Isaiah 21:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on, it comes from the wilderness, from a terrible land.

NIV: A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.

NASB: The pronouncement concerning the wilderness of the sea: As windstorms in the Negev come in turns, It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land.

CSB: A pronouncement concerning the desert by the sea: Like storms that pass over the Negev, it comes from the desert, from the land of terror.

NLT: This message came to me concerning Babylon — the desert by the sea : Disaster is roaring down on you from the desert, like a whirlwind sweeping in from the Negev.

KJV: The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

NKJV: The burden against the Wilderness of the Sea. As whirlwinds in the South pass through, So it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.

Isaiah continues to deliver oracles: prophecies given to him by the Lord. The oracle in the first ten verses of this chapter is not easy to follow. Most Bible scholars and commentators agree that the focus is on destruction coming against Babylon. They differ about which defeat Isaiah is referring to. Also subject to debate is how that defeat will impact his audience, the people of Judah.

Given the context of this portion of his book, Isaiah is most likely writing about the defeat of Babylon by Assyria. This historical event would have taken place in stages from 710 BC to 689 BC. Some scholars also suggest that Isaiah's prophecy here may be applied to Babylon's defeat by the Medes and Persians much later in 539 BC.

Why would Babylon's defeat cause Isaiah, and the people of Judah, such distress and sadness? As with Egypt, many people appeared to be hoping that Babylon could put a stop to the Assyrian threat once and for all (Isaiah 20). They hoped that Babylon could provide relief and protection to all the nations in the region around the Mediterranean Sea. Isaiah's prophecy shows that, instead, Babylon will be destroyed.

He begins by identifying the focus of the oracle: the "wilderness of the sea." This could also be called the "desert by the sea," depending on the translation. Most commentators identify this area as being southern Mesopotamia near the Persian Gulf. In places, it was both a desert and a swampland. The city of Babylon was located in modern-day Iraq, south of Baghdad.

The prophet's vision begins a little like a horror movie. He paints the picture with few details, but enough to cause unease in his audience. He uses the image of the storm winds that would blow through the desert region south of Israel. This was an area known as the Negeb. Isaiah communicates the fear of what will come using an unsettling lack of detail; few things more terrifying than the unknown. Isaiah merely says "it" will come from the wilderness, from a land of terror. "It" will be like one of those unstoppable, life-engulfing sandstorms that tear across the open desert.

Chapter 21:1–10 contains Isaiah's prophecy against Babylon. God sends Isaiah a fierce vision which causes him great physical suffering and emotional terror. His heart falters, and his body trembles at what he witnesses. Isaiah calls the leaders to prepare for battle. He obeys the Lord's call for a watchman, taking his post on the tower until the riders come. When they arrive, the prophet announces that Babylon is fallen and her gods have all been smashed.

This chapter delivers oracles against three people groups. Isaiah is terrified to the point of physical pain by the vision he sees. God reveals the terrible things coming for Babylon. Isaiah answers the Lord's call to be a watchman. When he sees the arrival of riders approaching the city, he announces that Babylon has fallen. The oracle against Dumah presents a question from an Edomite with an unsatisfying answer. The oracle against Arabia pictures starving refugees that must be fed and declares that the warriors of Kedar will be nearly wiped out within a year.

Earlier chapters included prophecies about nations such as Aram, Egypt, and Cush. Chapter 21 presents three more oracles against Israel's regional neighbors. What Isaiah sees is so horrific that he suffers intense physical pain just from watching. He answers the call to be a watchman, eventually announcing that Babylon has fallen. An oracle against Dumah provides no real answer to the question of how long the night of suffering will continue for Edom. Arabia, too, will suffer at the hand of powerful regional forces. Next is a prophecy about Jerusalem.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).