Isaiah 21
ืืฉืขืืื ืคืจืง ืืดื
Section: ื ืืืืื ยท ื ืืืืื ืืืจืื ืื | Book: Isaiah | Chapter: 21 of 66 | Day: 168 of 742
Date: July 29, 2026
ืงืืืื ืขื ืื ืดื
Chapter 21 gathers three oracles under the enigmatic superscriptions that mark Isaiahโs collection of prophecies against the nations: the burden of the Desert of the Sea (ืืฉื ืืืืจ ืื, vv. 1-10), the burden of Duma (ืืฉื ืืืื, vv. 11-12), and the burden concerning Arabia (ืืฉื ืืขืจื, vv. 13-17). The first and longest returns to Babylon, already the subject of the great oracle of chapters 13-14. Rashi asks the obvious question โ did the prophet not already prophesy Babylonโs fall? โ and answers that prophecy comes to the prophetโs mouth โtoday in one style, and after a time in another styleโ (ืคืขืืื ืฉืื ืืืื ืืื ืืคืื ืืืื ืืกืืื ืื ืืื ืืืืืจ ืืื ืืกืืื ืื ืืืจ). Radak adds a moral rationale: Isaiah doubled and tripled his prophecies against Babylon โbecause they harmed Israel exceedingly.โ The strange title itself is decoded by Radak geographically: Media and Persia lie to Babylonโs northeast, so Babylon sits to their west โ and the west is called yam โ with a desert stretching between them; the invaders will sweep across it like whirlwinds passing through the Negev (ืืกืืคืืช ืื ืื ืืืืืฃ), raising a storm of dust before them.
What makes the Babylon oracle here unlike anything in chapters 13-14 is the prophetโs visceral, first-person anguish. His loins fill with trembling (ืืืืื), pangs seize him like a woman in labor, he is too bent to hear and too terrified to see (vv. 3-4). Rashi preserves two readings of this startling empathy: according to the Midrash Aggadah, the prophet is merciful and sighs even over the retribution of the nations; according to the plain sense, he voices the lament as though Babylon herself were mourning. Radak concretizes the second reading โ the prophet speaks in the persona of the Babylonians, or of Belshazzar the king himself. This launches the chapterโs most cinematic sequence: the banquet scene of verse 5, โset the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink โ arise, princes, anoint the shield,โ where the feast and the call to arms collide in a single breathless verse. Rashi, Radak, and Metzudat David all connect this to the night of Belshazzarโs feast in Daniel 5: the โtwilight of my desireโ (ื ืฉืฃ ืืฉืงื) that the king longed for as a night of wine and celebration was turned into the night of his terror, for โon that very night Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the Mede received the kingdom.โ
The motif binding all three burdens is the watchman. In the first oracle God commands, โGo, set up the watchman (ืืืฆืคื); what he sees, let him tellโ (v. 6), and the watchman duly sees riders coming in pairs โ one on a donkey, one on a camel, which Rashi identifies as the sign of Persia and Media โ and cries out the chapterโs famous climax: โFallen, fallen is Babylon, and all the graven images of her gods He has shattered to the groundโ (v. 9), the very cry taken up again in Jeremiah 51:8. Rashi and Radak, following the Targum, hear in the doubled โfallen, fallenโ two distinct falls: first at the hands of Media and Persia, and afterward a destruction from Heaven, when Babylon became โlike Godโs overturning of Sodomโ (13:19), never to be inhabited again. Rashi adds a remarkable layer to the watchman figure: the lookout of verses 6 and 8 is Habakkuk, whose name equals ืืจืื (โlion,โ v. 8) in gematria, and who would one day stand upon his watch (Habakkuk 2:1) to challenge God over Babylonโs long tranquility โ Isaiah, on this reading, is prophesying the vindication that Habakkukโs vigil will receive. The oracle closes by turning to Israel with sudden tenderness: โmy threshing and the son of my threshing-floorโ (ืืึปืฉืชื ืืื ืืจื ื, v. 10) โ the people beaten like grain upon the floor of history, to whom the prophet faithfully relays what he heard from the God of Israel.
The tiny burden of Duma (vv. 11-12) is the chapterโs poetic and theological heart, a mere two verses of haunting compression. A voice calls from Seir: โWatchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?โ (ืฉืืจ ืื ืืืืื ืฉืืจ ืื ืืืื). Metzudat David and Radak read it on the plain level โ Duma is a son of Yishmael (Bereishit 25:14), Seir is the direction from which the destroyer comes, and the frightened townspeople circle the walls asking the sentry whether the enemy has come, receiving the unsettling answer that morning brings no security, for night follows and the watch must be kept again. But Rashi, drawing on Chazal, reads Duma as Edom and transposes the whole dialogue into the key of exile and redemption: the watchman is the Guardian of Israel, the night is the darkness of subjugation to the kingdom of Seir, and the answer โmorning comes, and also nightโ means that God holds the power to make morning shine for Israel while night is prepared for the wicked at the appointed end. The closing words become the oracleโs whole message: โif you will request, request โ return and comeโ (ืฉืื ืืชืื), that is, return in teshuva. Radak cites the same tradition at length from the school of the Sages โ morning for the righteous and night for the wicked, and when Israel asks what delays the dawn, the answer is repentance.
The final burden (vv. 13-17) descends from the world-stage of empires to the caravan tracks of the Arabian desert. The trading caravans of the Dedanim, accustomed to lodging among the tents of Kedar, must now spend the night in the scrub, for those tents are destroyed; the inhabitants of Tema are summoned to meet the thirsty with water and the fugitive with bread, for Kedarโs people flee โbefore the whetted sword, before the drawn bow, before the weight of warโ (v. 15). Rashi turns the summons into an indictment, recalling that when Assyria exiled Israel, these desert kinsmen met the thirsty exiles with treachery rather than water. The oracle ends with prophetic precision: within a year, โlike the years of a hirelingโ โ counted exactly, as Rashi explains, the way a hired laborer counts the completion of his term โ all the glory of Kedar will be finished, and the remnant of her archers will dwindle away. Radak suggests the measure-for-measure logic: Kedar too had harmed Israel in the hour of exile. Across all three burdens, the chapter insists that no power โ imperial Babylon, brooding Seir, or the free tribes of the desert โ stands outside the word of โthe LORD, the God of Israel, who has spokenโ (v. 17), and that the long night of history is watched, timed, and destined to end in morning.
ืคืจืง ืืดื ยท Chapter 21
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 1
Hebrew:
ืึทืฉืึผึธึื ืึดืึฐืึผึทืจึพืึธึื ืึผึฐืกืึผืคึคืึนืช ืึผึทื ึผึถึืึถืึ ืึทืึฒืึนึืฃ ืึดืึผึดืึฐืึผึธึฃืจ ืึผึธึื ืึตืึถึืจึถืฅ ื ืึนืจึธืึธึฝืื
English:
The โDesert of the Seaโ Pronouncement.aThe โDesert of the Seaโ Pronouncement Emendation yields โThe โFrom the Desertโ Pronouncement,โ agreeing with the phrase farther on in the verse. Like the galesThat race through the Negeb,It comes from the desert,The terrible land.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 2
Hebrew:
ืึธืึฅืึผืช ืงึธืฉืึธึื ืึปืึผึทืึพืึดึื ืึทืึผืึนืึตึคืโืโืึผืึนืึตืึ ืึฐืึทืฉืึผืึนืึตึฃืโืโืฉืืึนืึตึื ืขึฒืึดึคื ืขึตืืึธืึ ืฆืึผืจึดึฃื ืึธืึทึื ืึผืืึพืึทื ึฐืึธืชึธึืึฟ ืึดืฉืึฐืึผึทึฝืชึผึดืื
English:
A harsh prophecyHas been announced to me:โThe betrayer is betraying,The ravager ravaging.bbetraying, / The ravager ravaging Emendation yields โbetrayed โฆ ravagedโ; cf. 33.1. Advance, Elam!Lay siege, Media!I have put an endTo all her sighing.โcI have put an end / To all her sighing Emendation yields โPut an end to all her merrymaking!โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 3
Hebrew:
ืขึทืึพืึผึตึื ืึธืึฐืึคืึผ ืืืชึฐื ึทืึ ืึทืึฐืึธืึธึื ืฆึดืืจึดึฃืื ืึฒืึธืึืึผื ึดื ืึผึฐืฆึดืืจึตึื ืืึนืึตืึธึื ื ึทืขึฒืึตึฃืืชึดื ืึดืฉืึผึฐืึนึืขึท ื ึดืึฐืึทึืึฐืชึผึดื ืึตืจึฐืึฝืึนืชื
English:
Therefore my loinsAre seized with trembling;I am gripped by pangsLike a woman in travail,Too anguished to hear,Too frightened to see.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 4
Hebrew:
ืชึผึธืขึธึฃื ืึฐืึธืึดึื ืคึผึทืึผึธืฆึืึผืช ืึผึดึฝืขึฒืชึธึืชึฐื ึดื ืึตึืช ื ึถึฃืฉืึถืฃ ืึดืฉืึฐืงึดึื ืฉืึธึฅื ืึดึื ืึทืึฒืจึธืึธึฝืื
English:
My mind is confused,I shudder in panic.My night of pleasureHe has turned to terror:
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 5
Hebrew:
ืขึธืจึนึงืึฐ ืึทืฉืึผึปืึฐืึธึื ืฆึธืคึนึฅื ืึทืฆึผึธืคึดึืืช ืึธืึฃืึนื ืฉืึธืชึนึื ืงึฅืึผืืึผ ืึทืฉืึผึธืจึดึืื ืึดืฉืึฐืึฅืึผ ืึธืึตึฝืืย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
English:
โSet the table!โTo โLet the watchman watch!""Eat and drink!โTo โUp, officers! GreasedGrease Emendation yields โGrasp.โ the shields!โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 6
Hebrew:
ืึผึดึฃื ืึนึฅื ืึธืึทึืจ ืึตืึทึื ืึฒืึนื ึธึื ืึตึืึฐ ืึทืขึฒืึตึฃื ืึทึฝืึฐืฆึทืคึผึถึื ืึฒืฉืึถึฅืจ ืึดืจึฐืึถึื ืึทืึผึดึฝืืื
English:
For thus my Sovereign said to me:โGo, set up a sentry;Let him announce what he sees.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 7
Hebrew:
ืึฐืจึธึฃืึธื ืจึถึืึถื ืฆึถึืึถื ืคึผึธืจึธืฉืึดึืื ืจึถึฅืึถื ืึฒืึืึนืจ ืจึถึฃืึถื ืึผึธืึธึื ืึฐืึดืงึฐืฉืึดึฅืื ืงึถึืฉืึถื ืจึทืึพืงึธึฝืฉืึถืื
English:
He will see mounted men,Horsemen in pairsโRiders on donkeys,Riders on camelsโAnd he will listen closely,Most attentively.โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 8
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึดืงึฐืจึธึื ืึทืจึฐืึตึื ืขึทืึพืึดืฆึฐืคึผึถึฃืโื ืึฒืึนื ึธึื ืึธื ึนืึดึื ืขึนืึตึคื ืชึผึธืึดืืึ ืืึนืึธึื ืึฐืขึทึจืึพืึดืฉืึฐืึทืจึฐืชึผึดึื ืึธื ึนืึดึฅื ื ึดืฆึผึธึื ืึผืืึพืึทืึผึตืืึฝืึนืชื
English:
And [like] a lion hee[like] a lion he 1QIsแต reads โThe watcher.๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝ called out:โOn my Sovereignโs lookoutfOn my Sovereignโs lookout Or โOn a lookout, my Sovereign,โฆโ I standEver by day,And at my post I watchEvery night.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 9
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึดื ึผึตืึพืึถึฅื ืึธืึ ืจึถึฃืึถื ืึดึืืฉื ืฆึถึืึถื ืคึผึธืจึธืฉืึดึืื ืึทืึผึทึฃืขึทื ืึทืึผึนึืืึถืจ ื ึธืคึฐืึธึคื ื ึธึฝืคึฐืึธืึ ืึผึธืึถึื ืึฐืืืึพืคึผึฐืกึดืืึตึฅื ืึฑืึนืึถึืืึธ ืฉืึดืึผึทึฅืจ ืึธืึธึฝืจึถืฅื
English:
And there they come, mounted menโHorsemen in pairs!โThen he spoke up and said,โFallen, fallen is Babylon,And all the images of her godsHave crashed to the ground!โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 10
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึปืฉืึธืชึดึื ืึผืึถืึพืึผืืจึฐื ึดึื ืึฒืฉืึถึฃืจ ืฉืึธืึทึืขึฐืชึผึดื ืึตืึตึจืช ืึฐืึนืึธึงื ืฆึฐืึธืึืึนืช ืึฑืึนืึตึฅื ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตึื ืึดืึผึทึฅืึฐืชึผึดื ืึธืึถึฝืืย {ืค}
English:
My threshing, the product of my threshing floor:gMy threshing, the product of my threshing floor Connection of Heb. uncertain. What I have heard from GOD of Hosts,The God of IsraelโThat I have told to you.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 11
Hebrew:
ืึทืฉืึผึธึื ืึผืึผืึธึื ืึตืึทืึ ืงึนืจึตึฃื ืึดืฉืึผึตืขึดึืืจ ืฉืึนืึตืจึ ืึทื๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝืึผึดืึผึทึืึฐืึธื ืฉืึนืึตึืจ ืึทืึพืึผึดืึผึตึฝืืื
English:
The โDumahโhDumah Name of a people; cf. Gen. 25.14. Pronouncement.A call comes to me from Seir:โWatchman, what of the night?Watchman, what of the night?โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 12
Hebrew:
ืึธืึทึฃืจ ืฉืึนืึตึืจ ืึธืชึธึฅื ืึนึืงึถืจ ืึฐืึทืึพืึธึืึฐืึธื ืึดืึพืชึผึดืึฐืขึธืึฅืึผื ืึผึฐืขึธึืืึผ ืฉืึปึฅืืึผ ืึตืชึธึฝืืึผืย {ืค}
English:
The watchman replied,โMorning came, and so did night.If you would inquire, inquire.Come back again.โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 13
Hebrew:
ืึทืฉืึผึธึื ืึผึทืขึฐืจึธึื ืึผึทืึผึทึคืขึทืจ ืึผึทืขึฐืจึทืึ ืชึผึธืึดึืื ืึผ ืึนืจึฐืึืึนืช ืึผึฐืึธื ึดึฝืืื
English:
The โIn the Steppeโ Pronouncement.In the scrub, in the steppe, you will lodge,O caravans of the Dedanites!
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 14
Hebrew:
ืึดืงึฐืจึทึฅืืช ืฆึธืึตึื ืึตืชึธึฃืืึผ ืึธึืึดื ืึนึฝืฉืึฐืึตืึ ืึถึฃืจึถืฅ ืชึผึตืืึธึื ืึผึฐืึทืึฐืึืึน ืงึดืึผึฐืึฅืึผ ื ึนืึตึฝืื
English:
Meet the thirsty with water,You who dwell in the land of Tema;Greet the fugitive with bread.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 15
Hebrew:
ืึผึดึฝืึพืึดืคึผึฐื ึตึฅื ืึฒืจึธืึืึนืช ื ึธืึธึืืึผ ืึดืคึผึฐื ึตึฃืโื ืึถึฃืจึถื ื ึฐืืึผืฉืึธึื ืึผืึดืคึผึฐื ึตืึ ืงึถึฃืฉืึถืช ืึผึฐืจืึผืึธึื ืึผืึดืคึผึฐื ึตึื ืึผึนึฅืึถื ืึดืึฐืึธืึธึฝืืย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
English:
For they have fled before swords:Before the whetted sword,Before the bow that was drawn,Before the stress of war.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 16
Hebrew:
ืึผึดืึพืึนึื ืึธืึทึฅืจ ืึฒืึนื ึธึื ืึตืึธึื ืึผึฐืขึคืึนื ืฉืึธื ึธืึ ืึผึดืฉืึฐื ึตึฃื ืฉืึธืึดึืืจ ืึฐืึธืึธึื ืึผืืึพืึผึฐืึฅืึนื ืงึตืึธึฝืจื
English:
For thus my Sovereign has said to me: โIn another year, fixed like the years of a hired laborer, all the multitude of Kedar shall vanish;
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 17
Hebrew:
ืึผืฉืึฐืึธึงืจ ืึดืกึฐืคึผึทืจึพืงึถึืฉืึถืช ืึผึดืึผืึนืจึตึฅื ืึฐื ึตึฝืึพืงึตืึธึืจ ืึดืึฐืขึธึืืึผ ืึผึดึื ืึฐืึนืึธึฅื ืึฑืึนืึตึฝืึพืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตึื ืึผึดืึผึตึฝืจืย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
English:
the remaining bows of Kedarโs warriors shall be few in number; for the ETERNAL, the God of Israel, has spoken.โ
โถCommentaries (1)