Isaiah Chapter 16 – The Lament for Moab
Isaiah Chapter 16 is a continuation of the burden against Moab. Here, we witness a plea for mercy as Moab turns its eyes toward Zion for refuge. Yet, despite the appeal for protection, pride prevents true repentance, and the prophecy ends with the certainty of judgment. This chapter beautifully contrasts the fleeting security of man-made power with the eternal refuge found only in the Lord.
The Plea and the Pride
✔ Moab pleads for mercy and shelter from judgment.
✔ Zion is seen as a place of refuge—but pride prevents Moab from true surrender.
✔ Prophecy declares that Moab’s glory will fade, and its power will be broken.
✔ God’s judgment is always just and measured.
✔ The call for repentance is real, but often unheeded.
📖 Isaiah 16:1 – “Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.”
🔎 Moab seeks mercy from Judah by sending a tribute—a lamb. This act is symbolic of seeking peace and reconciliation, yet it is rooted in desperation, not genuine repentance.
Isaiah Chapter 16 - Overview
Isaiah 16:1–5 – A Plea for Refuge
📖 Isaiah 16:1 – “Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land…”
🔎 The lamb sent to Zion represents a tribute of submission. Moab is in desperation, recognizing that its own power has failed. Yet this plea is not one of repentance, but survival.
📖 Isaiah 16:2 – “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.”
🔎 The image of a wandering bird illustrates Moab’s vulnerability and displacement. They are cast out of their secure place, wandering without rest, a symbol of judgment and loss.
📖 Isaiah 16:3–4 – “Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday…”
🔎 Isaiah urges Judah to offer protection to Moab’s refugees. This act of mercy foreshadows the compassionate reign of Christ, who shelters the broken and the exiled.
📖 Isaiah 16:5 – “And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David…”
🔎 This is a messianic glimpse of Christ’s eternal reign. Unlike Moab’s fleeting glory, Christ’s throne is established in mercy, truth, and justice.
➡️ Refuge in Zion represents safety, but pride can keep one from entering it. True peace is found only in surrender to God’s appointed King.
Isaiah 16:6–12 – The Pride of Moab
📖 Isaiah 16:6 – “We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud…”
🔎 Moab’s pride becomes its downfall. Despite the call for mercy, their arrogance remains. Pride blinds them from true repentance and surrender.
📖 Isaiah 16:7 – “Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl…”
🔎 The sorrow of Moab is self-inflicted. Their refusal to humble themselves before God leads to lamentation and loss.
📖 Isaiah 16:8 – “For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah…”
🔎 Moab’s once-prosperous vineyards, symbols of wealth and abundance, are laid waste. What they gloried in is now brought to ruin.
📖 Isaiah 16:9–11 – “I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah…”
🔎 Even the prophet Isaiah weeps for Moab. God’s judgment is not without sorrow, for His desire is always for repentance, not destruction.
📖 Isaiah 16:12 – “And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place… he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.”
🔎 Moab’s prayers are in vain. Their appeals to false gods and empty rituals cannot save them from the declared judgment of the Lord.
➡️ Pride builds walls that mercy cannot penetrate. Moab’s arrogance sealed its fate.
Isaiah Chapter 16 - Deeper Study
Overview: The Lament of Moab
🔹 Timeframe: Prophecy delivered before Moab’s fall, fulfilled historically.
🔹 Setting: Moab’s cities and strongholds collapse under divine judgment.
🔹 Theme: The plea for refuge contrasted with the pride that prevents it.
🔹 Connection to Christ: Zion as a place of refuge prefigures the shelter found in Christ.
Pride Before the Fall
Isaiah 16 reveals the tragic truth that even when judgment looms, pride often prevents repentance. Moab’s fleeting gestures of reconciliation are shallow and powerless to stop what God has decreed.
🔹 Pride is the enemy of true repentance.
🔹 Seeking refuge without humility is a hollow gesture.
🔹 Divine protection is found only in true surrender.
🔹 What is not rooted in humility will be uprooted by judgment.
🔹 Christ is the true refuge for all who humble themselves.
➡️ Do not let pride be the barrier that keeps you from true refuge in God.
Key Takeaways
🔑 Refuge without repentance is fleeting.
🔑 Pride blinds even in the face of destruction.
🔑 God’s mercy is offered, but only the humble can receive it.
🔑 Christ is the fulfillment of Zion’s shelter.
🔑 Earthly glory fades; divine refuge remains.
Prophetic Patterns & Dual Fulfillment
🔮 Moab’s plea for mercy mirrors the end-time call for refuge in Christ.
🔮 The fall of Moab is a precursor to the fall of all who trust in pride.
🔮 Zion’s shelter prefigures the Messianic Kingdom.
🔮 Moab’s refusal echoes the resistance of nations to God’s final call for repentance.
Historical & Cultural Context
📜 Moab was historically in conflict with Israel, despite shared ancestry through Lot.
📜 Its pride and reliance on fortified cities led to false security.
📜 Moab’s vineyards were famous, symbolizing prosperity now lost.
📜 The plea for Zion’s protection shows a recognition of Judah’s strength and God’s hand upon them.
Present-Day Reflection: Refuge or Rebellion?
Moab sought mercy without repentance. Many today seek security without surrender, safety without sacrifice. But just as Moab’s pride barred them from Zion’s refuge, so too does human arrogance keep many from Christ’s shelter.
🔹 Refuge is found only in true humility.
🔹 Seeking safety without repentance is empty.
🔹 Christ is the greater Zion—our eternal place of safety.
🔹 Pride must be broken before true refuge can be found.
🔹 God’s hand is extended, but it must be grasped with humility.
➡️ True shelter is not in walls or wealth—but in the humility of surrender to Christ.
💡 Final Reflection: The Call to Humility
Moab’s fall is a reminder that pride and superficial gestures of repentance cannot save. True refuge is found only in Christ, the eternal Zion.
📌 Is pride keeping you from surrender?
📌 Are you seeking security without submission?
📌 Have you turned to the true refuge found only in Christ?
📖 Isaiah 16:5 – “And in mercy shall the throne be established…”
🔥 The invitation is open—but pride must be left at the door.
Isa 16:1 Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.
Isa 16:2 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.
Isa 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.
Isa 16:4 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.
Isa 16:5 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.
Isa 16:6 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.
Isa 16:7 Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.
Isa 16:8 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.
Isa 16:9 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.
Isa 16:10 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.
Isa 16:11 Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kirharesh.
Isa 16:12 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.
Isa 16:13 This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning Moab since that time.
Isa 16:14 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.
Date Written
740–700 BC
Written By
The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz
Language
Hebrew
Verses
14