Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 21:9
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 21:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!" And he answered, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!” Then he answered and said, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground.”
Context of Isaiah 21:9
7When 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. Look, 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.” 10My people who have been crushed on the threshing floor, I have declared to you what I have heard from the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel. 11A pronouncement concerning Dumah: One calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”
Read all of Isaiah 21Isaiah 21:9 word by word
וְהִנֵּה־זֶ֥ה בָא֙ רֶ֣כֶב אִ֔ישׁ צֶ֖מֶד פָּֽרָשִׁ֑ים וַיַּ֣עַן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָפְלָ֤ה נָֽפְלָה֙ בָּבֶ֔ל וְכָל־פְּסִילֵ֥י אֱלֹהֶ֖יהָ שִׁבַּ֥ר לָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And, behold, here comethבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- a chariotרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
- of menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- a coupleצֶ֫מֶדtsemed · pairH6776
- of horsemenפָּרָשׁpârâsh · horsemanH6571
- And he answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- is fallenנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
- and all the graven imagesפָּסִילpesîyl · idolH6456
- of her godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- he hath brokenשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
- unto the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
Cross-references for Isaiah 21:9
- Jeremiah 50:3For a nation from the north will attack her; it will make her land desolate. No one will be living in it — both people and animals will escape.
- Jeremiah 51:27Raise a signal flag in the land; blow a ram’s horn among the nations; set apart the nations against her. Summon kingdoms against her — Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a marshal against her; bring up horses like a swarm of locusts.
- Isaiah 13:19And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.
- Isaiah 14:4you will sing this song of contempt about the king of Babylon and say: How the oppressor has quieted down, and how the raging has become quiet!
- Jeremiah 50:2Announce to the nations; proclaim and raise up a signal flag; proclaim, and hide nothing. Say, “Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is terrified.” Her idols are put to shame; her false gods, devastated.
- Jeremiah 51:8Suddenly Babylon fell and was shattered. Wail for her; get balm for her wound — perhaps she can be healed.
- Revelation 14:8And another, a second angel, followed, saying, “It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen. She made all the nations drink the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath.”
- Revelation 18:2He called out in a mighty voice: It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen! She has become a home for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, and a haunt for every unclean and despicable beast.
- Isaiah 46:1Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Idols depicting them are consigned to beasts and cattle. The images you carry are loaded, as a burden for the weary animal.
- Jeremiah 51:44I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him vomit what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even Babylon’s wall will fall.
Commentaries on Isaiah 21:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Here cometh a chariot of men, etc. "A man, one of the two riders" - So the Syriac understands it, and Ephrem Syr.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And, behold a chariot of men - This place shows that the word chariot‘ (רכב rekeb ) may denote something else than a wagon or carriage, as a chariot drawn by men cannot be intended. The sense can be expressed, perhaps, by the word “riding,” I see a riding of men approach;‘ that is, I see “cavalry” drawing near, or men riding and hastening to the battle. With a couple of horsemen - The word with‘ is not in the Hebrew. The meaning is, I see a riding of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9fallen is Babylon!: Assyrian King Sennacherib destroyed Babylon in 689 BC. The final fall of Babylon occurred in 539 BC. In Scripture, Babylon symbolizes all ungodly power structures, including nations and kingdoms that do not follow God and his word. The apostle John offered hope with his prophecy that all Babylons will fall (Revelation 14:8; 18:2). All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!: False gods could not save the Babylonians (see…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. chariot of men--chariots with men in them; or rather, the same body of riders, horsemen two abreast, as in Is 21:7 [Maurer]. But Horsley, "The man drawn in a car with a pair of riders." The first half of this verse describes what the watchman sees; the second half, what the watchman says, in consequence of what he sees. In the interval between Is 21:7 and Is 21:9, the overthrow of Babylon by the horsemen, or man in the car, is accomplished. The…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 21:9
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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