Isaiah 16: A Throne in Loving Kindness
Moab is urged to seek refuge in Zion, but its pride refuses, even as the oracle glimpses a throne of steadfast love in the tent of David.
Isaiah 16 (WEB)
1 Send the lambs for the ruler of the land from Selah to the wilderness, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.
2 For it will be that as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so will the daughters of Moab be at the fords of the Arnon.
3 Give counsel! Execute justice! Make your shade like the night in the midst of the noonday! Hide the outcasts! Don’t betray the fugitive!
4 Let my outcasts dwell with you! As for Moab, be a hiding place for him from the face of the destroyer. For the extortionist is brought to nothing. Destruction ceases. The oppressors are consumed out of the land.
5 A throne will be established in loving kindness. One will sit on it in truth, in the tent of David, judging, seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness.
6 We have heard of the pride of Moab, that he is very proud; even of his arrogance, his pride, and his wrath. His boastings are nothing.
7 Therefore Moab will wail for Moab. Everyone will wail. You will mourn for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth, utterly stricken.
8 For the fields of Heshbon languish with the vine of Sibmah. The lords of the nations have broken down its choice branches, which reached even to Jazer, which wandered into the wilderness. Its shoots were spread abroad. They passed over the sea.
9 Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah. I will water you with my tears, Heshbon, and Elealeh: for on your summer fruits and on your harvest the battle shout has fallen.
10 Gladness is taken away, and joy out of the fruitful field; and in the vineyards there will be no singing, neither joyful noise. Nobody will tread out wine in the presses. I have made the shouting stop.
11 Therefore my heart sounds like a harp for Moab, and my inward parts for Kir Heres.
12 It will happen that when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, and comes to his sanctuary to pray, that he will not prevail.
13 This is the word that Yahweh spoke concerning Moab in time past.
14 But now Yahweh has spoken, saying, “Within three years, as a worker bound by contract would count them, the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt, with all his great multitude; and the remnant will be very small and feeble.”
Isaiah 16 (KJV)
1 Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.
2 For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.
3 Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth.
4 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.
5 And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.
6 We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so.
7 Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kir–hareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.
8 For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.
9 Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen.
10 And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.
11 Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir–haresh.
12 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.
13 This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning Moab since that time.
14 But now the Lord hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble.
Isaiah 16 (ASV)
1 Send ye the lambs for the ruler of the land from Selah to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.
2 For it shall be that, as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so shall the daughters of Moab be at the fords of the Arnon.
3 Give counsel, execute justice; make thy shade as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; betray not the fugitive.
4 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.
5 And a throne shall be established in lovingkindness; and one shall sit thereon in truth, in the tent of David, judging, and seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness.
6 We have heard of the pride of Moab, thathe is very proud; even of his arrogancy, and his pride, and his wrath; his boastings are nought.
7 Therefore shall Moab wail for Moab, every one shall wail: for the raisin-cakes of Kir-hareseth shall ye mourn, utterly stricken.
8 For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah; the lords of the nations have broken down the choice branches thereof, which reached even unto Jazer, which wandered into the wilderness; its shoots were spread abroad, they passed over the sea.
9 Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah; I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for upon thy summer fruits and upon thy harvest the battle shout is fallen.
10 And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the fruitful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither joyful noise: no treader shall tread out wine in the presses; I have made the vintage shout to cease.
11 Wherefore my heart soundeth like a harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir-heres.
12 And it shall come to pass, when Moab presenteth himself, when he wearieth himself upon the high place, and shall come to his sanctuary to pray, that he shall not prevail.
13 This is the word that Jehovah spake concerning Moab in time past.
14 But now Jehovah hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of a hireling, the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt, with all his great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and of no account.
Summary
The oracle over Moab continues with a plea: send tribute lambs to the ruler in Zion and beg Jerusalem for shelter. Moab's fleeing daughters are pictured as scattered birds at the fords of the Arnon, and the prophet calls for justice and a hiding place for the outcasts. In the middle of the gloom shines a hopeful word: a throne will be established in loving kindness, and one will sit on it in truth, in the tent of David, judging and seeking justice and swift to do righteousness. Yet Moab will not bend. The trouble is named plainly: the pride of Moab, his arrogance, his wrath, his empty boastings. So the wailing resumes for the vineyards of Sibmah and the fruitful fields of Heshbon, and the prophet again weeps, his heart sounding like a harp for Moab. When Moab wearies himself on his high place and comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail. The Lord then sets a term to it all: within three years Moab's glory will be brought into contempt, its great multitude reduced to a small and feeble remnant.
Key Figures
- Moab — The proud nation urged to seek refuge in Zion, whose arrogance refuses the offer, leaving it to wail over ruined vineyards and a fading glory.
- The coming Ruler — The one foreseen on a throne established in loving kindness, sitting in truth in the tent of David, judging and seeking justice and swift to do righteousness.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who offers shelter to Moab's outcasts, weeps over the land's pride, and sets a fixed term of three years to its judgment.
Key Verse
Isaiah 16:5 (WEB)
A throne will be established in loving kindness. One will sit on it in truth, in the tent of David, judging, seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness.
Lessons Learned
- God offers refuge even to a nation under judgment, if only it will humbly seek him.
- Pride is the great barrier that keeps people from the shelter God freely extends.
- Even amid oracles of doom, God plants promises of a righteous, loving King to come.
- Religious effort apart from humility cannot prevail with God.
- God invites the outcast to shelter. “Let my outcasts dwell with you! As for Moab, be a hiding place for him from the face of the destroyer” (Isaiah 16:4, WEB). Mercy is held out even to enemies.
- God promises a throne of steadfast love. “A throne will be established in loving kindness… in the tent of David, judging, seeking justice” (Isaiah 16:5, WEB), pointing beyond every failing kingdom to a King of righteousness.
- Pride forfeits offered grace. “We have heard of the pride of Moab… His boastings are nothing” (Isaiah 16:6, WEB). Arrogance refuses the very shelter that could have saved it.
- Mere religion cannot prevail. When Moab “comes to his sanctuary to pray… he will not prevail” (Isaiah 16:12, WEB). Worship offered from a proud, unrepentant heart is powerless.
- What is Moab urged to do in the opening verses, and where is it told to seek refuge?
- How does the promise of a throne “in loving kindness” (16:5) stand out against the surrounding judgment?
- What does the oracle identify as the core reason Moab will not be spared?
- Why is Moab's exhausting trip to its high place and sanctuary unable to help it?
- Is there a place where pride is keeping you from accepting the shelter God offers?
- Moab is told to send lambs as tribute to Zion's ruler and to beg Jerusalem for shelter and justice (16:1-4). Even under judgment, the path to safety runs through humble dependence on the God of Israel rather than self-reliance.
- Verse 5 is a sudden shaft of light: a throne grounded in loving kindness, occupied by one who judges in truth and seeks justice in David's line. Christians rightly hear here an anticipation of Christ, the righteous King whose reign is steadfast love.
- The text names it directly: Moab's pride, arrogance, wrath, and empty boasting (16:6). The problem is not merely external enemies but an inner disposition that refuses to bow, and so refuses the grace held out to it.
- Moab wearies itself climbing to its high place and praying at its sanctuary, yet “will not prevail” (16:12). Religious activity without humility before the true God is fruitless; the issue is the heart, not the effort.
- This is a personal-application question. Gently invite members to consider where pride keeps them from receiving help, forgiveness, or community, and to picture the throne of loving kindness as an open invitation. Let no one feel pressured to share.