Isaiah 21:11-12

The burden of Dumah— The neighbouring nations insulting the people of God for the common calamities to which they were exposed together with them, though they boasted themselves to be the elect and favourite people of the Lord, the prophet introduces the Idumaeans, in the time of common calamity, inquiring of a Jewish prophet into the quality and duration of that calamity; not quite irreligiously, but doubtfully. The prophet, by whom is meant Isaiah himself, informs them, that the calamity should soon pass from Judges, and that the light of the morning should arise to the Jews, while the Idumaeans should be oppressed with a new and unexpected affliction; so that what should be a time of light to the Jews, should be to them a time of darkness. The prophet, foreseeing that they would scarcely believe his words, admonishes them that the matter is fixed, as they would find the more accurately they inquired into it. The scene of the prophesy must be fixed to the time of the Babylonish captivity. The prophesy, besides the inscription, contains two parts; the first respects the person of the prophet, Isaiah 21:11. The second, the matter itself; namely, the inquiry of some person or persons among the Idumaeans concerning the state of their common calamity, and the answer of the prophet to their inquiry. Out of Seir, or mount Seir, means Idumaea. What of the night? means, "What have you certain to tell us of the state of the night? How far is it advanced? Do you observe nothing of the morning approaching, and about to drive away this troublesome darkness of the night?" that is to say, "What do you observe of our present distress and calamity? Is there any appearance of its departure, and of the approach of the morning of deliverance?" The prophet answers enigmatically, the morning cometh, that is to say; deliverance to the Jews; and the night,—to the Idumaeans; "To them I will give light; you I will leave in darkness." So St. Jerome and the Chaldee paraphrase. Some conceive that the last clause is an exhortation to the Idumaeans to consider their ways, to repent, and turn to God. Schultens renders the 12th verse, The watchman said, the morning is come, and now night; if ye will swell with rage, swell on; return, come.