Bible Strands
Isaiah 21:14
Bring water for the thirsty, O dwellers of Tema; meet the refugees with food.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet addresses the inhabitants of Tema regarding the judgment on Arabia and the refugees fleeing the sword. The command is issued as neighboring caravans witness the devastation caused by battle.
The words — הֵתָ֣יוּ (he.Ta.yu) means to bring, and תֵּימָ֔א (tei.Ma') refers to the land of Tema. These terms anchor the directive to a specific geographic community tasked with aiding those in flight.
The thread — Tema is listed among tribal descendants in Genesis 25:15, while caravans from that region are noted in Job 6:19 for seeking water. The ethical imperative to feed the thirsty later appears in Romans 12:20.
Why it lands — The text demands the immediate provision of water and bread to fleeing refugees. It requires readers to extend physical sustenance to those in distress, regardless of the surrounding conflict.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.
Cross-references
- Genesis 25:15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
- Job 6:19 The caravans of Tema look for water; the travelers of Sheba hope to find it.
- Romans 12:20 On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
- Proverbs 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
- Judges 8:4 Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.
- 1 Chronicles 1:30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema,
- Isaiah 16:3 “Give us counsel; render a decision. Shelter us at noonday with shade as dark as night. Hide the refugees; do not betray the one who flees.
- 1 Peter 4:9 Show hospitality to one another without complaining.