Isaiah 16:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, when he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail.

NIV: When Moab appears at her high place, she only wears herself out; when she goes to her shrine to pray, it is to no avail.

NASB: So it will come about when Moab presents himself, When he tires himself upon his high place And comes to his sanctuary to pray, That he will not prevail.

CSB: When Moab appears and tires himself out on the high place and comes to his sanctuary to pray, it will do him no good.

NLT: The people of Moab will worship at their pagan shrines, but it will do them no good. They will cry to the gods in their temples, but no one will be able to save them.

KJV: And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.

NKJV: And it shall come to pass, When it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, That he will come to his sanctuary to pray; But he will not prevail.

With the official oracle, or prophecy, against Moab completed, Isaiah adds a few notes. First, the Moabites will pray for help from their god. They will go to great lengths humiliating and debasing themselves towards this idol. None of that will matter. They will not prevail nor will their god intervene.

Chemosh was the false god of the Moabites (1 Kings 11:33). Like all imaginary gods, he was powerless. He could not save Moab from the invaders. Nor could he spare them from the judgment of the real God: the Lord of Israel. The larger point of all these oracles was to show the Israelites that they should not turn to other nations, or their gods, for protection. Only the one true God of Israel could save them. They must trust in Him alone, no matter how unlikely their chances of victory looked from a human perspective. No victory is too large for the Lord, regardless how unlikely it may have seemed.

Isaiah 16:1–14 begins with an official request to settle in Judah, spoken by Moabite refugees. This request is followed by a declaration that a descendant of David will establish the throne of Israel with love and righteousness when the oppressor is no more. Isaiah points to the arrogance of Moab regarding their abundance. This pride will be shown to be empty talk since it can be taken away in a night. Isaiah calls everyone to wail for Moab's losses and weep for the end of the grape harvest and its products. He reveals the judgment will fall in three years.

The refugees of Moab send a tribute to Jerusalem and make an official request to shelter in Judah due to the oppression of the enemy in their own land. After the oppressor is no more, the throne of the Messiah will be established in Israel. Moab's pride and arrogance about their abundance are revealed to be empty talk since it can all be taken away in a night. Isaiah calls everyone to wail and mourn for the suffering of Moab. He weeps for the loss of the grape harvest. The prophet announces this judgement will happen in three years.

Prior chapters included predictions about Assyria, Babylon, and Philistia. Chapter 15 introduces a prophecy about an enemy invading Moab. Chapter 16 finds the Moabite refugees in Sela. They ask Judah for shelter. Isaiah points to the pride and arrogance of Moab about their wealth that can be taken away in a single night. He calls everyone to mourn with him for the loss of the grape harvest and its products in Moab. The Moabites' prayers to their god will not prevent judgment from falling on them in three years. The next prophecy, in chapter 17, deals with Damascus.

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).

Accessed 4/28/2024 11:22:31 AM