Isaiah 21:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently.”

NIV: When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.'

NASB: When he sees a column of chariots, horsemen in pairs, A train of donkeys, a train of camels, He is to pay close attention, very close attention.'

CSB: When he sees riders -- pairs of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels -- he must pay close attention."

NLT: He should look for chariots drawn by pairs of horses, and for riders on donkeys and camels. Let the watchman be fully alert.'

KJV: 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:

NKJV: And he saw a chariot with a pair of horsemen, A chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels, And he listened earnestly with great care.

The Lord has called for a watchman to be stationed on the walls to and report what he sees coming (Isaiah 21:6). In a sense, Isaiah himself may be that person standing on the walls of Jerusalem waiting for word to arrive that Babylon has fallen. Or he is calling for the watchmen in Babylon to keep a lookout for the enemy threat to arrive.

Now he instructs the watchman to be fully on alert when he sees riders and horsemen approaching the city in pairs. Whether those riders are on donkeys, horses, or camels, he should listen very closely to what they report.

The prophet may have been describing the approach of the enemy warriors toward the walls of Babylon as if he were seeing it in his vision. It is difficult to know exactly since the entire oracle in chapter 21 is almost delivered as if it were a dream. The precise details matter less than the overall message of dread and suffering at the judgment to come.

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).

Accessed 5/6/2024 8:16:29 AM