The Request To Judah Is Never Actualised Because of the Pride of Moab, With Sad Results (Isaiah 16:6-14).
Analysis of Isaiah 16:6-14.
a We have heard of the pride of Moab, (he is very proud), even of his arrogance, and his pride and his wrath. His boastings are nothing
b Therefore will Moab howl for Moab. Everyone will howl. You will mourn for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth, utterly stricken
c For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah. The lords of the nations, have broken down its choice plants. They reached even to Jazer, they wandered into the wilderness. Her branches were spread abroad, they passed over the sea
c Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jazer, for the vine of Sibmah, I will water you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh, for on your summer fruits and on your harvest, the shout has failed, and gladness is taken away, and joy out of the fruitful field, and in the vineyards there will be no singing, nor joyful noise, no treader will tread out wine in the presses. I have made the shout to cease
b For which reason My bowels sound like a harp for Moab, and my inward parts for Kir-heres. And it will come about that when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, and will come to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail
a This is the word that Yahweh spoke concerning Moab in time past. But now Yahweh has spoken saying, “Within three years, as the years of a hired servant, and the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, with (in spite of) all his great multitude, and the remnant will be very few and not mighty (Isaiah 16:13-14).
In ‘a' the pride of Moab and his boastings are spoken of, and in the parallel their boastings will prove in vain for they will be brought into contempt and become few in number. In ‘b' the result will be that Moab will howl, and mourn for the lack of their religious rites, and in the parallel Yahweh's heart will sound like a doleful harp, for when Moab wear themselves out on their high places and come to their sanctuary to pray, they will not prevail. In ‘c' there is weeping because the fields of Heshbon and the vine of Sibmah fail, and the choice plants that reached to Jazer will be broken down, While in the parallel, following the reverse order, there is weeping in Jazer, and the vine of Sibmah and Heshbon will be watered with their tears because the harvest of grain and vine has failed and there is no joy in harvest there.
‘We have heard of the pride of Moab.
He is very proud.
Even of his arrogance, and his pride and his wrath.
His boastings are nothing.
Therefore will Moab howl for Moab.
Everyone will howl.
You will mourn for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth,
Utterly stricken.'
On the basis of the first interpretation above this is Isaiah's comment on why Moab do not take up the offer. Their pride is offended. They do not want to submit to the son of David. They do not want to put their trust in the covenant. They would prefer to stay in Edom where they are appreciated and there are no strict requirements, in spite of it not being as secure or pleasant as in Judah. Thus, says Isaiah, they will suffer for their pride and continue to howl and mourn. They might have had covenant love, righteousness, truth and justice. Instead they cling to their pride, their arrogance and their wrath, although their boastings are really worth nothing. The fact is that in the end they do not want to submit to Yahweh.
On the basis of the second interpretation above this would appear to be a rejection of their pleas by Judah. The grounds are then based on Moab's behaviour in the past, the pride, arrogance and anger that they have previously shown towards Judah. And they had boasted against Judah, but now their boasting has come to nothing. Therefore they will be left to howl and to make do as they can. We must remember that to shelter the Moabites would be to offend the king of Assyria and to risk invasion.
‘The raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth.' Raisin cakes may refer to an important aspect of the worship of their gods (Hosea 3:1 compare Jeremiah 44:19). The suggestion might be that they have refused submission to Yahweh, but now have nowhere else to turn. Or the raisin cakes may have been a recognised delicacy for which Kir-hareseth was famous (compare 1 Chronicles 12:40).
‘For the fields of Heshbon languish,
And the vine of Sibmah.
The lords of the nations,
Have broken down its choice plants.
They reached even to Jazer,
They wandered into the wilderness.
Her branches were spread abroad,
They passed over the sea.'
Moab has cause to howl because the fields of their capital city languish as do the choice vine of Sibmah. This is because ‘the lords of the nations' (compare Isaiah 13:4), Assyrian allied leaders, have broken down their choice plants.
‘They reached even to Jazer, they wandered into the wilderness. Her branches were spread abroad, they passed over the sea.' This presumably refers to how choice the plants were. Jazer was beyond the northern border, with the wilderness to the east, and the sea to the west. The picture is of the vine spreading in all directions, signifying the export of its produce. But now there will be no more exports. Their means of prosperity has gone.
(An alternative translation is ‘her choice plants have broken down the lords of the nations', that is, made them drunk and helpless, referring to local neighbouring royalty. But the above seems more likely).
‘Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jazer,
For the vine of Sibmah,
I will water you with my tears,
O Heshbon and Elealeh,
For on your summer fruits and on your harvest,
The shout has failed,
And gladness is taken away,
And joy out of the fruitful field,
And in the vineyards there will be no singing,
Nor joyful noise,
No treader will tread out wine in the presses.
I have made the shout to cease.'
God is here pictured as weeping along with those who no longer receive the wine because of Moab's loss. Although judgment has come on Moab, God has no pleasure in it. He feels for those who must suffer. The shouting and gladness and rejoicing has failed. There will be no singing or joyful noise or treading of the wine. For Yahweh has made the shout to cease. The depth of Moab's loss is emphasised, both in wealth and in happiness, and is emphasised in threefold repetitions. And it is Yahweh Who has done it, for He does all things. But it was with sad heart.
Note the reverse order of the names to Isaiah 16:8, Jazer, Sibmah, Heshbon, a favourite device of Isaiah. Elealeh was closely related to Heshbon (see Isaiah 15:4).
‘For which reason my bowels sound like a harp for Moab,
And my inward parts for Kir-heres.
And it will come about that when Moab presents himself,
When he wearies himself on the high place,
And will come to his sanctuary to pray,
He will not prevail.'
The genuineness of Yahweh's grief for Moab is emphasised. His very inner being is like the doleful sound of the harp because of Moab's misfortune. They had had their opportunity to come within the covenant and had rejected it. All that is now open to them is fruitless prayer to false gods. They will weary themselves pleading with their gods, both in the high places and in their temples, but it will achieve nothing. They will not prevail. Their gods will not hear. (This is in contrast with Yahweh Who will deliver Jerusalem).
‘This is the word that Yahweh spoke concerning Moab in time past. But now Yahweh has spoken saying, “Within three years, as the years of a hired servant, and the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, with (in spite of) all his great multitude, and the remnant will be very few and not mighty.'
The prophetic vision of the destruction of Moab has been given previously, now the time of its fulfilment is determined. Yahweh has spoken and within three years all that Moab gloried in will be brought into contempt, and this in spite of his great numbers of people. Those who remain will be few and weak. So much for the pride of Moab.
‘As the years of a hired servant.' The length of time is fixed by contract and is certain to the day. He does not want ‘three years' to have its usual significance of an indeterminate period of time.
It is clear from all this that Moab would not have been a safe people to rely on. It is further clear that having had the opportunity of trusting Yahweh they have refused to do so. Therefore their fate is sealed.