Isaiah 21:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar will be few, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken."

NIV: The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few." The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.

NASB: and the remainder of the number of bowmen, the warriors of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken.'

CSB: The remaining Kedarite archers will be few in number." For the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.

NLT: Only a few of its courageous archers will survive. I, the Lord, the God of Israel, have spoken!'

KJV: And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it.

NKJV: and the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the people of Kedar, will be diminished; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken it.”

This passage has described the fate of Arabia, in general, and now that of Kedar. The region of Kedar was made up of tribes settled in northern Arabia. They were known as merchants, caravanning traders, and sheep breeders. Some in the region apparently held significant wealth and possessions.

The prophet's oracle has announced that within a year, the greatness of Kedar will come to an end (Isaiah 21:16). This may refer to an invasion of the region by the Assyrians or some other powerful nation. Whatever military power those people had will be reduced to almost nothing. Only a few warriors of Kedar will survive the onslaught. What glory the people possessed will be stripped away by their attackers.

Why will this happen? Isaiah does not break down the geo-political motivations of the Assyrian empire or other regional powers. The prophet simply says that the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken. What God has said He will do, will be done. The Lord God will cause this fate to happen upon the people of Kedar. He may use kings and nations to accomplish His will, but it remains His will that is being carried out.

Judah must trust the Lord to protect and provide for them. Every other attempt at alliance or allegiance with other sources will fail. They need to believe that they need the Lord and that He will take care of them.

Chapter 21:13–17 contains Isaiah's oracle from the Lord various tribes of Arabia (Jeremiah 24:23–24). Due to conflicts in the region, the descendants of Dedan (Genesis 25:3) will become refugees. They will be forced to move their caravans off the main roads and hide in the thickets. Isaiah calls for the people of wealthy Tema to bring them food and water in their distress. Within a year, the glory of the people of Kedar will be ended and most of their warriors wiped out. Isaiah is certain this will happen because the Lord has spoken. What the Lord says will happen, will happen.

This chapter delivers oracles against three people groups. Isaiah is terrified to the point of physical pain by the vision he sees. God reveals the terrible things coming for Babylon. Isaiah answers the Lord's call to be a watchman. When he sees the arrival of riders approaching the city, he announces that Babylon has fallen. The oracle against Dumah presents a question from an Edomite with an unsatisfying answer. The oracle against Arabia pictures starving refugees that must be fed and declares that the warriors of Kedar will be nearly wiped out within a year.

Earlier chapters included prophecies about nations such as Aram, Egypt, and Cush. Chapter 21 presents three more oracles against Israel's regional neighbors. What Isaiah sees is so horrific that he suffers intense physical pain just from watching. He answers the call to be a watchman, eventually announcing that Babylon has fallen. An oracle against Dumah provides no real answer to the question of how long the night of suffering will continue for Edom. Arabia, too, will suffer at the hand of powerful regional forces. Next is a prophecy about Jerusalem.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).