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Commentary on Isaiah 21 verses 11–12
This prophecy concerning Dumah is very short, and withal dark and hard to be understood. Some think that Dumah is a part of Arabia, and that the inhabitants descended from Dumah the sixth son of Ishmael, as those of Kedar (Isa 21:16, Isa 21:17) from Ishmael's second son, Gen 25:13, Gen 25:14. Others, because Mount Seir is here mentioned, by Dumah understand Idumea, the country of the Edomites. Some of Israel's neighbours are certainly meant, and their distress is foretold, not only for warning to them to prepare them for it, but for warning to Israel not to depend upon them, or any of the nations about them, for relief in a time of danger, but upon God only. We must see all creature confidences failing us, and feel them breaking under us, that we may not lay more weight upon them than they will bear. But though the explication of this prophecy be difficult, because we have no history in which we find the accomplishment of it, yet the application will be easy. We have here,
1.A question put by an Edomite to the watchman. Some one or other called out of Seir, somebody that was more concerned for the public safety and welfare than the rest, who were generally careless and secure. As the man of Macedonia, in a vision, desired Paul to come over and help them (Act 16:9), so this man of Mount Seir, in a vision, desired the prophet to inform and instruct them. He calls not many; it is well there are any, that all are not alike unconcerned about the things that belong to the public peace. Some out of Seir ask advice of God's prophets, and are willing to be taught, when many of God's Israel heed nothing. The question is serious: What of the night? It is put to a proper person, the watchman, whose office it is to answer such enquiries. He repeats the question, as one in care, as one in earnest, and desirous to have an answer. Note, (1.) God's prophets and ministers are appointed to be watchmen, and we are to look upon them as such. They are as watchmen in the city in a time of peace, to see that all be safe, to knock at every door by personal enquiries ("Is it locked? Is the fire safe?"), to direct those that are at a loss, and check those that are disorderly, Sol 3:3; Sol 5:7. They are as watchmen in the camp in time of war, Eze 33:7. They are to take notice of the motions of the enemy and to give notice of them, to make discoveries and then give warning; and in this they must deny themselves. (2.) It is our duty to enquire of the watchmen, especially to ask again and again, What of the night? for watchmen wake when other sleep. [1.] What time of the night? After a long sleep in sin and security, is it not time to rise, high time to awake out of sleep? Rom 13:11. We have a great deal of work to do, a long journey to go; is it not time to be stirring? "Watchman, what o'clock is it? After a long dark night is there any hope of the day dawning?" [2.] What tidings of the night? What from the night? (so some); "what vision has the prophet had tonight? We are ready to receive it." Or, rather, "What occurs to night? What weather is it? What news?" We must expect an alarm, and never be secure. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; we must prepare to receive the alarm, and resolve to keep our ground, and then take the first hint of danger, and to our arms presently, to our spiritual weapons.
2.The watchman's answer to this question. The watchman was neither asleep nor dumb; though it was a man of Mount Seir that called to him, he was ready to give him an answer: The morning comes. He answers, (1.) By way of prediction: "There comes first a morning of light, and peace, and opportunity; you will enjoy one day of comfort more; but afterwards comes a night of trouble and calamity." Note, In the course of God's providence it is usual that morning and night are counterchanged and succeed each other. Is it night? Yet the morning comes, and the day-spring knows his place, Psa 30:5. Is it day? Yet the night comes also. If there be a morning of youth and health, there will come a night of sickness and old age; if a morning of prosperity in the family, in the public, yet we must look for changes. But God usually gives a morning of opportunity before he sends a night of calamity, that his own people may be prepared for the storm and others left inexcusable. (2.) By way of excitement: If you will enquire, enquire. Note, It is our wisdom to improve the present morning in preparation for the night that is coming after it. "Enquire, return, come. Be inquisitive, be penitent, be willing and obedient." The manner of expression is very observable, for we are put to our choice what we will do: "If you will enquire, enquire; if not, it is at your peril; you cannot say but you have a fair offer made you." We are also urged to be at a point: "If you will, say so, and do not stand pausing; what you will do do quickly, for it is no time to trifle." Those that return and come to God will find they have a great deal of work to do and but a little time to do it in, and therefore they have need to be busy.
(Verse 11, 12.) The burden of Dumah: he calls to me out of Seir: Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning comes, and also the night: if you will inquire, inquire: turn back, and come. Vision of Edom, he calls to me out of Seir: Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning comes, and also the night: if you will inquire, inquire: and dwell with me. The Hebrew word for Elai (), which all have interpreted for me, if you wish to read Eli, it means my God, or my strong one. And what we have said, he cries out, or calls, that is, καλεῖ, according to the ambiguity of the Hebrew and Greek language, can be called either 'cry out' or 'call'; and the meaning is: God, who is my guardian, calls me day and night to repentance, so that, leaving Seir, which means 'rough and hairy', I may return and dwell with Him. It sounds like thunder or a likeness, or silence. But Edom turns into earth. Therefore, the Lord speaks to the choir of the Apostles and commands him: Call to me those who are from Seir, so that the multitude of the Gentiles may serve me, which, in the likeness of Esau, has nothing soft, light, and shining in itself, but is rough, wild, and untamed. And you, Apostles, after you have called the nations from Seir to me, guard the fortifications of the Church, so that the enemy may not easily break in: let not the roaring and prowling lion, who seeks an entrance by which he may enter, tear apart and scatter the flock enclosed in the Church. And the multitude of the Church responded: not only in prosperity, but also in adversity, that is, both in day and in night, I will keep your commandments, O God. To whom God speaks: If you truly seek me, show by your actions how you seek me; and let it not suffice that you have sought me once; but whoever you find, always search; and in order to hold more perfectly, forget your people and the house of your father, and leaving behind the error of the Gentiles, dwell with me in the Church. According to the Septuagint, we have said that those who represent the vision of Edom, that is, earthly things, are placed in the title to show that they are called those who previously served earthly works. Moreover, according to Aquila, who put 'Duma,' that is, silence, or likeness, we can understand it in this way: that the multitude of the Gentiles is provoked to the likeness of the people of Israel, and where there was previously silence of the law of God, there let there be the cry of confession; and let the wild olive tree be grafted onto the good olive. We also read in the parable of the Gospel about the servants who were sent to call the good and the bad and to fill the banquet of the master of the house, because the first ones did not want to come (Matthew 22). The Church can also narrate that the Lord from Seir, that is, from earthly places, calls out to himself and challenges him to salvation, and says to him: O guardian, why do you wander in darkness when you rise at night? Why are you a sinner without sin in the flesh? For what reason did you want to assume a human body? The guardian, that is, the Samaritan, who carried the wounded on his shoulders to the inn in the Gospel (Luke 9) replied: 'Day and night come. And the meaning is this: the sun of righteousness rose for the multitude of the Gentiles, and darkness came to the Jews. As it is said by the Lord: 'I have come into this world for judgment, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind' (John 9:39). And the guardian himself who had said, 'He comes morning and night,' speaks to the multitude of nations: If you seek me, seek more diligently. Turn to me, O converted children, and I will heal your brokenness, and come to me. The places are difficult, and since they are not widely known according to history, we are forced to follow various opinions according to interpretation.
(Verse 11, 12.) Oracle concerning Dumah. One calls to me from Seir: 'Watchman, what time of the night? Watchman, what time of the night?' The watchman says: 'Morning comes, and also the night. Seek if you will, inquire if you will, come.' For Dumah they set seventy idols, not over the entire Idumean province, but in a certain region that extends towards the south and is twenty miles distant from the city of Palestine, which is now called Eleutheropolis. Near it are the mountains of Seir, taking their name from Seir, the hairy and shaggy one, that is, Esau. In Abdia the prophet, it was disputed more fully about this people by us: in which it was necessary to go over the old history and to bring forth the same Visions of Ezekiel and Jeremiah as a testimony, and especially the prophecy against Mount Seir (Ezek. 25 and 35, Jer. 49). And that from the Psalms: I will stretch out my shoe upon Edom. And elsewhere: The tabernacles of the Edomites and Ishmaelites, Moab, and the Agarenians, Gebal and Ammon, and Amalek (Ps. 59, 10; Ps. 82, 7, 8). Amos also said: On account of three crimes of Edom, and on account of four I will not turn away from him, because he pursued his brother with the sword and violated his compassion (Amos 1:11), or, as Symmachus translated, his bowels, because he dared to fight against his kindred peoples and to dissent with hostile hate. The region ((Al. regia)) of Esau was in the region of Edom, that is, in the mountains of Seir. We believe that this city, as the capital according to the order of the previous Visions, was captured by the Assyrians, or by Nebuchadnezzar, and, remembering their ancient lineage, which was descended from Abraham and Isaac, they implored the help of God and, by necessity compelling them, begged for his mercy. Therefore, the Lord now narrates: he who is besieged in Seir and surrounded by enemies, calls upon my help and says: O guardian of Israel, who protect your people with eternal vigilance, and like a watchman in the night, you keep watch so that the enemy does not break in; why do you not protect us who are of his lineage with a similar mercy? To whom, as a guardian and watchman, I respond, as it is written: He who keeps Israel does not slumber or sleep (Ps. 121:4). He came in the morning to my people, and at night to the people of Edom; I will give them light, and leave you in darkness. Or rather this is the case: light comes after the night has passed; if you invoke my help and you are from the line of my servant Abraham, do not seek only me in times of need, but turn your whole heart to me. Come, and I will receive those who repent. This is said according to history: moreover, because the letters Res and Daleth are similar and differ only slightly, some Hebrews read 'Rome' instead of 'Duma,' wanting to direct the prophecy against the Roman kingdom, with a frivolous persuasion by which they always think that the Romans are indicated by the name 'Idumea': but 'Duma' means 'silence.'
Again he says, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, ‘The morning comes, and also the night.’ ” For “the watchman came by night,” in that the guardian of the human race even showed himself manifest in the flesh, and yet Judea, being close pressed by the darkness of its faithlessness, never knew him. Where it is well added in the voice of the watchman, “The morning comes, and also the night.” For by his presence has a new light shone out upon the world, and yet the former darkness remained in the hearts of unbelievers. And it is well said, “They shall grope in the noonday as in the night,” for we search out by groping that which we do not see with our eyes. Now the Jews had seen his undisguised miracles, and yet they still went on seeking him, as it were groping for him, when they said, “How long do you make us to doubt? If you be the Christ, tell us plainly.” See, the light of miracles was before their eyes, yet stumbling in the darkness of their own hearts, they continued to grope in seeking for him.”
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 21:11 presents a terse yet profoundly evocative prophetic oracle, "The burden of Dumah," capturing a desperate, repeated cry from the region of Seir (Edom) to a watchman: "Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?" This poignant and urgent inquiry encapsulates the deep anxiety, profound uncertainty, and longing for divine revelation during a period of intense geopolitical turmoil and spiritual darkness, symbolizing an era of oppression and hardship for the nations caught in the shadow of imperial expansion.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Isaiah 21:11 is an integral part of a series of "burdens" (Hebrew: massa') or prophetic oracles directed against various nations surrounding Judah, a collection spanning Isaiah 13-23. This specific oracle, "The burden of Dumah," is strategically positioned between the extensive prophecy concerning Babylon in Isaiah 21:1-10 and the subsequent oracle against Arabia in Isaiah 21:13-17. This placement underscores the interconnectedness of these regional powers within the broader ancient Near Eastern geopolitical sphere and highlights the pervasive nature of impending judgment and upheaval. The remarkable brevity of the oracle concerning Dumah, encompassing only two verses (Isaiah 21:11-12), intensifies its enigmatic and urgent tone, focusing sharply on the desperate inquiry and the watchman's cryptic response, thereby amplifying its impact.
Historical & Cultural Context: The historical backdrop for Isaiah's prophecy in the 8th century BCE was dominated by the formidable and relentless rise of the Assyrian Empire. This imperial power systematically conquered and subjugated numerous smaller nations throughout the ancient Near East, including Judah and its neighbors. Edom, frequently identified with "Dumah" and "Seir" in this oracle, was a mountainous kingdom situated to the southeast of Judah, often engaging in complex relationships of conflict or alliance with Israel. The "night" vividly depicted in the oracle most likely refers to the oppressive shadow cast by Assyrian expansion, a period characterized by pervasive fear, profound uncertainty, and the constant threat of devastating conquest for these nations. The cultural institution of a "watchman" was deeply embedded in ancient Near Eastern society; these individuals stood guard on city walls, serving to warn of approaching dangers or to announce the breaking of dawn. This well-understood cultural role is masterfully employed by the prophet to symbolize divine communication and the prophet's sacred responsibility to warn and inform the people of God's unfolding purposes.
Key Themes: This verse serves as a powerful conduit for several profound themes central to Isaiah's prophecy and the broader prophetic literature. Firstly, it powerfully underscores the theme of divine judgment and God's sovereignty over all nations, demonstrating unequivocally that God's overarching plan extends far beyond Israel to encompass every people and kingdom, even those historically hostile to His chosen people. Secondly, it highlights the universal human condition of desperation and the profound longing for revelation during times of profound darkness and existential uncertainty, a theme resonating deeply with biblical laments such as Psalm 13:1. Thirdly, the urgent, repeated cry to the "watchman" powerfully emphasizes the crucial and indispensable role of the prophet as God's chosen messenger, tasked with keenly observing the spiritual and political landscape and faithfully delivering divine warnings and insights. This solemn responsibility is clearly articulated in passages like Ezekiel 33:1-9, where the prophet is depicted as a sentinel for the people. The "night" in this context symbolizes not merely a temporal period of darkness but a profound spiritual and existential state of distress, urgently calling for vigilance and an earnest, persistent seeking of divine guidance.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 21:11 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message and emotional intensity. The most striking is Repetition, specifically of the phrase "Watchman, what of the night?" This reiteration dramatically emphasizes the urgency, desperation, and profound anxiety of the one crying out from Seir, conveying a sense of relentless longing for clarity amidst overwhelming uncertainty. Symbolism is also central, with "night" representing a period of deep adversity, distress, or divine judgment, rather than merely a temporal period. Conversely, the implied "dawn" symbolizes hope, relief, or the eventual cessation of suffering. The term "burden" (massa') itself functions as a powerful form of Metonymy, where the physical weight or oppressive nature of a burden stands for the heavy, ominous, and divinely ordained nature of the prophetic message. Finally, there is a profound Irony in the oracle being titled "The burden of Dumah," as "Dumah" means "silence," yet the oracle is filled with a loud, anxious, and repeated cry, powerfully highlighting the shattering of any expected peace or stillness by the prevailing distress and urgent need for revelation.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 21:11 profoundly illustrates the universal human cry for divine revelation and understanding amidst seasons of darkness and uncertainty. It speaks directly to the inherent human experience of longing for clarity, for an end to suffering, and for a glimpse of the future, while simultaneously affirming God's sovereign control over history and His purposeful use of prophets as conduits for His truth. The desperate inquiry from Seir underscores humanity's inherent need for a "watchman"—one who stands on the walls of observation, discerning the signs of the times and faithfully communicating God's perspective. This highlights the vital and enduring role of prophetic ministry and the timeless relevance of God's Word in guiding His people through their deepest "nights." The very act of asking, despite the overwhelming darkness, implies a deep-seated hope for the dawn, pointing to a persistent faith that seeks God's intervention and ultimate deliverance.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 21:11 resonates deeply with the perennial human experience of navigating periods of profound uncertainty, pervasive fear, or prolonged difficulty. Like the anxious cry from Seir, we often find ourselves in various "night seasons"—whether personal, communal, or global—where our hearts echo the ancient plea, "How long, O Lord?" This verse compels us to critically examine our posture during such challenging times. Are we passively waiting for circumstances to change, or are we actively and earnestly seeking God's perspective and the wisdom He provides through His inspired Word and His appointed "watchmen" (spiritual leaders, discerning voices, wise counselors)? It serves as a powerful reminder that even when the answers are not immediate, fully comforting, or entirely clear, the very act of seeking is itself an act of profound faith, acknowledging God's ultimate sovereignty and our absolute dependence on Him. We are called to cultivate spiritual vigilance, to remain alert and discerning, understanding that even after temporary reprieves, the "night" may return, requiring continued readiness, persistent prayer, and unwavering trust in God's ultimate, unfolding plan.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who is Dumah, and why is this oracle addressed to it?
Answer: Dumah (H1746) is a region or tribe in northern Arabia, often associated with the Edomites (descendants of Esau), whose territory was Seir (H8165). The oracle is addressed to Dumah as part of a series of "burdens" against nations surrounding Judah, highlighting God's sovereign judgment over all peoples. The name "Dumah" itself ironically means "silence" or "stillness," which contrasts sharply with the desperate, repeated cry for information that fills the oracle. This suggests that even in a place expected to be silent or desolate, there is profound anxiety and a yearning for revelation.
What does "the night" symbolize in this context?
Answer: "The night" (H3915) in Isaiah 21:11 is a powerful symbol of a period of intense distress, adversity, oppression, or divine judgment. It represents a time of darkness, fear, and uncertainty for the nations caught in the geopolitical turmoil of the ancient Near East, particularly under the looming threat of the Assyrian Empire. The repeated question, "what of the night?", expresses a profound longing for the end of this difficult period, for the "dawn" of relief or clarity. This symbolic use of "night" for hardship is common in biblical literature, as seen in Psalm 30:5.
Who is the "watchman" being addressed?
Answer: The "watchman" (H8104, shâmar') is primarily the prophet Isaiah himself, or more broadly, any prophet of God. In ancient cities, watchmen stood on walls to observe the horizon and warn of approaching danger or announce the coming dawn. Spiritually, the watchman represents God's messenger, tasked with discerning the spiritual and political landscape, receiving divine revelation, and communicating it to the people. This role is crucial, as the people are desperate for insight into their "night" of trouble, looking to the prophet for God's perspective and guidance. The prophet's responsibility as a watchman is further elaborated in Ezekiel 3:17.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 21:11, with its desperate cry from the "night" and profound longing for a "watchman's" word, finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Humanity, plunged into the "night" of sin, spiritual darkness, and profound separation from God, echoes this ancient plea, yearning for light, truth, and deliverance. Jesus is the ultimate "Watchman" and indeed, the very "Light of the World" (John 8:12), who not only discerns the depths of our spiritual night but actively enters it, bearing its full weight. He is the divine and definitive answer to the universal question, "What of the night?" For all who are in Christ, the night of sin, death, and condemnation has given way to the radiant dawn of salvation and eternal life (John 1:5). His first coming inaugurated the breaking of an eternal day, dispelling the shadows of the old covenant and ushering in the new. His glorious return will bring the full and final "morning," when all darkness is banished forever, and God's kingdom is fully established. He is the "bright and morning star" (Revelation 22:16), promising that for those who trust in Him, the "night" of this present age, with all its trials and uncertainties, will ultimately give way to the unending, perfect day of His glorious kingdom, a hope that shines ever brighter until the perfect day (2 Peter 1:19).