Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 21 contains THREE BRIEF ORACLES: against the WILDERNESS-OF-THE-SEA (Babylon, vv. 1–10), against DUMAH (Edom, vv. 11–12), and against ARABIA (vv. 13–17). Verse 9's 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon' is the Bible's first 'fallen-Babylon' refrain — quoted at Revelation 14:8 and 18:2.
Notable Variants
21:9 'FALLEN, FALLEN IS BABYLON' → Revelation 14:8 / 18:2 verbatim; 21:11 watchman-call 'how much of the night?' poetic-haunting; 21:13 ARABIA-ORACLE Dedanite-caravans.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 21 = LXX Isaiah 21. 17 verses. THREE-ORACLES (Babylon / Dumah / Arabia).
The burden of the wilderness of the sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, it comes from the wilderness, from a land of terror.
'The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on, it comes from the wilderness, from a terrible land' tracks MT. WILDERNESS-OF-THE-SEA — cryptic-name for-Babylon (Babylon-was on the southern-Mesopotamian flood-plain).
A harsh vision has been declared to me: The betrayer betrays, the plunderer plunders. Go up, Elam! Lay siege, Media! All her groaning I will bring to an end.
'A stern vision is told to me; the traitor betrays, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, O Elam; lay siege, O Media; all the sighing she has caused I bring to an end' tracks MT. ELAM-AND-MEDIA — Persian-Median coalition-against-Babylon.
Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me like the pangs of a woman in labor. I am twisted by what I hear, dismayed by what I see.
'Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see' tracks MT.
My heart staggers, horror overwhelms me; the twilight I longed for he has turned to trembling for me.
'My heart staggers; horror has appalled me; the twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling' tracks MT.
Set the table, spread the cloth, eat, drink — arise, you commanders, oil the shield!
'They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink. Arise, O princes; oil the shield!' tracks MT. BABYLON-FEAST — Belshazzar's-feast (Daniel 5) parallels.
For this is what the Lord said to me: "Go, post a watchman; let him report what he sees."
'For thus the Lord said to me: Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees' tracks MT.
When he sees riders — a pair of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels — let him listen closely, very closely.
'When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently' tracks MT.
Then the watchman cried out: "On the watchtower, my Lord, I stand continually through the day, and at my post I am stationed through every night."
'Then he who saw cried out: Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post I am stationed whole nights' tracks MT.
And look — here it comes: a chariot of men, a pair of horsemen! He spoke up and said: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon, and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground!"
Masoretic (WLC)
וְהִנֵּה־זֶה בָא רֶכֶב אִישׁ צֶמֶד פָּרָשִׁים וַיַּעַן וַיֹּאמֶר נָפְלָה נָפְלָה בָּבֶל וְכָל־פְּסִילֵי אֱלֹהֶיהָ שִׁבַּר לָאָרֶץ
Behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs! And he answered, saying: Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς ἔρχεται ἀναβάτης συνωρίδος καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν πέπτωκεν Βαβυλὼν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἀγάλματα αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ χειροποίητα αὐτῆς συνετρίβησαν εἰς τὴν γῆν
Behold, he comes, a rider in a chariot. And he answered and said: Babylon has fallen, and all her statues and her hand-made images are shattered to the ground
FALLEN-FALLEN-IS-BABYLON. The double-doom-cry. REVELATION 14:8 — 'Another angel, a second, followed, saying: FALLEN, FALLEN IS BABYLON THE GREAT (epesen, epesen Babylōn hē megalē).' REVELATION 18:2 — 'with a mighty voice he called out: FALLEN, FALLEN IS BABYLON THE GREAT.' Both Revelation-citations directly-echo this Isaiah-verse-LXX (peptōken Babylōn) — applying-it to-eschatological-Rome / Babylon-the-great. The Babylon-fallen refrain becomes the apocalyptic-judgment formula par-excellence.
O my threshed people, child of my threshing floor! What I have heard from the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.
'O my threshed and winnowed one, what I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, I announce to you' tracks MT.
The burden of Dumah: Someone calls to me from Seir — "Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?"
'The oracle concerning Dumah. One is calling to me from Seir: Watchman, what time of the night? Watchman, what time of the night?' tracks MT. DUMAH ORACLE. WATCHMAN-WHAT-OF-THE-NIGHT — one-of-the-most-haunting questions-in-the-Bible. Possibly used-as-paradigm-question for-spiritual-watchfulness.
The watchman says: "Morning comes — and also night. If you would ask, ask; come back again."
'The watchman says: Morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; come back again' tracks MT. MORNING-COMES-AND-ALSO-THE-NIGHT — cryptic-twilight reply. Both-day-and-night ambiguity.
The burden against Arabia: In the thickets of Arabia you will lodge, O caravans of Dedanites.
'The oracle concerning Arabia. In the thickets in Arabia you will lodge, O caravans of Dedanites' tracks MT. ARABIA-ORACLE. DEDANITES — Arabian-tribe (Genesis 25:3).
Bring water to meet the thirsty, O inhabitants of the land of Tema; greet the fugitive with bread.
'To the thirsty bring water; meet the fugitive with bread, O inhabitants of the land of Tema' tracks MT. TEMA — northwest-Arabian oasis.
For they have fled from swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, from the weight of war.
'For they have fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the press of battle' tracks MT.
For this is what the Lord said to me: "Within a year — as a hired worker counts it — all the glory of Kedar will come to an end."
'For thus the Lord said to me: Within a year, according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end' tracks MT. KEDAR — Arabian-tribe (Gen 25:13). One-year-time-stamp.
And the remnant of Kedar's archers, the warriors among the sons of Kedar, will be few — for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.
'And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar will be few, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken' tracks MT.