Isaiah 21:1-9

1 The burden of the forsaken (of the) sea. As whirlwinds come from the southwest, it cometh from [the] desert, from the horrible land. (The burden of the Sea of the Wilderness. Like whirlwinds come from the southwest, it cometh from the wilderness, from the horrible land.)

2 An hard revelation is told to me; he that is unfaithful, doeth unfaithfully; and he that is a destroyer, destroyeth. Thou Elam, go up, and thou Media, beseech (O Elam, ascend, and O Media, besiege); I made all the wailing thereof for to cease.

3 Therefore my loins be filled with sorrow; anguish wielded me, as the anguish of a woman travailing of child; I fell down, when I heard; I was troubled, when I saw. (And so my limbs be filled with sorrow; anguish held me, like the anguish of a woman labouring with child; I fell down, when I heard; I was troubled, when I saw.)

4 Mine heart faded, darknesses astonied me; Babylon, my darling, is set to me into (a) miracle. (My heart faded, the darkness astonished me; the night that I longed for, now hath become what I fear.)

5 Set thou a board, behold thou into a looking place; rise, ye princes, eating and drinking, take ye [the] shield. (Set thou the table, look thou out from the lookout; rise up, ye leaders, from eating and drinking, and take ye up thy shields.)

6 For why the Lord said these things to me, Go thou, and set a looker; and tell he, whatever thing he seeth. (For the Lord said to me, Go thou, and set a lookout; and let him tell thee, whatever he seeth.)

7 And he saw the chariot of two horsemen, the rider of an ass (the rider of a donkey), and the rider of a camel; and he beheld diligently with much looking,

8 and [he] cried as a lion, I stand continually by day on the looking place of the Lord, and I stand by all nights on my keeping. (and he cried out like a lion, and said, I stand continually by day at the lookout of the Lord, and I stand by all nights, or every night, at my station.)

9 Lo! this cometh, a man-rider of a cart of horsemen. And Isaiah cried, and said, Babylon fell down, fell down; and all the graven images of gods thereof be all-broken into [the] earth. (Lo! here come some men, horsemen riding in a chariot. And Isaiah cried, and said, Babylon fell down, fell down; and all the carved idols of its gods lie broken in pieces on the ground.)

Isaiah 21:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 21

This chapter contains prophecies against Babylon, Idumea, and Arabia. The prophecy against Babylon is called "the burden of the desert of the sea"; whose enemies are described by the fierce manner of their coming, and by the land from whence they came, Isa 21:1 which vision being declared to the prophet, is called a grievous one; what made it so was treachery among themselves; and the Medes and Persians are invited to besiege them, Isa 21:2 their terror and distress upon it are represented by the pains of a woman in travail, whom the prophet personates, Isa 21:3,4 and by the methods they took to defend themselves, to which they were alarmed, when in the greatest security and jollity, Isa 21:5 all which is illustrated by the vision of the watchman, who saw the Medes and Persians on the march, signified by a chariot and a couple of horsemen, who declares the fall of Babylon, and the destruction of its gods, Isa 21:6-9 which would issue in the good and comfort of the church and people of God, Isa 21:10 then follows the prophecy against Idumea, which consists of a question put to the watchman, and his answer to it; to which an exhortation is added, Isa 21:11,12 and the chapter concludes with another prophecy against Arabia: the calamities threatened are lodging in a forest, thirst, famine, and fleeing from the sword Isa 21:13-15, and the time is fixed when all this should be, by which their glory would fail, and the number of their archers and mighty men be lessened; for the confirmation of which the divine testimony is annexed, Isa 21:16,17.