The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 345

II. THE ENIGMATIC ANSWER, 11 Morning cometh, and also night.' There ,were II wiE\e men" in Edom, and probably the answer is couched in the style they loved. 'What does it mean"! We can but conjecture. It may mean that the coming light of prosperity and joy is aoon to be quenched in the night of calamity again. Or, the dawn of joy to some will be the night of despair to others. "When the morning comes, it will still be night" (Luther). Even if morning dawns, it will be swallowed up again imme- diately by night. And in what follows, also obscure, seems to be a hint that only in case of Edorn's conversion can there be an answer of consolation and of hope. 'l.'he design may be "(1) to reprove them for the manner in which they had asked the question ; (2) to assure them that God was willing to direct humble and serious.' inquiries; (3) to show in what way a favourable answer could be obtained,· viz ..by repentance." ill. APPLICATION. 1. Historical. 11 History was quite in accord with au~h an answer. The Assyrian period of judgment was followed by the Chaldean, the Chaldean by the Persian, the Persian by the Grecian, and the Grecian by the Roman. ' Again and again there was a glimmer of morning dawu for Edom (and "'.hat a glimmer in the Herodian &gel); but it was swallowed up directly by another night, until Edom becaine an utter Dumah, and disappeared from the history of nations," Herod the Great, "King of the Jews," was son of A.ntipater of Edom, who became procurator of Judrea. Under the Mussulman rule in the seventh century A,D., the cities' of E<)om 'tell into ruin,, and the la.nd became a desolation (comp. Ezek. xxxv. 3, 4, 7, 9, 14). The famed roe~~. built city of Petra was brought to light in our own time by Burckhardt, 1812;, 2. Generci/,. The prophetic outlook upon the world at any epoch is. of tbe same general, character. Night struggles with morning in the conflicts and cha~ges of nations, iri. the controversies of truth with error. In the closing chapters of St. Matthew's ..Gospel we do not find a prospect of unmingled brightness, very far from it. Christianity will call into existence vast organized hypocrisies ; the shadow attends closely upon the· light. At the conversion of the empire under Constantine, at the Reformation, ·etc.,' "the morning came, and also night." History pursues a spiral line·; old errors return, decayed superstitions revive; then again the day breaks. And so with the individual; the light we gain at happy epochs must yield to fresh doubts or fears, again to be dispelled by redawning faith. Such is the condition of our life; we dwell in the chiarosC'IJ,ro, the twilight of intuition; we "see as in a glass, enigmatically." But hope and endeavour remain to us ; and the looking forward to the everlasting light of Jehovah, the glory of God, the rising of the sun that shall no more go down; the end of mourning; the" one day" that shall be neither day nor night; the evenilig~thn~ when it shall be light (eh. lx. 19, 20; Zech. xiv. 7).-J. Vere. 13--16.:._TJ,e tribes of .Arabia. L THE FATE OF THE DEDANITES. 'l'heir caravans must hide in the thorn-bushes away from the beaten track. These Dedanites belong to Edom (Jer. tlix. 8; Ezek. xxv. 13). They were merchants, and among others traded with wealthy Tyre (Ezek. xxvii. 15). And probably the meaning is that when on their way from 'l'yre they would be compelled to camp,'in the desert, because of the widespreading war from north to south. • ..• II. THE SYMPATHY OF THE PROPHET. He calls the people of Tema to 11upp)r,'the thirsty a.nd hwigry fugitives with water and with bread. Tema lay on the ro'ute loetween Palmyra and Petra. The tribe was among the descendants of-Ishmatil._ In theae aad scenes the light of human kindness in the heart of the prephet, refl.eoted .in ihe picture of 'l'ernanite hospitality, shines forth. • • '' " Tbeee ere the precious bal1am-drope Th&t woeful wars diatiL'' . o~ xu 1-17,] THE BOOK OF THE PROPllET ISAIAH. 343