Isaiah 21:16

For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail: YEARS OF AN HIRELING - (note, .) AND ALL THE GLORY OF KEDAR SHALL FAIL - a wandering tribe (), north of Arabia Petrea, and south of Arabia Deserts; put for Arabia in general....

16._For thus hath the Lord said to me. _He adds that this defeat of the Arabians, of which he prophesied, is close at hand; which tended greatly to comfort the godly. We are naturally fiery, and do not willingly allow the object of our desire to be delayed; and the Lord takes into account our weakness in this respect, when he says that he hastens his work. He therefore declares that he prophesies of things which shall happen, not after many ages, but immediately, that the Jews may bear more patiently their afflictions, from which they know that they will be delivered in a short time. _Yet a year according to the years of the hireling. _Of the metaphor of “the year of the hireling,” which he adds for the purpose of stating the matter more fully, we have already spoken. (75) It means that the time will not be delayed. The same comparison is used by heathen authors, where they intend to des...

13-17 The Arabians lived in tents, and kept cattle. A destroying army shall be brought upon them, and make them an easy prey. We know not what straits we may be brought into before we die. Those may know the want of necessary food who now eat bread to the full. Neither the skill of archers, nor the courage of mighty men, can protect from the judgments of God. That is poor glory, which will thus quickly come to nothing. Thus hath the Lord said to me; and no word of his shall fall to the ground. We may be sure the Strength of Israel will not lie. Happy are those only whose riches and glory are out of the reach of invaders; all other prosperity will speedily pass away....

WITHIN A YEAR - What has been said before was figurative. Here the prophet speaks without a metaphor, and fixes the time when this should be accomplished. It is not usual for the prophets to designate the exact “time” of the fulfillment of their prophecies in this manner. ACCORDING TO THE YEARS OF AN HIRELING - Exactly; observing the precise time specified Job 7:1. See the phrase explained on Isaiah 16:14. ALL THE GLORY - The beauty, pride, strength, wealth, etc. OF KEDAR - Kedar was a son of Ishmael Genesis 25:15. He was the father of the Kedareneans or “Cedrai,” mentioned

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 21:1 THE BURDEN OF THE DESERT OF THE SEA. This is a short and somewhat vague, but highly poetic, "burden of Babylon" It is probably an earlier prophecy than Isaiah 13:1. and 14; and perhaps the first revelation made to Isaiah with respect to the fall of the great Chaldean capital. It exhibits no consciousness of the fact that Babylon is Judah's predestined destroyer, and is expressive rather of sympathy (verses 3, 4) than of triumph. Among recent critics, some suppose it to refer to Sargon's capture of the city in B.C. 710; but the objection to this view, from the entire absence of all reference to Assyria as the conq

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 upon them by the Assyrians, perhaps under Sennacherib, when he invaded the cities of Judah, and might take Arabia in his way; less time is allowed than was the Moabites, who suffered by the same hand; see Isaiah 16:14: AND ALL THE GLORY OF KEDAR SHALL FAIL; these were another sort of Arabians, as the Targum calls them: they descended from Kedar, a son of Ishmae

CHAPTER 21 The Burdens of the Desert of the Sea, of Dumah, and Arabia 1. _The burden of the desert of the sea (Babylon) (Isaiah 21:1)_ 2. _The burden of Dumah (Isaiah 21:11)_ 3. _The burden upon Arabia (Isaiah 21:13)_ The fall of Babylon is predicted, for Media is mentioned. This event was over two centuries in the future. Isaiah beholds the Persian hosts advancing. Such is prophecy, “history written in advance.”...

ORACLE ON THE DEDANITES. Date and authorship are unknown. If by Isaiah it may refer to an expected invasion in 720 or 711. Probably Isaiah 21:16 f, is an appendix, the original oracle, Isaiah 21:13. being from the same hand as Isaiah 21:1 and Isaiah 21:11 f. The title should probably be rendered oracle in the wilderness. If RV is correct, Arabia is not used _in_ its modern significance, but as the home of an Arabian tribe. The prophet addresses the Dedanites, an Arabian tribe engaged in the caravan trade. Their caravans, fleeing from the sword, have to leave the ordinary routes and take refuge in the bush of the desert. They

WITHIN. YEAR. Later afflictions were foretold in Jeremiah 49:28. KEDAR. Another descendant of Abraham by Hagar through Ishmael (Genesis 25:13)....

The oracle on Arabia, Isaiah 21:13 A vision (Isaiah 21:13) and its interpretation (Isaiah 21:16). A caravan of the merchant-tribe of Dedan is seen driven by stress of war from the regular route, and lurking in solitary places, destitute of food and water. The travellers are succoured by the hospitality of the neighbouring tribe of Tema (Isaiah 21:13). This vision symbolises a great destruction within a short time of the nomadic Arabs, purposed by Jehovah the God of Israel (16 f.). Here again positive indications of date are wanting. If the oracle belongs to the same group as the two which precede, the enemy would be the Persian conquerors