Isaiah 21:9

9 ecce iste venit ascensor vir bigae equitum et respondit et dixit cecidit cecidit Babylon et omnia sculptilia deorum eius contrita sunt in terram

Isaiah 21:9 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 21:9

And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men
Or "of a man" F24; a chariot with a man in it, Cyrus or Darius: [with] a couple of horsemen;
the army of the Medes and Persians, with their two leaders or generals, as before; only now seen nearer the city, just entering into it; for so the word may be rendered, "goeth", or "is gone in a chariot": and he answered, and said;
either the watchman, upon seeing the chariot and horsemen go into the city; or one of the horsemen that went in; so the Syriac and Arabic versions; or rather the prophet, and the Lord by him: Babylon is fallen, is fallen:
which is repeated to show the certainty of it. The same words are used of the fall of mystical Babylon, ( Revelation 14:8 ) ( 18:2 ) . The Targum is,

``it is fallen, and also it shall be, that Babylon shall fall;''
that is, a second time, and hereafter: and so Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it of two falls, one by the Medes and Persians, and the other by the hand of heaven, or God himself: literal Babylon fell by the former; mystical Babylon will fall by the latter, even by the breath of Christ's mouth, and the brightness of his coming: and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the
ground;
either Cyrus or Darius, who might do this, not from any detestation of them, but for the sake of the gold, and silver, and riches, that were about them; or rather the Lord by them, and so put an end to idolatry; as will be, when mystical Babylon is destroyed.
FOOTNOTES:

F24 (vya bkr) "currus viri", Pagninus, Montanus.

Isaiah 21:9 In-Context

7 et vidit currum duorum equitum ascensorem asini et ascensorem cameli et contemplatus est diligenter multo intuitu
8 et clamavit leo super specula Domini ego sum stans iugiter per diem et super custodiam meam ego sum stans totis noctibus
9 ecce iste venit ascensor vir bigae equitum et respondit et dixit cecidit cecidit Babylon et omnia sculptilia deorum eius contrita sunt in terram
10 tritura mea et fili areae meae quae audivi a Domino exercituum Deo Israhel adnuntiavi vobis
11 onus Duma ad me clamat ex Seir custos quid de nocte custos quid de nocte
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.