Isaiah 21:16 Meaning and Explanation
“For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God places a one-year time limit on Kedar's glory; the Bedouin tribe's prosperity will end.
The Context of Isaiah 21:16
God announces a specific timeline for the decline of Kedar, the Bedouin trading tribe.
What Does Isaiah 21:16 Mean?
Isaiah receives a time-specific prophecy: Within a year, according to the years of an hireling. An hireling's year was a fixed term of service—the prophecy thus emphasizes both precision and the completion of a cycle. Kedar, a Bedouin tribe renowned for flocks and wealth, will see all the glory fail. This affects not kings and cities but nomadic peoples whose wealth lay in herds and trade.
The specificity of the timing contrasts with the earlier open-ended question about when the night ends. Here God declares a concrete deadline. Kedar's prosperity—which had been stable and impressive—will collapse within this fixed period. The prophecy affirms that even distant peoples and desert tribes are not beyond God's knowledge or rule; their fates are numbered.
Frequently Asked Questions About Isaiah 21:16
What does Isaiah 21:16 mean?
God places a one-year time limit on Kedar's glory; the Bedouin tribe's prosperity will end.
What is the context of Isaiah 21:16?
God announces a specific timeline for the decline of Kedar, the Bedouin trading tribe.