Isaiah 16:4
in Isaiah 16Let my fugitives stay with you; be a refuge for Moab from the destroyer.” When the oppressor has gone, destruction has ceased, and the oppressors have vanished from the land,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Let mine outcasts dwell with thee; as for Moab, be thou a covert to him from the face of the destroyer. For the extortioner is brought to nought, destruction ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.
KJV
Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.
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This verse in Isaiah 16
Commentary
10 notes on this verse(Verse 3,4) This is a plan, gather a council: place your shadow as if it were night in the middle of the day, hide those who are fleeing, and do not disclose the wanderers. My outcasts will dwell with you: Moab, be their hiding place from the face of the destroyer, for the dust is at an end, the wretched one is consumed, the one who trampled on the earth has ceased. Instead of 'wretched' in Hebrew, 'Sod' is read, which can also be understood as 'destroyer'.
This site's exposition
Give us counsel; render a decision
on Isaiah 16:3-5
Verse 5 answers with a throne "established in the tent of David," where a "judge seeking justice and hastening righteousness" sits in faithfulness. Because the throne is David's, the text allows both a king of Judah in the prophet's day and the Messiah, David's greater son.
This site's exposition
Let my fugitives stay with you
The fugitives are read two ways. Barnes takes them as Judah's exiles, sheltered by Moab, and Clarke, reading the Hebrew without its vowel points, as Moab's outcasts asking Zion for refuge. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown add that the oppressor's end leaves Judah able to give it.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
He also exhorts them to amicably sustain those they have received: my fugitives shall dwell with you, below: and a man shall be as when one is hid from the wind (Isa 32:2). Third, he assigns the reason: for the dust is at an end. …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Let mine outcasts dwell with thee,....
The earth often helps the woman, Rev. xii. (5.) Those that expect to find favour when they are in trouble themselves must show favour to those that are in trouble; and what service is done to God's outcasts shall no doubt be recompensed one way or other. He assures them of the mercy God had in store for his people.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab “Let the outcasts of Moab sojourn with thee, O Zion” - Setting the points aside, this is by much the most obvious construction of the Hebrew, as well as most agreeable to the context, and the design of the prophet. And it is confirmed by the Septuagint οἱ φυγαδες Μωαβ, and Syriac. The oppressors “The oppressor” - Perhaps the Israelites, who in the time of Ahab invaded Judah, defeated his army, slaying one hundred and twenty thousand men, and brought the kingdom to the brink of destruction.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Rather, "Let the outcasts of Moab dwell with thee" (Judah) [HORSLEY]. for the extortioner, &c.--The Assyrian oppressor probably. is at an end--By the time that Moab begs Judah for shelter, Judah shall be in a condition to afford it, for the Assyrian oppressor shall have been "consumed out of the land."
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Give shelter to the Jewish outcasts who take refuge in thy land (Isa 16:3, 4); so "mercy" will be shown thee in turn by whatever king sits on the "throne" of "David" (Isa 16:5). Isaiah foresees that Moab will be too proud to pay the tribute, or conciliate Judah by sheltering its outcasts (Isa 16:6); therefore judgment shall be executed.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Let mine outcasts - This may be understood as the language of Judea, or of God. ‘Mine outcasts’ may mean the exiles of Judea, or God may call them “his.” The sense is essentially the same. It denotes those who were fugitives, wanderers, exiles from the land of Judea, and who took refuge in the land of Moab; and God claims for them protection. Dwell with thee - Not dwell permanently, but sojourn (יגוּרוּ yāgûrû), let them remain with you as exiles; or let them find a refuge in your land. Be thou a covert to them - A refuge; a hiding-place; a place of “secrecy” (סתר sêther). From the face of the spoiler - That is, the conqueror from whose desolating career they would seek a refuge in the land of Moab. Who this “spoiler” would be, is not known. It would seem to be some invader who was carrying desolation through the land of Judea. It may be observed, however, that Lowth, by setting the points aside, supposes that this should be read, ‘Let the outcasts of Moab sojourn with thee, O Zion.’ So Noyes. But this seems to me not to suit the connection and the design; which is, to persuade the Moabites to conciliate the favor of the Jews by affording a hiding-place to their fugitives. For the extortioner is at an end - literally, ‘there is an end, or there will be an end of the oppressor; or he will be wonting.’ The Chaldee renders it, ‘The enemy is at an end.’ The idea here seems to be, that the oppressor in the land of Judea would not continue there always; the exiles of the Jews might soon return; and Judea be able “then” to return kindness to Moab. […]
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יָג֤וּרוּ | yaguru | let them sojourn | H1481 → | 97 times |
| בָךְ֙ | vokh | among you | ||
| נִדָּחַ֔י | nidachai | outcasts my | H5080 → | 55 times |
| מוֹאָ֛ב | moav | Moab | H4124 → | 181 times |
| הֱוִי־ | hevi- | be | H1933 → | |
| סֵ֥תֶר | seter | a shelter | H5643 → | 36 times |
| לָ֖מוֹ | lamo | of them | ||
| מִפְּנֵ֣י | mipenei | from before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| שׁוֹדֵ֑ד | shoded | [the] destroyer | H7703 → | 57 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אָפֵ֤ס | ʾafes | he will come to an end | H656 → | |
| הַמֵּץ֙ | hametz | the oppressor | H4160 → | |
| כָּ֣לָה | kalah | it will cease | H3615 → | 208 times |
| שֹׁ֔ד | shod | devastation | H7701 → | 25 times |
| תַּ֥מּוּ | tamu | they will be finished | H8552 → | 63 times |
| רֹמֵ֖ס | romes | [the] trampler | H7429 → | 19 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
יָג֤וּרוּlet them sojourn
yaguruH1481 →97 times
בָךְ֙among you
vokh
נִדָּחַ֔יoutcasts my
nidachaiH5080 →55 times
מוֹאָ֛בMoab
moavH4124 →181 times
הֱוִי־be
hevi-H1933 →
סֵ֥תֶרa shelter
seterH5643 →36 times
לָ֖מוֹof them
lamo
מִפְּנֵ֣יfrom before
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
שׁוֹדֵ֑ד[the] destroyer
shodedH7703 →57 times
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אָפֵ֤סhe will come to an end
ʾafesH656 →
הַמֵּץ֙the oppressor
hametzH4160 →
כָּ֣לָהit will cease
kalahH3615 →208 times
שֹׁ֔דdevastation
shodH7701 →25 times
תַּ֥מּוּthey will be finished
tamuH8552 →63 times
רֹמֵ֖ס[the] trampler
romesH7429 →19 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 24:14Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.
it leads to
- Malachi 3:5
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud…
- Proverbs 14:31
Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.
- Proverbs 22:16
Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.
- Malachi 3:5
Through
Isaiah 9:4For as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.
it leads to
- Isaiah 14:25
I will break Assyria in My land; I will trample him on My mountain. His yoke will be taken off My people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.”
- Jeremiah 30:8
On that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will break the yoke off their necks and tear off their bonds, and no longer will strangers enslave them.
- Isaiah 10:26–27
And the LORD of Hosts will brandish a whip against them, as when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise His staff over the sea, as He did in Egypt.
- Nahum 1:13
For I will now break their yoke from your neck and tear away your shackles.”
- Isaiah 54:14
In righteousness you will be established, far from oppression, for you will have no fear. Terror will be far removed, for it will not come near you.
- Isaiah 14:25
About Isaiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.