Isaiah 21
21
Chapter 21
A message about Babylon
1This is a message about the desert near the sea.
Trouble is coming from the desert, like a strong wind that blows from the south. It comes from a land of great fear.
2The Lord showed me a vision of terrible things.
‘People are deceiving one another!
People are destroying one another!
Elam, go to attack Babylon!
People from Media, attack all round the city!
I will stop all the tears that Babylon's armies have caused.’
3Because of that vision, I am very upset. Bad pains attack me, like the pains of a woman who is giving birth. My body hurts because of the things that I have heard. I am afraid to look! 4It confuses my mind. I shake with fear. I wanted a quiet evening, but instead there is terror.
5Look! They are preparing a feast. They put down carpets for people to sit on. They are eating and they are drinking. Officers, stand up! Make your shields ready for battle!
6This is what the Lord God has said to me:
‘Go! Put someone on the city wall to watch.
Tell him to report what he sees.
7If he sees chariots that two horses are pulling,
or riders on donkeys,
or riders on camels,
he must watch very carefully.’
8Then the guard shouted, ‘Lord God, I am standing every day on the tower where I watch. I stand at my place every night. 9And look! Something is coming! It is a chariot that two horses are pulling!’ The rider reports, ‘An enemy has completely destroyed Babylon! All the idols of its people's gods lie in pieces on the ground!’
10Yes, my people, Babylon's army has hurt you very much. But now I have reported to you the message from the Lord Almighty, Israel's God.
A message about Edom
11This is a message about Dumah.
Someone is shouting to me from Seir. #21:11 Dumah and Seir are other names for Edom. They are asking, ‘Guard, how soon will the night finish? Please tell me.’
12The guard replies, ‘The morning will come soon. But the night will quickly follow. If you want to ask again, then come back. Come and ask!’
A message about Arabia
13This is a message about Arabia.
Traders from Dedan, you put up your tents in Arabia's wilderness. 14You must bring some water for the thirsty people to drink. You people who live in Tema, bring food to give to the hungry people who are running away from danger. #21:14 Dedan and Tema were towns in Arabia. 15They are running away from the weapons of war. They are running from the swords, bows and arrows of a dangerous battle.
16This is what the Lord God has said to me: ‘In one year's time, all Kedar's glory will have gone. Count every day, as if you are working to receive money. 17Only a few of Kedar's brave soldiers will remain, with their bows and arrows.’
That is what the Lord, Israel's God, has said.
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Isaiah 21
21
The Lord Will Judge Babylon
1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea:#sn The phrase is quite cryptic, at least to the modern reader. Verse 9 seems to indicate that this message pertains to Babylon. Southern Mesopotamia was known as the Sealand in ancient times, because of its proximity to the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the reference to Babylon as a “desert” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like a desolate desert.
Like strong winds blowing in the south,#tn Or “in the Negev” (NASB).
one invades from the desert,
from a land that is feared.
2 I have received a distressing message:#tn Heb “a severe revelation has been related to me.”
“The deceiver deceives,
the destroyer destroys.
Attack, you Elamites!
Lay siege, you Medes!
I will put an end to all the groaning!”#sn This is often interpreted to mean “all the groaning” that Babylon has caused others.
3 For this reason my stomach churns;#tn Heb “my waist is filled with shaking [or “anguish”].”
cramps overwhelm me
like the contractions of a woman in labor.
I am disturbed#tn Or perhaps, “bent over [in pain]”; cf. NRSV “I am bowed down.” by what I hear,
horrified by what I see.
4 My heart palpitates,#tn Heb “wanders,” perhaps here, “is confused.”
I shake in fear;#tn Heb “shuddering terrifies me.”
the twilight I desired
has brought me terror.
5 Arrange the table,
lay out#tn The precise meaning of the verb in this line is debated. Some prefer to derive the form from the homonymic צָפֹה (tsafoh, “keep watch”) and translate “post a guard” (cf. KJV “watch in the watchtower”; ASV “set the watch”). the carpet,
eat and drink!#tn The verbal forms in the first three lines are infinitives absolute, which are functioning here as finite verbs. It is uncertain if the forms should have an imperatival or indicative/descriptive force here.
Get up, you officers,
smear oil on the shields!#sn Smearing the shields with oil would make them more flexible and effective in battle. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:394.
6 For this is what the sovereign master#tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). has told me:
“Go, post a guard!
He must report what he sees.
7 When he sees chariots,
teams of horses,#tn Or “a pair of horsemen.”
riders on donkeys,
riders on camels,
he must be alert,
very alert.”
8 Then the guard#tn The Hebrew text has, “the lion,” but this makes little sense here. אַרְיֵה (’aryeh, “lion”) is probably a corruption of an original הָרֹאֶה (haro’eh, “the one who sees”), i.e., the guard mentioned previously in v. 6. cries out:
“On the watchtower, O sovereign master,#tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). Some translations take this to refer to the Lord (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV), while others take it to refer to the guard’s human master (“my lord”; cf. NIV, NLT).
I stand all day long;
at my post
I am stationed every night.
9 Look what’s coming!
A charioteer,
a team of horses.”#tn Or “[with] teams of horses,” or perhaps, “with a pair of horsemen.”
When questioned, he replies,#tn Heb “and he answered and said” (so KJV, ASV).
“Babylon has fallen, fallen!
All the idols of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”
10 O my downtrodden people, crushed like stalks on the threshing floor,#tn Heb “My trampled one, and the son of the threshing floor.”
what I have heard
from the Lord who commands armies,
the God of Israel,
I have reported to you.
Bad News for Seir
11 Here is a message about Dumah:#tn The noun דּוּמָה (dumah) means “silence,” but here it is a proper name, probably referring to a site in northern Arabia or to the nation of Edom. See BDB 189 s.v. II דּוּמָה. If Dumah was an area in northern Arabia, it would be of interest to the Edomites because of its strategic position on trade routes which they used. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:398.
Someone calls to me from Seir,#sn Seir is another name for Edom. See BDB 973 s.v. שֵׂעִיר.
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?”#sn The “night” probably here symbolizes distress and difficult times. See BDB 539 s.v. לַיְלָה.
12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but then night.#sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be short-lived as night returns.
If you want to ask, ask;
come back again.”#sn The point of the watchman’s final instructions (“if you want to ask, ask; come again”) is unclear. Perhaps they are included to add realism to the dramatic portrayal. The watchman sends the questioner away with the words, “Feel free to come back and ask again.”
The Lord Will Judge Arabia
13 Here is a message about Arabia:
In the thicket of Arabia you spend the night,
you Dedanite caravans.
14 Bring out some water for the thirsty.
You who live in the land of Tema,
bring some food for the fugitives.
15 For they flee from the swords –
from the drawn sword
and from the battle-ready bow
and from the severity of the battle.
16 For this is what the sovereign master#tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). has told me: “Within exactly one year#tn Heb “in still a year, like the years of a hired worker.” See the note at 16:14. all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. 17 Just a handful of archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be left.”#tn Heb “and the remnant of the number of the bow, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few.” Indeed,#tn Or “for” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV). the Lord God of Israel has spoken.
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