Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 16:13

This [is] the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning Moab since that time.

13. since that time ] Render aforetime. The expression is used both of the recent past (as in 2Sa 15:34) and of a remote or even immemorial past (as Pro 8:22; Psa 93:2). The sense here is indeterminate.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

13, 14. The Epilogue. See Introductory Note.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

This is the word – This is the substance of the former predictions respecting Moab. This has been the general course or sense of the prophecies respecting Moab, during all its history.

Since that time – Formerly; from former times. There had been a course of predictions declaring in general that Moab should be destroyed, and the prophet says here that he had expressed their general sense; or that his predictions accorded with them all – for they all predicted the complete overthrow of Moab. He now says Isa 16:14 that these general prophecies respecting Moab which had been of so long standing were now to be speedily accomplished. The prophecies respecting Moab, foretelling its future ruin, may be seen in Exo 15:15; Num 21:29; Num 24:17; Psa 60:8; Psa 108:9; Amo 2:2; Zep 2:9. It may, however, be intended here that the former portion of this prophecy had been uttered by Isaiah himself during the early part of his prophetic life. He is supposed to have prophesied some sixty or more years (see Introduction, Section 3); and it may be that the prophecy in the fifteenth and the previous part of the sixteenth chapter had been uttered during the early part of his life without specifying the time when it would be fulfilled; but now he says, that it would be accomplished in three years. Or it may be that some other prophet had uttered the prediction which he now repeats with additions at the close. The fact that Isaiah had done this on some occasions seems probable from the beginning of Isa. 2, which appears to be a quotation from Mic 4:1-3 (see the Analysis to Isa 15:1-9, and the notes at Isa 2:2).

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Since the beginning of Gods revelation to me concerning Moab, and hitherto; which exposition seems to be confirmed by the following words, but now.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

13. since that timerather,”respecting that time” [HORSLEY].BARNES translates it,”formerly” in contrast to “but now“(Isa 16:14): heretofore formerprophecies (Exo 15:15; Num 21:29)have been given as to Moab, of which Isaiah has given the substance:but now a definite and steady time also is fixed.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

This [is] the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning Moab,…. That is, this prophecy now delivered out is what comes from the Lord; it is the word of the Lord, and not of man, and so shall certainly come to pass; when this word was spoken follows:

since that time; from eternity, as some, and so refer it to the decree of God within himself; or from the time that Moab was in being, or a nation, as others; or from the time that Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, so Jarchi; or rather from the time that the Lord made known his mind and will, concerning this matter, to the prophet Isaiah: for it should be rendered, “this is that word which the Lord spake concerning Moab then” i; that is, at the time or year in which Ahaz died, Isa 14:28 and is observed, to distinguish it from what the prophet spoke, or was about to speak, now or from this time, concerning him, as in the next verse Isa 16:14.

i So Noldius, Ebr. Concord. Part. p. 473. No. 1586.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The massa is now brought to a close, and there follows an epilogue which fixes the term of the fulfilment of what is not predicted now for the first time, from the standpoint of the anticipated history. “This is the word which Jehovah spake long ago concerning Moab. And now Jehovah speaketh thus: In three years, like years of a hireling, the glory of Moab is disgraced, together with all the multitude of the great; a remnant is left, contemptibly small, not great at all.” The time fixed is the same as in Isa 20:3. Of working time the hirer remits nothing, and the labourer gives nothing in. The statement as to the time, therefore, is intended to be taken exactly: three years, not more, rather under than over. Then will the old saying of God concerning Moab be fulfilled. Only a remnant, a contemptible remnant, will be left ( , cf., , Isa 8:6, in sense equivalent to ); for every history of the nations is but the shadow of the history of Israel.

The massa in Isaiah 15:1-16:12 was a word that had already gone forth from Jehovah “long ago.” This statement may be understood in three different senses. In the first place, Isaiah may mean that older prophecies had already foretold essentially the same concerning Moab. But what prophecies? We may get an answer to this question from the prophecies of Jeremiah concerning Moab in Jer 48. Jeremiah there reproduces the massa Moab of the book of Isaiah, but interweaves with it reminiscences (1.) out of the m ashal on Moab in Num 21:27-30; (2.) out of Balaam’s prophecy concerning Moab in Num 24:17; (3.) out of the prophecy of Amos concerning Moab (Amo 2:1-3). And it might be to these earlier words of prophecy that Isaiah here refers (Hvernick, Drechsler, and others). But this is very improbable, as there is no ring of these earlier passages in the massa , such as we should expect if Isaiah had had them in his mind. Secondly, Isaiah might mean that Isa 15:1. contained the prophecy of an older prophet, which he merely brought to remembrance in order to connect therewith the precise tenor of its fulfilment which had been revealed to him. This is at present the prevailing view. Hitzig, in a special work on the subject (1831), as well as in his Commentary, has endeavoured to prove, on the ground of 2Ki 14:25, that in all probability Jonah was the author of the oracle which Isaiah here resumes. And Knobel, Maurer, Gus tav Baur, and Thenius agree with him in this; whilst De Wette, Ewald, and Umbreit regard it as, at any rate, decidedly non-Messianic. If the conjecture that Jonah was the author could but be better sustained, we should heartily rejoice in this addition to the history of the literature of the Old Testament. But all that we know of Jonah is at variance with such a conjecture. He was a prophet of the type of Elijah and Elisha, in whom the eloquence of a prophet’s words was thrown altogether into the shade by the energy of a prophet’s deeds. His prophecy concerning the restoration of the kingdom of Israel to its old boundaries, which was fulfilled by the victories of Jeroboam II, we cannot therefore imagine to have been so pictorial or highly poetical as the massa Moab (which would only be one part of that prophecy) really is; and the fact that he was angry at the sparing of Nineveh harmonizes very badly with its elegiac softness and its flood of tears. Moreover, it is never intimated that the conquerors to whom Moab was to succumb would belong to the kingdom of Israel; and the hypothesis is completely overthrown by the summons addressed to Moab to send tribute to Jerusalem. But the conclusion itself, that the oracle must have originated with any older prophet whatever, is drawn from very insufficient premises. No doubt it is a thing altogether unparalleled even in Isaiah, that a prophecy should assume so thoroughly the form of a kinah , or lamentation; still there are tendencies to this in Isa 22:4 (cf., Isa 21:3-4), and Isaiah was an inexhaustible master of language of every character and colour. It is true we do light upon many expressions which cannot be pointed out anywhere else in the book of Isaiah, such as baale goyim , hedad , y e lalah , yara , yithrah , m ahir , m etz , nosaphoth , pekuddah (provision, possession); and there is something peculiar in the circular movement of the prophecy, which is carried out to such an extent in the indication of reason and consequence, as well as in the perpetually returning, monotonous connection of the sentences by c i (for) and al – cen ( lacen , therefore), the former of which is repeated twice in Isa 15:1, three times in Isa 15:8-9, and four times in succession in Isa 15:5-6. But there is probably no prophecy, especially in chapters 13-23, which does not contain expressions that the prophet uses nowhere else; and so far as the conjunctions c i and a l – cen ( lacen ), are concerned, Isaiah crowds them together in other passages as well, and here almost to monotony, as a natural consequence of the prevailing elegiac tone. Besides, even Ewald can detect the characteristics of Isaiah in Isa 16:1-6; and you have only to dissect the whole rhetorically, syntactically, and philologically, with the carefulness of a Caspari, to hear throughout the ring of Isaiah’s style. And whoever has retained the impression which he brought with him from the oracle against Philistia, will be constrained to say, that not only the stamp and outward form, but also the spirit and ideas, are thoroughly Isaiah’s. Hence the third possible conjecture must be the correct one. Thirdly, then, Isaiah may mean that the fate of Moab, which he has just proclaimed, was revealed to him long ago; and the addition made now is, that it will be fulfilled in exactly three years. does not necessarily point to a time antecedent to that of Isaiah himself (compare Isa 44:8; Isa 48:3, Isa 48:5, Isa 48:7, with 2Sa 15:34). If we assume that what Isaiah predicts down to Isa 16:12 was revealed to him in the year that Ahaz died, and that the epilogue reckons from the third or tenth year of Hezekiah, in either case the interval is long enough for the m e’az (from of old). And we decide in favour of this. Unfortunately, we know nothing certain as to the time at which the three years commence. The question whether it was Shalmanassar, Sargon, or Sennacherib who treated the Moabites so harshly, is one that we cannot answer. In Herodotus (ii. 141), Sennacherib is called “king of the Arabians and Assyrians;” and Moab might be included in the Arabians. In any case, after the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy in the Assyrian times, there was still a portion left, the fulfilment of which, according to Jer 48, was reserved for the Chaldeans.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

13. This is the word. This concluding sentence is the ratification of the prophecy. It means that he has pronounced the decree of God himself, and that he has brought nothing forward that did not proceed from the Lord, and thus, laying aside the person of a man, he introduces God speaking in this manner.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

d. INEXORABLE

TEXT: Isa. 16:13-14

13

This is the word that Jehovah spake concerning Moab in time past.

14

But now Jehovah hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of a hireling, the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt, with all his great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and of no account.

QUERIES

a.

What word had Jehovah spoken in time past?

b.

What are the years of a hireling?

PARAPHRASE

Jehovah has spoken many times and long in the past the doom of Moab. And now it is about to be fulfilled. Precisely within three years (as precisely as the hired laborer keeps track of his contract) the glory of Moab will be turned into contempt. The once proud Moabites will be a spectacle of defeat and shame. Only a very small and insignificant remnant will be spared.

COMMENTS

Isa. 16:13-14 ABASEMENT: Isaiah declares that the abasement of Moab spoken so agonizingly in Isa. 16:6-12 had been predicted by Jehovah many times in the past. Moabs demise is predicted as far back as the Pentateuch. Now the time limit is precisely ascribed. Three years hence! We do not know exactly when Isaiah made this prophecy. The defeat he refers to was administered at the hands of Shalmaneser IV (727 B.C.) or his successor, Sargon II (722 B.C.), potentates of Assyria. Moab, after the Assyrian conquests, became a wasteland, inhabited by nomadic tribes of desert-people. It remains so to this day. A very small remnant of Moabite people mixed with other nomadic peoples of that area and became the progenitors of those nomadic tribes inhabiting that deserted area today. God keeps His word!

QUIZ

1.

How far back in the past had Jehovah declared Moabs doom?

2.

Approximately when did Isaiah write this precise prediction?

3.

What happened, eventually, to the Moabites?

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(13) Since that time.The phrase is used of an indefinite past, like our of yore, or of old time. It is variously translated by hitherto (2Sa. 15:34), from the beginning (Isa. 48:3; Isa. 48:5; Isa. 48:7). It seems to imply that thus far Isaiah had been in part reproducing the burden of an older prophet, or of one given to him to deliver at an earlier date.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Isa 16:13-14. This is the wordsince that time, &c. This is the word which Jehovah spake concerning Moab long ago. Lowth. The prophet had described the future calamity of Moab; but, as the completion of the prophesies was often at a great distance, it happened that men neglected, or at least less regarded, those prophesies which they saw not fulfilled in their own time. That this might not happen in the present case, he adds, that this prophesy should be shortly fulfilled, nay, even within three years. In this passage, or epilogue to this remarkable prophesy, the prophet first informs us, that what he here denounces is not new, but had been long since revealed to him or to other prophets; Isa 16:13. See Amo 2:1. Secondly, That this prophesy should be fulfilled within three years; Isa 16:14. Years, as the years of an hireling, mean “a precise number of years,” determined in the same manner as those of a person who hires himself for any settled time. See chap. Isa 21:16. Vitringa is of opinion, that this prophesy was delivered at the same time with that preceding; that is, in the year when Ahaz died, at which time the Israelites as well as the Jews stood much in need of the kindness of the Moabites; so that it had its completion in the third year of king Hezekiah, namely, from the death of his father, which was really the fourth year of his reign, when Salmanezer, coming against the Ephraimites, on a sudden attacked the Moabites, and plundered and destroyed their cities. See 2Ki 18:9. Mystically, says Vitringa, the Moabites may here signify those false Christians, who, once ingrafted into the true church, have yet degenerated into empty superstition; and, instead of friends, become the veriest enemies to the true Israel of God.

REFLECTIONS.1st, To prevent the threatened ruin, the prophet warns them what steps to take; to do justice, and shew mercy; and leaves them inexcusable if they reject the admonition.

1. He advises them to send their tribute, laid on them by David, which was paid in lambs and rams, from Sela, their capital, to the wilderness, the nearest road which led to Zion, to the ruler of the land, to Hezekiah, David’s rightful successor; or, O ruler of the land, the king of Moab, whose duty it was to pay it, and that on the peril of his being ejected from his country; for it shall be, or, otherwise it shall be; if this justice be not done, then, as a wandering bird should they be driven from their houses to the borders of their country, and in consternation, uncertain whither to flee.

2. He counsels them to shew mercy to the outcasts of Israel, who, on the invasion of the Assyrians, should fly to hide themselves from their fury. They should protect and cherish them, as a thick shadow, from the scorching heat of persecution; conceal them from their enemies, and never betray them if pursued, but let them dwell in safety in their land till the tyranny was overpast, which should not last long; whether that of Salmanezer, who, after ravaging the country, returned; or that of Sennacherib, whose army was so quickly destroyed. Note; (1.) God’s people are often persecuted and driven from their homes; but God is with them, and will find them a covert from the storm. (2.) They who are kind to God’s outcasts shall find him abundantly recompensing the favour.

3. It would be their interest as well as duty thus to act. As God would establish the throne of Hezekiah, and long continue him in the tabernacle of David, executing righteous judgment, and readily administering justice to the needy, he would be enabled to return the kindness to Moab when her distresses should arrive. Note; We should study to oblige every man, as we know not what need we may have of his assistance before we die.

2nd, Because Moab haughtily rejected the prophetic counsel, his doom is near.
1. His sins were great and notorious; with haughtiness and pride he treated the poor refugees of Israel, and in wrath persecuted rather than protected them. But his lies, or his strength, shall not be so. He hath mischievous designs against Israel; but God will disappoint his wiles, or break his power, so that his wicked purposes shall not be brought to pass. Note; (1.) Pride in God’s sight is most abominable. (2.) It is a mercy for God’s people, that the power of their enemies is not proportioned to their malice.

2. The sorrows of Moab would be increased; their strongest fortresses levelled with the ground, and their fertile land wasted. The vine of Sibmah, which spreads her tendrils even unto Jazer, a city in Gilead, and to the Dead Sea, the borders of their country, now languishes, broken down by the lords of the heathen, the Assyrian army; and Heshbon’s fruitful fields, no longer cheered with the songs of reapers, or the shouts of those who trod the wine-press, in mournful solitude and silence lie desolate and barren. The prophet, while he denounces the judgment, weeps for their ruin, and, like the trembling strings of the harp, his bowels yearn in compassion over them. Note; (1.) Sorrow and sin are twin-sisters. (2.) The miseries even of the wicked move a gracious heart to pity them.

3. All applications to their idol gods would be in vain: though they went from one high place to another, as Balak of old, till they wearied themselves with sacrifices, their miseries would not abate; and as fruitless would be their prayers before the shrine of Chemosh. The decree was gone forth, since that time, the date of the prophesy in the first year of Hezekiah, and was now irreversible. Note; (1.) When prayer is the extorted cry of suffering, and not the voice of repentant sorrow, no marvel it as rejected. (2.) There is a time when prayer comes too late to profit: it will be in vain to knock when the door is shut.

4. The day of execution is fixed for Moab’s destruction, when their glory shall be despicable, their multitude of soldiers cut off, and the remnant weak and disabled to make head against their invaders. In three years, as the years of a hireling, who waits with earnestness the expiration of his contract, the people of God might expect the fulfilment of the prophesy. But now the Lord hath spoken concerning a near event, which was a warning to them, and a prelude to their final ruin.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Here is the close of the history of Moab, and an awful history it is. The Lord’s purpose, and the time of executing his purpose, are both determined: so hath it been in all ages, and so it is, and must be accomplished. What a solemn, but beautiful observation the apostle Peter makes upon this subject, in the close of one of his Epistles: he had been observing, with much pain of mind, how profane scoffers held in contempt the Lord’s threatenings of sinners, and closeth up the observation with a word of consolation to the Lord’s people: Beloved (saith he) be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years; and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And then the apostle adds a most striking scripture, and an earnest exhortation from it, to which I pray the Reader to refer, 2Pe 3:10-14 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Isa 16:13 This [is] the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning Moab since that time.

Ver. 13. This is the word that the Lord hath spoken. ] And is therefore sure and certain; for the word of the Lord “cannot be broken” Joh 10:35

Since that time, ] i.e., Since Balaam, hired by Balak (say the Hebrews), cursed not the Israelites as he would have done, but the Moabites, as he was made to do. Ex tunc.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)