Isaiah 42:11 - Exposition

The wilderness and the cities thereof . The desert had its cities, built on some more or less fertile oases, where at any rate water was procurable. Instances of such cities are Tudmor, Petra, Kadesh ( Numbers 20:1 ). Its villages were probably collections of tents, which were moved from time to time, since the Beni-Kedar were nomads ( Isaiah 21:16 ; Psalms 120:5 ). The call is upon both the stationary and the wandering inhabitants of the Syro-Arabian desert to join in the song of praise. The inhabitants of the rock ; rather, the inhabitants of Sela , or Ðåôñá , the rock-city, which was the capital of Idumaea, or Edom (see the comment on Isaiah 16:1-14 . l). It is assumed that the return of the Israelites to their land ought to be a subject of rejoicing to all their neighbours.