Isaiah 16:14

Hath spoken; hath made this further discovery of his mind to me. Within three years; to be computed either,

1. From the time of Jerusalem's destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, who did, as is confessed by all, invade the Moabites at or about that time, and execute the judgment first foretold by this prophet, and afterwards by Jer 48. Or rather,

2. From the time of the delivery of this prophecy; which being uncertain, leaves us the greater latitude for the determination of the precise time when this was fulfilled. But this is certain, from Isaiah 1:1, that this prophecy must be delivered, at furthest, before the end of Hezekiah's reign. And then there ariseth this great difficulty, How this can consist with the prophecy of Jeremiah, who above or about a hundred years after this time speaketh of Moab as a people that had been at ease from their youth, and had not gone into captivity, Jeremiah 48:11, and prophesieth against them in the very same words which Isaiah useth in this prophecy? The answer is, That they do not speak of the same time, nor of the same calamity; but Isaiah of a former tribulation, and Jeremiah of their latter devastation. It is true, Jeremiah useth the same words which Isaiah doth, and so do the later prophets sometimes use the words of the former, to other purposes than they were first delivered, as we shall see hereafter, and as is most evident from the Revelation of St. John, in which the same words are used concerning mystical Babylon. which were used by the foregoing prophets concerning the first and literal Babylon. And although the foregoing prophecy of Isaiah seems to speak of the same destruction threatened by Jeremiah, and inflicted by Nebuchadnezzar; yet this prophecy contained in this verse, and ushered in with another preface, seems to be of a differing nature, and to speak of a more speedy and less grievous affliction that should befall them, which should be as a pledge to assure them of the certain accomplishment of the other prophecy, and of their utter destruction. And therefore it is observable, that the prophet doth not here say, Within three years all that I have foretold and threatened shall be fulfilled; but only, the glory of Moab shall be contemned, & c., which is quite another thing; and as the terms here used are much milder, so that; judgment here denounced seems much less, than in the foregoing prophecy. And therefore this verse may very well be understood of some great blow given to the Moabites, either by Sennacherib, or by his son Esarhaddon, from which notwithstanding they in a little time recovered themselves, and flourished again, and continued so to do till Nebuchadnezzar completed their destruction. And this may well enough consist with what is said of Moab's being at ease from his youth, Jeremiah 48:11, which is not to be understood simply, as if they had been wholly free from war and other calamities; for the contrary is evident, both from Scripture, as 2 Samuel 8:2 2 Kings 3:24,25, and from other histories; but comparatively, that they had not been brought to desolation, nor carried away into captivity, as it is explained in the following words, and as Israel had been at that time, and Judah was threatened to be. As the years of an hireling, i.e. within three years precisely accounted; for hirelings are very punctual in observing the time for which they are hired; and their thoughts and desires run much upon it, because then they are to receive their wages; of which see Job 7:1,2 Job 14:6. And this exposition is confirmed by comparing this place with Isaiah 21:16, where the same phrase is used of one year. So groundless is that opinion which the Jewish writers gather from this place, compared with Deuteronomy 15:18, that three years was the usual and appointed time for the generality of hired servants. The glory of Moab; their strength, and wealth, and other things in which they glory. Shall be contemned; shall be made contemptible to those who formerly admired them. With all that great multitude; with the great numbers of their people, of which they boasted. Shall be very small and feeble, comparatively to what they were before; which might be very true, and yet afterwards, in a hundred years space, they might be sufficiently recruited.