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Isaiah

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Chapter 16

1 Send rams as tribute to the ruler of the land,⁠ from Sela in the wilderness⁠ to the hill of Daughter Zion. 2 At the fords of the Arnon the Moabite women are like a bird that flies about when forced from its nest. 3 “Bring a plan, make a decision. Provide some shade in the middle of the day. Hide the fugitives! Do not betray the one who tries to escape.⁠ 4 Please let the Moabite fugitives live among you. Hide them from the destroyer!” Certainly the one who applies pressure will cease; the destroyer will come to an end; those who trample will disappear from the earth. 5 Then a trustworthy king will be established;⁠ he will rule in a reliable manner, this one from David’s family. He will be sure to make just decisions and will be experienced in executing justice. 6 We have heard about Moab’s pride—their great arrogance—their boasting, pride, and excess. But their boastful claims are empty. 7 So Moab wails over its demise—they all wail! Completely devastated, they moan about what has happened to the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth. 8 For the fields of Heshbon are dried up, as well as the vines of Sibmah. The rulers of the nations trample all over its vines, which reach Jazer and spread to the wilderness; their shoots spread out and cross the sea. 9 So I weep along with Jazer over the vines of Sibmah. I will saturate you with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh, for the conquering invaders shout triumphantly over your fruit and crops. 10 Joy and happiness disappear from the orchards, and in the vineyards no one rejoices or shouts; no one treads out juice in the wine vats—I have brought the joyful shouts to an end. 11 So my heart constantly sighs for Moab, like the strumming of a harp, my inner being sighs for Kir Hareseth. 12 When the Moabites plead with all their might at their high places and enter their temples to pray, their prayers will be ineffective.⁠ 13 This is the message the Lord previously announced about Moab. 14 Now the Lord makes this announcement: “Within exactly three years Moab’s splendor will disappear, along with all her many people; there will be only a few insignificant survivors left.”

Texts in conversation

Compare Isaiah 16:1 and Jonathan Isaiah 16:1

Hebrew Bible · Targum

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Summary

Isaiah 16 describes Moab sending gifts and offering help to refugees. The Aramaic translation in Targum Jonathan interprets this as Moab submitting to a messiah, showing them as an ally and rival, reflecting the uncertain political alliances of the time.

Passages

Isaiah 16:1

Hebrew Bible
1 Send rams as tribute to the ruler of the land, from Sela in the wilderness to the hill of Daughter Zion. 2 At the fords of the Arnon the Moabite women are like a bird that flies about when forced from its nest. 3 “Bring a plan, make a decision. Provide some shade in the middle of the day. Hide the fugitives! Do not betray the one who tries to escape.
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

Jonathan Isaiah 16:1

Targum
1 They will bring tribute to the Messiah of Israel, who will prevail over those who are in the wilderness, to the mountain of the congregation of Zion. 2 Otherwise it will happen that, like a bird driven away, cast out of its nest, the daughters of Moab will be sent wandering to the fords of Arnon. 3 Take counsel, carry out a decision. Make your shadow like the night at midday; hide the outcasts, do not betray the fugitives.
200–300 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Jonathan Isaiah

References

"... The picture of a gift sent freely in the MT is transformed in the Tg into one of submission to the Messiah by means of tributes (verse 1). But Moab’s submission is not merely a matter of defeat: his “kingdom” (verse 4) has a specific purpose, a role to play, in the events leading up to the messianic reign (compare 15:21). Moab is to serve as a refuge from “the one who distresses” until the Messiah’s throne is established in the “goodness” of just judgment (verse 5). (This may explain why in verse 3 the “shadow” of Moab is said to be now “as the night” [against Israel] and now “as the day” [in favor of the outcasts]) ..."
Bruce D. Chilton, The Isaiah Targum: Introduction, Translation, Apparatus and Notes, ArBib 11 (Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, 1987), 35.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Isaiah 16:1 and Jonathan Isaiah 16:1

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