Commentary - Isaiah 21:11-12

Bird's-eye view

In this brief and somewhat cryptic oracle, the prophet Isaiah receives a burden concerning Dumah, which is another name for Edom, the descendants of Esau. This oracle is nestled among a series of pronouncements against various nations, reminding us that the God of Israel is the God of all the earth, and His sovereign decree extends to every nation, not just to His covenant people. The passage takes the form of a desperate question posed to a watchman, a sentinel on the walls, who is asked about the time. The answer he gives is terse, packed with meaning, and a potent summary of the gospel's double-edged nature: there is hope, but it is inseparable from judgment. This is not a message of simple optimism, but one of sober reality. The night is far gone, but what is coming is not a simple dawn. It is a complex arrival of both morning and more night.

The structure is simple: a cry from Seir (Edom), and a response from the watchman (the prophet). The cry is repeated, emphasizing its urgency and desperation. The watchman's reply is an invitation to further inquiry, but it places the burden of that inquiry squarely on the questioner. God has spoken through His prophet, but men must decide what to do with the word they have received. It is a picture of a world in darkness, longing for light, but receiving an answer that requires faith and repentance to be understood properly.

Outline

Context In Isaiah

Isaiah 21 contains three oracles against foreign powers: Babylon (vv. 1-10), Dumah (Edom) (vv. 11-12), and Arabia (vv. 13-17). These pronouncements are part of a larger section (chapters 13-23) where Isaiah details God's sovereign judgments over the nations surrounding Israel. This is crucial theology. The God of the Bible is not a tribal deity, a local god minding His own business in Jerusalem. He is the high King of Heaven, and all the nations are but a drop in the bucket to Him (Is. 40:15). Edom (here called Dumah, meaning "silence," perhaps a prophecy of its coming fate) had a long and bitter history with Israel. As the descendants of Jacob's brother Esau, they were kin, but their relationship was defined by rivalry and hostility. Edom often took advantage of Judah's weakness, and the prophets frequently condemn them for their pride and cruelty (Obad. 1:10-14).

The imagery of a watchman is common in the prophets (Ezek. 3:17; Hab. 2:1). The prophet is a spiritual watchman for God's people, tasked with seeing the coming danger, be it an invading army or the impending judgment of God, and warning the people. Here, ironically, the call comes not from within Jerusalem, but from Seir, the mountainous homeland of the Edomites. A pagan nation is asking God's prophet for a word of hope.

Verse by Verse Commentary

v. 11 The oracle concerning Dumah. One keeps calling to me from Seir, “Watchman, how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone is the night?”

The word for oracle here is massa, which means "burden." Prophecy is not a light thing; it is a weight placed upon the prophet by God. This burden concerns Dumah, a poetic name for Edom that means "silence." This is likely a play on words, a prophetic hint at the ultimate fate of this proud nation: it will be brought to silence. The call comes from Seir, the chief mountain range of Edom. This is the heartland of Esau's descendants.

The cry itself is poignant. "Watchman, what of the night?" The question is not "what time is it?" but rather "how much of the night is left?" It is the cry of someone who is sick, or in danger, or in deep sorrow, waiting desperately for the dawn. The night represents their current state of suffering, oppression, and darkness. They are under the heel of Assyria or some other power, and they want to know when it will end. The repetition of the question underscores the desperation. This is not a casual inquiry. This is an earnest, soul-weary plea. It is the cry of a man who has been staring into the blackness for a long, long time.

v. 12 The watchman says, “Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again.”

The watchman's answer is one of the most compressed and potent statements in all of prophecy. It is not a simple "the sun will be up in an hour." It is far more profound. "Morning comes..." There is hope. God is promising a deliverance. For the people of God, this points to the ultimate morning, the resurrection of the Messiah. The darkness will not last forever. A new day is coming. This is the gospel promise.

But the watchman doesn't stop there. "...but also night." This is the other side of the coin. With the morning of salvation for God's people comes a night of judgment for His enemies. The same event, the coming of Christ, is salvation for those who believe and condemnation for those who persist in rebellion (John 3:19). The deliverance of some means the judgment of others. The sun rises, but for those who hate the light, its rising only serves to cast the long, dark shadows of their own doom. There is no cheap grace here, no universalist mush. The morning is real, but so is the night.

The final line is a challenge. "If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again." The prophet's answer is not meant to satisfy idle curiosity. It is meant to provoke a deeper seeking. The Edomite has his answer, but it's an answer that requires a response. The watchman is saying, "I have told you the truth. Now, what are you going to do about it? If you are serious about this, then repent. Inquire in earnest. Come back, but come back on God's terms." The offer of salvation is real, but it requires that we turn from our sin and seek the Lord. The door is open, but you must walk through it.

Key Issues

The Dual Nature of God's Coming

The watchman's answer, "Morning comes, but also night," is a foundational biblical principle. God's interventions in history are never one-dimensional. The same pillar of cloud and fire that gave light to the Israelites was darkness to the Egyptians (Exod. 14:20). The cross of Christ is the ultimate example of this. For those who believe, it is the wisdom and power of God unto salvation. For those who perish, it is foolishness (1 Cor. 1:18). It is the aroma of life to life for some, and the stench of death to death for others (2 Cor. 2:16).

We must resist the modern temptation to domesticate God, to turn the Lion of Judah into a tame housecat who only does nice things. His coming in judgment and salvation is a complex reality. The day of the Lord, so eagerly awaited by many in Israel, was prophesied by Amos to be a day of darkness, not light (Amos 5:18). Why? Because they wanted God to come and judge their enemies, without realizing that they themselves were first on the docket. The morning of Christ's kingdom is dawning, but for a world in rebellion, that dawn brings with it the night of judgment. Every sunrise is a promise of hope for the repentant and a ticking clock for the unrepentant.

Application

We are living in the time after the watchman has given his answer. The central event of history has occurred. The morning has come in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the "sun of righteousness" who has risen with "healing in his wings" (Mal. 4:2). His resurrection was the dawn of a new creation. And yet, the night has also come. With His ascension, the world was plunged into a deeper night of rebellion, a final hardening of the heart against the clear light of the gospel.

The question from Seir is still the question on the world's lips, even if they don't know who to ask. "How much longer must this darkness last?" People are weary of war, corruption, futility, and death. They are asking the watchman, "What of the night?" Our answer as the church must be the same as Isaiah's. We must faithfully proclaim both sides of the truth. Yes, morning is coming, a final, glorious morning at the consummation of all things. Christ will return to make all things new. But also, night is coming, a final, terrible night of judgment for all who have not taken refuge in Him.

And so we must extend the same invitation. "If you would inquire, inquire." We cannot force anyone to believe. But we can, and must, tell them the truth and invite them to seek the Lord while He may be found. The answer has been given. The terms are clear. The morning is offered, and the night is certain. The only question is whether men will come back again, in repentance and faith, to the God who holds both the day and the night in His sovereign hands.