Isaiah 21

Chapter context

What is happening in Isaiah 21?

holinessjudgmentremnantmessiah

Isaiah 21 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as narratives around Assyria and Hezekiah. Isaiah is one of Scripture’s grandest prophetic books, moving from holy judgment to consolation, servant imagery, and new-creation hope. Read this chapter with the wider themes of holiness, judgment, and remnant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ 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. ² A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. ³ Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it. ⁴ My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. 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 in my ward 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. ¹⁰ O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you. ¹¹ The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? ¹² The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come. ¹³ The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim. ¹⁴ The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled. ¹⁵ For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. ¹⁶ For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail: ¹⁷ And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.

Study helps

Glossary

Babylon Place v. 1-2, 9: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Babylon.
Negeb Place v. 1: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tel Beer Sheva.
Elam Place v. 2: Biblical region. Modern identification: Shush.
Media Place v. 2: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tell Hagmatana.
Dumah Place v. 11: Biblical region. Modern identification: Buseira.
Mount Seir Place v. 11: Biblical mountain range. Modern identification: Jebel esh Shera.
Arabia Place v. 13: Biblical region. Modern identification: Arabian Peninsula.
Dedan Place v. 13: A rose, an island to the south of the western extremity of Asia Minor, between Coos and Patara, about 46 miles long and 18 miles broad. Modern identification: Al Khuraybah.
Tema Place v. 14: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tayma.
Bow Tribe v. 15: The bow was in use in early times both in war and in the chase ( Gen. 21:20 ; 27:3 ; 48:22 ). The tribe of Benjamin were famous for the use of the bow ( 1 Chr. 8:40 ; 12:2 ; 2 Chr. 14:8 ; 17:17 ); so also were the Elamites.
Kedar Place v. 16-17: Biblical people group. Modern identification: Dumat al Jandal.