Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 21:7
7When he sees riders — pairs of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels — he must pay close attention.”
Isaiah 21:7 in other versions
- King James Version (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:
- New International Version (NIV)When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently."
- New King James Version (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.
Context of Isaiah 21:7
5Prepare a table, and spread out a carpet! Eat and drink! Rise up, you princes, and oil the shields! 6For the Lord has said to me, “Go, post a lookout; let him report what he sees. When he sees riders — pairs of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels — he must pay close attention.” 8Then the lookout reported, “Lord, I stand on the watchtower all day, and I stay at my post all night. 9Look, riders come — horsemen in pairs.” And he answered, saying, “Babylon has fallen, has fallen. All the images of her gods have been shattered on the ground.”
Read all of Isaiah 21Isaiah 21:7 word by word
וְרָ֣אָה רֶ֗כֶב צֶ֚מֶד פָּֽרָשִׁ֔ים רֶ֥כֶב חֲמ֖וֹר רֶ֣כֶב גָּמָ֑ל וְהִקְשִׁ֥יב קֶ֖שֶׁב רַב־קָֽשֶׁב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- a chariotרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
- a coupleצֶ֫מֶדtsemed · pairH6776
- of horsemenפָּרָשׁpârâsh · horsemanH6571
- of assesחֲמוֹרchămôr chămôr · donkeyH2543
- of camelsגָּמָלgâmâl · camelH1581
- and he hearkenedקָשַׁבqâshab · to listenH7181
- diligentlyקֶ֫שֶׁבqesheb · attentivenessH7182
- with muchרַבrab · manyH7227
Cross-references for Isaiah 21:7
- Isaiah 21:9Look, riders come — horsemen in pairs.” And he answered, saying, “Babylon has fallen, has fallen. All the images of her gods have been shattered on the ground.”
- Isaiah 37:24You have mocked the Lord through your servants. You have said, “With my many chariots I have gone up to the heights of the mountains, to the far recesses of Lebanon. I cut down its tallest cedars, its choice cypress trees. I came to its distant heights, its densest forest.
- Hebrews 2:1For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.
Commentaries on Isaiah 21:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7And he saw a chariot, etc. "And he saw a chariot with two riders; a rider on an ass, a rider on a camel" - This passage is extremely obscure from the ambiguity of the term רכב recheb, which is used three times, and which signifies a chariot, or any other vehicle, or the rider in it; or a rider on a horse, or any other animal; or a company of chariots, or riders. The prophet may possibly mean a cavalry in two parts, with two sorts of riders; riders on…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen - This passage is very obscure from the ambiguity of the word רכב rekeb - chariot.‘ Gesenius contends that it should be rendered cavalry,‘ and that it refers to cavalry two abreast hastening to the destruction of the city. The word רכב rekeb denotes properly a chariot or wagon Judges 5:28; a collection of wagons 2 Chronicles 1:14; 2 Chronicles 8:6; 2 Chronicles 9:25; and sometimes refers to the “horses or…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7The riders were messengers who reported what had taken place on the battlefield.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. chariot, &c.--rather, "a body of riders," namely, some riding in pairs on horses (literally, "pairs of horsemen," that is, two abreast), others on asses, others on camels (compare Is 21:9; Is 22:6). "Chariot" is not appropriate to be joined, as English Version translates, with "asses"; the Hebrew means plainly in Is 21:7, as in Is 21:9, "a body of men riding." The Persians used asses and camels for war [Maurer]. Horsley translates, "One drawn in a car…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 21:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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