Nazarene Commentary 2000©
21st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures©
–
21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures©
[NCMM]
|
Locate verse: Type a verse reference like 'Romans 10:9' or abbreviated 'Rm 10:9'.
By just typing the verse one can jump to the corresponding verse on the active page (only works if the current page displays a chapter).
If a chapter and a verse is entered without a book, the current selected book is assumed.
Providing only the name of a book will bring one to the chapter index of that book.
Examples (without the quotes): '1 Tim 3:16', 'Rv 1:8', 'Matthew 5', '3:16', '8', 'Phm'.
|
THE PROPHET ISAIAH
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:
BABYLON HAS FALLEN!
Isaiah 21:1-4 – The Call for Persia against Babylon
IS21:1 A weighty message to the Persian Gulf:
Like a southern whirl-wind rushing out of the desert
coming from a horrible land,
| 806 | Persian Gulf: Or, RHM: desert of the sea [footnote: Persian Gulf]; JPS: Desert of the Sea; NJB: coastal desert [footnote: maritime
desert]. |
| 807 | Like a southern whirl-wind rushing out of the desert: Or, KJV: as whirlwinds in the south pass through;
NJB: whirlwinds sweeping over the Negeb; JPS: like the gales that race through the Negeb; RHM: as storm-winds in the South which with a rush from the desert; LXX: as though a whirlwind should pass through the desert. The Hebrew word is NEGEB [Strong’s
Exhaustive Concordance #5045] and is first mentioned at Genesis 12:9. Compare Isaiah 30:6. Formerly well-populated it is now one of the harshest deserts on earth. |
| 808 | Coming from a horrible land: That is, an awesome land inspiring fear. Or, RHM: come from a terrible land; JPS: the terrible land; NJB: fearsome country. |
IS21:2 just
so has a disturbing vision
come to my ears. The deceiver continues to deceive,
and the spoiler continues to spoil.
Rise, O Elam!
Lay siege, O Media!
All the grief she caused I have brought to a stop.
| 809 | Disturbing vision: Or, KJV: grievous; NJB: harsh; JPS: harsh prophecy. |
| 810 | Deceiver continues to deceive: Or, LXX: he that is treacherous deals treacherously; RHM: deceiver is deceiving; JPS: betrayer is betraying; NJB: the traitor betrays. |
| 811 | Spoiler continues to spoil: Or, KJV: spoiler spoileth; NJB: despoiler despoils; JPS: ravager ravaging; LXX: transgressor transgresses. Compare Isaiah 33:1. |
| 812 | Rise, O Elam: Or, LXX: the Elamites are upon me; RHM: go up, O Elam; JPS: advance, Elam. A son of Noah’s son Shem [and thus Semitic]. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: “The whole country [of Elam] was occupied by a variety of tribes, speaking agglutinative dialects for the most part, though the western districts were occupied by Semites.” [1959, Volume 8, page 118] Compare Genesis 10:22, 31 and 1 Chronicles 1:17. Now called Khuzestan in south-western Iran, a place still in the news. In this prophetic context Elam is associated with Persia. |
| 813 | Lay siege, O Media: Or, KJV: beseige, O Media. [Ezra 6:2; Esther 1:3; Jeremiah 51:28; Daniel 5:28; 8:20] The Medes were descendents of Noah’s son Japheth and thus Aryans. [Genesis 10:2] The land lays north of Persia and west of the Caspian Sea. In modern Turkey including Mount Ararat where Noah’s Ark came to rest. The language arouses Persia who will conquer Babylon near the end of the 6th Century BC. |
| 814 | All the grief she caused I have brought to a stop: Or, RHM: all the sighing she hath caused have I made to cease; JPS: I have put an end to all her sighing; NJB: I have cut short all groaning. [Likely the “she” is Babylon. [Psalm 137:1; note Isaiah 14:7] |
IS21:3 Because of this my inner thighs are seized by trembling.
Stabs of pain have grabbed me,
just like the pangs of a woman giving birth. I twist from pain so much I cannot hear!
I twist with pain so much I cannot see!
| 815 | My inner thighs are seized by trembling: Or, KJV: my loins filled with pain; NJB: this is why my loins are racked with pain; JPS:
therefore my loins are seized with trembling; RHM: my loins filled with anguish; LXX: loins filled with feebleness. Referring to the prophet. Compare Habakkuk 3:16. |
| 816 | Stabs of pain have grabbed me: Or, LXX: pangs have seized me; JPS: gripped by pangs; NJB: seized with pangs; KJV: pangs have taken hold upon me. |
| 817 | I twist from pain so much I cannot hear: Or, KJV: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; NJB: too distressed to hear; JPS: too anguished to hear; RHM: I writhe so that I cannot hear. The visionary
experience is so powerful as to grip Isaiah in contorted agony. |
IS21:4 My heart trembles.
A trembling horror terrifies me!
My pleasurable night He has turned into a time of trembling. | 818 | My heart trembles: Or, LXX: my heart wanders; RHM: my heart flutereth; JPS: my mind is confused; NJB: bewildered; KJV: my heart panted. |
| 819 | A trembling horror terrifies me: Or, KJV: fearfulness affrighted me; NJB: dread overwhelms me; JPS: I shudder in panic; RHM: a horror terrified me. The LXX is interesting: ANOMIA [sins] ME [my] BAPTIZES [baptizes me]. |
| 820 | My pleasurable night He has turned into a time of trembling: Or, LXX: my soul [PSYCHE MOU] is occupied with fear [PHOBON]; RHM: my twilight of pleasure [footnote: the twilight of my pleasure] hath He turned for me into a time of trembling; JPS: my night of pleasure He has turned to terror; NJB: the twilight I longed for has become my horror; KJV: the night of my pleasure. See the Mosaic curse at Deuteronomy 28:67. |
Isaiah 21:5-10 – Babylon Has Fallen!
IS21:5 Prepare the table!
Spread the cushions
– eat and drink! Rise, you commanders,
grease your shields!
| 821 | Prepare the table: Or, NJB: they lay the table; JPS: set the table; RHM: ye thought to prepare the table. |
| 822 | Spread the cushions: Or, RHM: spread the mat; NJB: spread the cloth. Compare KJV and JPS rearranged wording. Compare Isaiah 22:13 and Daniel
5:1. |
| 823 | Rise, you commanders: Or, KJV: arise, ye princes; NJB: up, princes; JPS: up, officers; RHM: arise, ye
chieftains. The LXX Greek uses ARCHONTES. The Hebrew is SAR. |
| 824 | Grease your shields: That is, prepare
for battle. Or, RHM: anoint the shield [footnote; to make it slippery]; LXX: prepare your shields; JPS: [footnote: grasp]. Greasing the shield made it slippery against attack. [2 Samuel 1:21] |
IS21:6 For
this is what the Sovereign Lord has said to me: “Go, assign the watchman,
and whatever he sees tell me!
| 825 | Go, assign the watchman: Or, KJV: set the watchman; NJB: post a look-out; JPS: set up a sentry; RHM: set the watchman; LXX: station
a watchman. Compare Isaiah 62:6; Jeremiah 51:12; Ezekiel 3:17; 33:3; Habakkuk 2:1. |
| 826 | Whatever he sees tell me:
Or, LXX: declare whatever thou shalt see; RHM: what he seeth let him tell; JPS: let him announce what he sees; NJB: report what he sees. The LXX Greek uses ANANGEILON. |
IS21:7 Whenever
he sees mounted soldiers in two columns – a column of asses, a column of camels – then shall he pay close attention.”
| 827 | Pay close attention: Or, LXX: great attention; JPS: listen closely, most attentively; RHM: diligent heed; NJB: watch alertly, be very alert indeed; KJV: hearkened diligently with much heed. |
IS21:8 It was then he cried out like a lion:
“On the watchtower,
O YeHoWaH, I have remained standing constantly
by day, and I have remained at my appointed post
throughout the night.
| 828 | Cried out like a lion: Or, KJV: he cried, A lion; NJB: then the look-out shouted; JPS: like a lion he called out. Note Isaiah 5:29. |
| 829 | On the watchtower: Or, JPS: on my Lord’s lookout; RHM: on the watch. The Hebrew for “watchtower” is MITSPEH [MIZPAH]. |
| 830 | I have remained standing constantly: Or, KJV: I stand continually; NJB: I say all day; RHM: standing continually by day; LXX: I stood continually
during the day. |
| 831 | At my appointed post: Or, LXX: I stood in the camp all the night; JPS: at my post I watch
every night; RHM: stationed whole nights; KJV: I am set in my ward whole nights. [Habakkuk 2:1] |
IS21:9 Now, behold! There is a column of soldiers coming, with horsemen in columns of two! And
one told me: “Fallen!
Babylon is fallen!
[Revelation 14:8; 18:2] All her images of her false gods have been smashed to the ground!”
| 832 | Fallen! Babylon is fallen: Or, KJV: Babylon is fallen, is fallen; RHM: Fallen! Fallen! is Babylon. The phrase is the source of the
words at Revelation 14:8 and Revelation 18:2. Compare Jeremiah 51:8. This took place about 580 BC. |
IS21:10 O My threshed ones
– the children of
My threshing-floor!
[Matthew 3:12] – what I have heard from YeHoWaH of [angelic] armies, the God of Israel, I have proclaimed to all of you!| 833 |
O My threshed ones: Or, JPS: [Hebrew uncertain] My threshing; RHM: O thou My threshing [footnote: my oppressed people]; NJB: you whom I have threshed; KJV: O my threshing. Likely referring to the Jews exiled in Babylon to be released on the prophetic
horizon. |
| 834 | The children of My threshing-floor: Or, KJV: the corn of my floor; NJB: grain of my threshing-floor;
RHM: the grain of my corn-floor [footnote: my poor people crushed as corn in the threshing]; JPS: the product of my threshing-floor. God has threshed His own people as a discipline and now repentant on the prophetic horizon they are to be delivered from Babylon.
[1 Kings 8:46; 2 Kings 13:7] See the Mosaic curse in Deuteronomy chapter 28. It is possible the language is echoed at Matthew 3:12. |
Isaiah 21:11, 12 – Message against Edom
IS21:11 The weighty message
against Dumah:
To me someone is crying out of Seir:
“Watchman, what of the night?
Watchman, what of the night?”
| 835 | Weighty message: See Isaiah 17:1; 19:1; 21:1. |
| 836 | Dumah: Or, LXX: Idumea. That is, Edom. The name “Dumah” means “silence.” Dumah was a descendent of Ishmael. [Genesis 17:20; 25:14-16; 28:9; 1 Chronicles 1:30] Dumat al-Ghandal [Al-Jawf] in north Arabia in modern Jordan. An ancient enemy of Israel. |
| 837 | Seir: Sometimes called, Mount Seir it is south of Israel in a mountain area between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of `Aqaba. [Genesis 36:8, 30; Deuteronomy 2:1, 8] The inhabitants included Semetic peoples descended from Abraham. [Genesis 32:3; Deuteronomy 2:8; Psalm 137:7] |
| 838 | Watchman, what of the night: Or, RHM: how far gone is the night. |
IS21:12 And the watchman said: “Dawn is approaching, but also the night!
If you are searching –search!
Come back!”| 839 | Dawn is approaching, but also the night: Or, JPS: morning came, and so did night; RHM: there cometh a morning, but
also a night; NJB: morning is coming, then night again; KJV: the morning cometh, and also the night. |
| 840 | If you are
searching –search: Or, KJV: if ye will inquire, inquire ye; NJB: if you want to ask, ask. |
Isaiah 21:13-17 – Message against Arabia
IS21:13 The weighty message against Arabia:
You caravans of Dedan,
dwell among the desert scrub
of Arabia.
| 841 | Arabia: Or, JPS: the Steppe; NJB: the wastelands. The Hebrew is ‘ARAB [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #6152, steppe-dwellers, nomadic desert Bedouins]. The word ARA-BAH’ includes the harsh desert south-east of Israel. Compare Job 42:17; Galatians 1:17; 4:25. It is also called, as the world’s largest peninsula, “Island of the Arabs” [Jazirat al-`arab]. The Arabs are descendents of Noah’s son Shem. [Genesis chapter 10] |
| 842 | Caravans of Dedan: Or, KJV: traveling companies; NJB: Dedanites. [Genesis 10:7; 25:3; 1 Chronicles 1:9, 32; Jeremiah 25:23; 49:8; Ezekiel 25:13; 27:15, 20; 38:13] |
| 843 | Desert scrub: Or, shrubs, thickets. A desolate country. |
IS21:14 Bring water and prepare to meet
the thirsty, all of you who dwell in Tema.
Go ahead with bread for those fleeing.
| 844 | Prepare to meet: That is, to assist or sell needs to fugitives. |
| 845 | Tema: Likely modern Taima. Compare Job 6:19. |
| 846 | Go ahead with bread for those fleeing: Or, KJV: they prevented with their bread him that fled; NJB: with bread to greet the fugitive; RHM: with bread for him get in advance of him that is in flight; JPS: greet the fugitive with bread; LXX: meet the fugitives with bread. |
IS21:15 For they are fleeing from the sword – from a drawn sword – from a bent bow – and from the oppression of war.
| 847 | From the oppression of war: Or, LXX: multitude of them that have fallen in war; JPS: before the stress of war; NJB: press of battle;
KJV: the grievousness of war. |
IS21:16 For this is what YeHoWaH has told me: “In three years – the years of a hired laborer
– all the glory of Kedar will disappear.
| 848 | Hired laborer: See Isaiah 16:14. |
| 849 | All the glory of Kedar will disappear: Or, KJV: shall fail; NJB: finished; JPS: vanish. A son of Ishmael and therefore a descendant of Abraham. [Genesis 25:13-15; 1 Chronicles 1:29-31] Kedar is a synonym for Arabia. [Psalm
120:5; Song of Solomon 1:5; Isaiah 42:11; 60:7; Jeremiah 2:10; 49:28; Ezekiel 27:21] |
IS21:17 What is left of Kedar’s bow-men will be very little. The valiant men
of the sons of Kedar will become few. For this is what YeHoWaH God of Israel has declared.”| 850 | Valiant
men: Or, JPS: warriors; RHM: heroes; NJB: valiant archers. The Hebrew is GIBBOWR [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #1368]. |
|
Nazarene Commentary 2000©
Mark Heber Miller
©2000 All Rights Reserved
|
