsty To the Dedanites, who are here represented as being reduced to great straits, being forced to flee from the enemy without any provision for their subsistence. They prevented with bread him that fled That is, that fled for his life from the sword of the enemy, as is more fully expressed in... read more
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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