Isaiah 21
I. (1-39) Condemnation
A. Chapters 1-12 - Prophecies against Judah
B. Chapters 13-23 - Prophecies against the Nations
1. \\#13:1-14:32\\ Babylon
2. \\#15:1-16:14\\ Moab
3. \\#17:1-14\\ Syria and Israel (northern kingdom)
4. \\#18:1-7\\ Unknown
5. \\#19:1-20:6\\ Egypt - The message to Egypt continues
6. \\#21:1-10\\ The Desert Area
7. \\#21:11-12\\ Edom
8. \\#21:13-17\\ Arabia
a. \\#1-10\\ "the burden of the desert of the sea" - This area is not
identified by name, but is described as a desert by the sea. Since it
is associated with a sea \\#1\\, with Elam \\#2\\, and with Babylon
\\#9\\, it is generally considered to be a vision relating an army
coming out of the desert south of Babylon. The judgment itself seems
fulfilled in the historical fall of Babylon to Persia (Dan 5).
(1) \\#1\\ "the burden of the desert of the sea" - Probably means the
burden of the desert BY the sea.
(2) \\#1\\ Sudden and destructive, like a sandstorm of the desert,
something will come out of the desert from a terrible land.
(a) The desert is described as being to the "south" and since
Babylon is the country mentioned as falling \\#9\\, most
consider the desert is south of Babylon.
(b) Since Elam and Media are mentioned \\#2\\ as "going up" or
advancing, this is probably the Persians defeating the
Babylonians as recorded in Daniel 5.
(3) \\#2\\ "Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media" - These kingdoms made up
the Persian kingdom. They are referred to as "the treacherous
dealer" and "the spoiler." Several commentaries point out that the
language used expresses the thought that Persia is repaying the
Babylonians for the treachery they gave to others.
(4) \\#2, 3\\ "A grievous vision…. therefore are my loins filled
with pains, pangs have taken hold upon me…." - Isaiah makes
several references of sympathy toward those who are to be defeated
\\#Is 15:5, 16:6,11\\.
(5) \\#4\\ "the night of my pleasure turned into fear" - Isaiah, seeing
the destruction that shall fall upon Babylon, is moved from delight
that God will destroy Babylon to awe and fear at the severity of
its destruction.
(6) \\#5-9\\ The verses parallel the events of the fall as recorded in
Daniel 5.
i. \\#5\\ "Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink" -
With the city of Babylon besieged, Belshazzar made a feast to a
thousand of his lords \\#Dan 5:1\\. The Persians rerouted
the river that flowed under Babylon’s walls while the
Babylonians ate and drank.
ii. \\#6\\ God tells Isaiah to "set a watchman, let him declare
what he seeth" - Apparently, Isaiah is seeing through the
eyes of a watchman on the wall.
iii. \\#7-8\\ "a chariot with a couple of horsemen" - There are
several theories as to what the messengers mean. Perhaps
the message is to Babylon, perhaps to Persia.
iv. \\#9\\ However, their message is clear enough, "Babylon is
fallen."
(7) \\#10\\ Even though Isaiah’s message is one of threshing or
judgment against a nation (Babylon) that has not even risen to
power yet, Isaiah confirms that the message is giving is what he
has heard from the Lord.
b. \\#11-12\\ "The burden of Dumah… Seir"
(1) \\#11\\ Seir is a mountain in Edom (near Petra) and Dumah
seems to be a tribe or region in or at least near Edom (There was
a Dumah in Arabia but since Seir is mentioned, we suppose the
Dumah is the one closer to Edom.
(a) Because of the brevity of this prophecy and the use of the same
image, that of a watchman, as the last section, some believe
this passage is a continuation of the last prophecy.
(b) The fact that a specific locations, Seir and Dumah, are given,
would indicate that we are looking at a different area.
(2) "He" - The pronoun is capitalized, perhaps a reference to God.
Isaiah is emphasizing that the Lord has spoken to him \\#10\\.
Perhaps God is still speaking to him in \\#11\\.
(3) "Watchman" - The image is of a watchman, watching in the night.
(a) "Watchman" is capitalized which implies it is being used as a
proper name.
(b) Isaiah was either the watchman in the preceding verses or he
was looking through the eyes of the watchman, for he saw what
the watchman saw. Perhaps Isaiah is the watchman in these
verses.
(4) "the morning cometh"
(a) The watchman is being asked, "What happened to the night? The
morning is coming and soon, another night."
(b) Night is often a picture of sorrow, adversity, or judgment.
The morning is a time of relief.
(5) Perhaps this message is a prophecy of the re-occurring judgments upon
Edom and those in that area. They are conquered by Assyria,
Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome— one night of judgment after
another.
(6) Why is this a burden to Edom or Dumah? Why not Israel or any other
nation who suffered under the multiple incursions?
(7) It is interesting to note that the first section \\#Is 21:1-10\\ is
clearly Persia attacking Babylon and the last section
\\#Is 21:13-17\\ is probably Assyria attacking Arabia, but these
two verses do not make clear who the attacker is.
c. \\#13-17\\ "The burden of Arabia" - Arabia is a one-million square mile
peninsula between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.
(1) Three names are mentioned in this section: Dedan \\#13\\, Tema
\\#14\\, and Kedar \\#17\\. Although it is possible that there
are multiple people and cities with those names, it is interesting
that….
(a) All are descendents of Abraham through lines other than Sarah -
Temar and Kedar are sons of Ishmael (Hagar) and Dedan is a son
of Keturah.
(b) All three had cities named after them in Arabia. Parsons’ Map
of the Nations show them being south and west of Israel, near
the Red Sea.
(2) \\#13\\ The "traveling companies of Dedanim" shall lodge in the
"forest in Arabia."
(a) The word for FOREST does not have to be a heavily wooded area.
It appears that Arabia has little of that kind of forest.
Instead, the word can mean thicket or over growth. Both Dedan
and Tema are on the Red Sea, making it likely that areas of
heavy growth were common.
(b) The Dedanims were traders who traveled much, but the idea is
that they will be in hiding for fear of some danger.
(3) \\#14\\ Their cousins from Tema "brought them water… with their
bread." It is possible that Tema was not in as much danger as
Dedan, although that is speculation.
(4) \\#15\\ But in danger Dedan was for "they fled from the swords…
the drawn sword…bent bow, and from the grievousness of war."
Since there is nothing to indicate otherwise, we assume this has
been historically fulfilled, perhaps by Assyria.
(5) \\#16\\ "Within a year… all the glory of Kedar shall fail" -
Kedar was around 150 miles north of Dedan and Tema, which are
close to each other.
(a) For Kedar to fall so quickly would imply a near-at-hand enemy.
The enemy-at-hand during Isaiah’s lifetime was Assyria.
(b) According to Logos Deluxe Map Set, Assyria’s kingdom included
all of Arabia.
(6) \\#17\\ God repeats the prophecy, making it even more clear and
sure.
<Outline
Index> <Close Window>
