Isaiah 21:1-10 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 21:1-10

We had one burden of Babylon before (Isa. 13:1-22); here we have another prediction of its fall. God saw fit thus to possess his people with the belief of this event by line upon line, because Babylon sometimes pretended to be a friend to them (as Isa. 39:1), and God would hereby warn them not to trust to that friendship, and sometimes was really an enemy to them, and God would hereby warn them not to be afraid of that enmity. Babylon is marked for ruin; and all that believe God's prophets... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:1

The burden of the desert of the sea ,.... That this is a prophecy of the destruction of Babylon is clear from the express mention both of the Medes and Persians, by whom it should be, and of Babylon itself, and its fall, Isaiah 21:2 which, though prophesied of before, is here repeated, partly for the certainty of it, and partly for the comfort of the people of the Jews, who would be captives in it, and so break off and prevent their confidence in a nation that would be ruined; and perhaps... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:2

A grievous vision is declared unto me ,.... The prophet; meaning the vision of Babylon's destruction, which was "hard", as the word signifies, and might seem harsh and cruel; not to him, nor to the Jews, but to the Chaldeans: the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth ; that is, according to Jarchi, one treacherous dealer deals treacherously with another, and one spoiler spoils another; the Medes and Persians deal treacherously with and spoil the Babylonians,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:3

Therefore are my loins filled with pain ,.... As a woman at the time of childbirth, as the following words show: these words are spoken by the prophet, not with respect to himself, as if he was pained at heart at the prophecy and vision he had of the ruin of Babylon, since that was a mortal enemy of his people; and besides, their sighing being made to cease could never be a reason of distress in him, but of joy: these words are spoken by him in the person of the Babylonians, and particularly... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:4

My heart panted ,.... Fluttered about, and could hardly keep its place: or, "my mind wandered" F18 תעה לבבי "erravit cor meum", Montanus; "errat animus meus", Junius & Tremellius; "errat cor meum", Piscator. ; like a person in distraction and confusion, that knew not what to think say or do: fearfulness affrighted me ; the terror of Cyrus's army seized him, of its irruption into the city, and of his being destroyed by it; the writing on the wall threw him into a panic, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:5

Prepare the table ,.... Set it, spread it, furnish it with all kind of provisions, as at a feast; and such an one Belshazzar made, the night the city was taken: these words are directed to him by his courtiers or queen, as represented by the prophet, in order to remove his fears; see Daniel 5:10 , watch in the watchtower ; this is said to his servants, his soldiers, or sentinels, that were placed on watchtowers to observe the motions of the enemy, who were ordered on duty, and to be on... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:6

For thus hath the Lord said unto me ,.... This is a confirmation of the above prophecy from the Lord himself, he showing to the prophet, in a visionary way, the ruin of Babylon, and the means and instruments of it: go, set a watchman ; not Habakkuk, as Jarchi; nor Urias, as the Septuagint; nor Jeremiah, as others; but himself, who, in a way of vision, represented a watchman on the walls of Babylon; and which was no way unsuitable to his character and office as a prophet: let him... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:7

And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen ,.... The drivers of it, or the riders in it; perhaps meaning Cyrus and Darius: a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels ; by the former may be meant the Persians, who very much used mules or asses; and the Medes by the latter, who abounded in camels: the words are in the singular number, and may be rendered, "a rider of an ass, and a rider of a camel" F23 רכב חמור רכב גמל αναβατην ονου, και αναβατην καμηλου , Sept.;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:8

And he cried, a lion ,.... That is, the watchman cried, a lion, or that he saw a lion; not Uriah the priest, as the Septuagint; nor Habakkuk, as some Jewish writers; but Cyrus, at the head of the Persian and Median armies, compared to a lion for his fierceness, courage, and strength; see 2 Timothy 4:17 a type of Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, by whom antichrist, or mystical Babylon, will be destroyed, Revelation 5:5 . The Targum is, "the prophet said, the voice of armies,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:9

And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men ,.... Or "of a man" F24 רכב איש "currus viri", Pagninus, Montanus. ; a chariot with a man in it, Cyrus or Darius: with a couple of horsemen ; the army of the Medes and Persians, with their two leaders or generals, as before; only now seen nearer the city, just entering into it; for so the word may be rendered, "goeth", or "is gone in a chariot", &c.;: and he answered, and said ; either the watchman, upon seeing the chariot and... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 21:1-10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 21:9

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