Isaiah 16:3
Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth.
Original Language Analysis
עֲשׂ֣וּ
execute
H6213
עֲשׂ֣וּ
execute
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
3 of 14
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
כַלַּ֛יִל
as the night
H3915
כַלַּ֛יִל
as the night
Strong's:
H3915
Word #:
6 of 14
properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e., night; figuratively, adversity
בְּת֣וֹךְ
in the midst
H8432
בְּת֣וֹךְ
in the midst
Strong's:
H8432
Word #:
8 of 14
a bisection, i.e., (by implication) the center
צָהֳרָ֑יִם
of the noonday
H6672
צָהֳרָ֑יִם
of the noonday
Strong's:
H6672
Word #:
9 of 14
a light (i.e., window); dual double light, i.e., noon
נִדָּחִ֔ים
the outcasts
H5080
נִדָּחִ֔ים
the outcasts
Strong's:
H5080
Word #:
11 of 14
to push off; used in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (to expel, mislead, strike, inflict, etc.)
נֹדֵ֖ד
not him that wandereth
H5074
נֹדֵ֖ד
not him that wandereth
Strong's:
H5074
Word #:
12 of 14
properly, to wave to and fro (rarely to flap up and down); figuratively, to rove, flee, or (causatively) to drive away
Cross References
Isaiah 32:2And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.1 Kings 18:4For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern customs included obligations to protect refugees seeking sanctuary, though enemies weren't guaranteed such protection. The irony is profound: Moab denied Israel passage during the Exodus (Numbers 20:18-21), now begging Israel for passage and protection. This reversal illustrates God's humbling of the proud through historical circumstances.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Moab's plea illustrate humanity's universal need for divine refuge from judgment?
- What does this role reversal teach about God's sovereignty in humbling the proud?
- How does Christ serve as our perfect hiding place from divine wrath?
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Analysis & Commentary
Moab pleads: "Execute judgment, make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts, bewray not him that wandereth." This appeal to Judah shows remarkable role reversal—the proud Moabites now desperately seeking shelter. The phrase "make thy shadow as the night" requests complete concealment, shade so dense it resembles nighttime darkness even at noon. Shadow imagery represents protection, refuge, shelter from judgment's heat. The plea "bewray not" (reveal not/betray not) asks discretion. Reformed theology sees this as depicting all humanity's need for divine refuge—we are spiritual outcasts needing the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1).