Isaiah 21:7

7 And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed.

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 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink; arise, ye princes and anoint the shield.
6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me: "Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth."
7 And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed.
8 And he cried, "A lion! My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set at my post whole nights.
9 And behold, here cometh a chariot of men with a couple of horsemen!" And he answered and said, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the graven images of her gods He hath broken unto the ground!"
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.