Isaiah 21:11

The burden of Dumah. See on ch. 13:1. For Dumah the LXX has Edom. Dumah was one of the descendants of Ishmael (Gen. 25:14; 1 Chron. 1:30). Since the prophecy mentions Mt. Seir, some would place Dumah in Edom, but no Edomite town by this name is known. Hence, some take Dumah as a symbolic name for Edom. However, there was a Dumah in the Arabian Desert, east of Edom, and this could conceivably be connected with the Ishmaelites.

Watchman. See on v. 6.

What of the night? Literally, “What from the night?” probably meaning, “What time of night is it?” (see 6T 407). Some in Edom inquire urgently and insistently of the prophet what the tidings are. The hour is one of darkness and danger, and they are anxious to know when the morning will come, bringing relief from anxiety and fear.