Isaiah 21:7

7 Tell him to watch for chariots that are pulled by teams of horses. Tell him to watch for men riding on donkeys or camels. Make sure he stays awake. Make sure he stays wide awake."

Isaiah 21:7 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 21:7

And he saw a chariot [with] a couple of horsemen
The drivers of it, or the riders in it; perhaps meaning Cyrus and Darius: a chariot of asses, [and] a chariot of camels;
by the former may be meant the Persians, who very much used mules or asses; and the Medes by the latter, who abounded in camels: the words are in the singular number, and may be rendered, "a rider of an ass, and a rider of a camel" F23; and so may describe the couple of riders along with the chariot, which may signify the whole army of the Medes and Persians, chariots being much used in war; and the rider of the ass or mule may design Cyrus, who was called a mule, because of his mixed descent, being a Persian by his father, and a Mede by his mother's side; so the oracle of Apollo told the Babylonians, that their city should stand, until a mule was king of the Medes; and the rider of the camel may point at Darius: and he hearkened diligently with much heed;
the watchman that was set to watch used the utmost attention to what he saw, and listened diligently to the noise of this chariot and horsemen, as they came nearer.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 (lmg bkr rwmx bkr) (anabathn onou, kai anabathn kamhlou) , Sept.; "ascensorem asini, et ascensorem cameli", V. L. "unum equitantium in asinis, alterum equitantium in camelis", Piscator.

Isaiah 21:7 In-Context

5 In my vision the Babylonians set the tables. They spread the rugs out. They eat. They drink. Get up, you officers! Rub your shields with oil!
6 The Lord said to me, "Go. Put a guard on duty on Jerusalem's walls. Have him report what he sees.
7 Tell him to watch for chariots that are pulled by teams of horses. Tell him to watch for men riding on donkeys or camels. Make sure he stays awake. Make sure he stays wide awake."
8 "My master!" the guard shouts back. "Day after day I stand here on the lookout tower. Every night I stay here on duty.
9 Look! Here comes a man in a chariot! It's being pulled by a team of horses. He's calling out the news, 'Babylon has fallen! It has fallen! All of the statues of its gods lie broken in pieces on the ground!' "
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