God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 21:4
4I’m confused. I’m shaking with terror. The twilight hours I longed for make me tremble.
Isaiah 21:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
- New International Version (NIV)My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
- English Standard Version (ESV)My heart staggers; horror has appalled me; the twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling.
- New King James Version (NKJV)My heart wavered, fearfulness frightened me; The night for which I longed He turned into fear for me.
Context of Isaiah 21:4
2I was shown a harsh vision. The traitor betrays. The destroyer destroys. Go to war, Elam! Surround them, Media! I will put an end to all the groaning. 3That is why my body is full of trembling. Pain grips me like the pain of childbirth. I’m disturbed by what I hear. I’m terrified by what I see. I’m confused. I’m shaking with terror. The twilight hours I longed for make me tremble. 5Set the table. Spread the rugs ⌞by the table⌟. Eat. Drink. Get up, you leaders! Prepare your shields for battle! 6This is what the Lord says to me: Post a watchman. Have him report whatever he sees.
Read all of Isaiah 21Isaiah 21:4 word by word
תָּעָ֣ה לְבָבִ֔י פַּלָּצ֖וּת בִּֽעֲתָ֑תְנִי אֵ֚ת נֶ֣שֶׁף חִשְׁקִ֔י שָׂ֥ם לִ֖י לַחֲרָדָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- My heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- pantedתָּעָהtâ‛âh · to go astrayH8582
- fearfulnessפַּלָּצוּתpallâtsûth · shudderingH6427
- affrightedבָּעַתbâ‛ath · to terrifyH1204
- me: the nightנֶ֫שֶׁףnesheph · twilightH5399
- of my pleasureחֵ֫שֶׁקchêsheq · desireH2837
- hath he turnedשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- into fearחֲרָדָהchărâdâh · tremblingH2731
Cross-references for Isaiah 21:4
- Isaiah 5:11How horrible it will be for those who get up early to look for a drink, who sit up late until they are drunk from wine.
- 1 Samuel 25:36When Abigail came to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his home. It was like a king’s banquet. He was in a good mood and very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything until dawn.
- 2 Samuel 13:28Then Absalom gave an order to his servants. “Watch now,” he said. “When Amnon begins to feel good from drinking ⌞too much⌟ wine, I’ll tell you, ‘Attack Amnon.’ Then kill him. Don’t be afraid. I’ve given you the order, haven’t I? Be strong and courageous.”
- Esther 5:12Haman went on to say, “What’s more, Queen Esther allowed no one except me to come with the king to the dinner she had prepared. And again tomorrow I am her invited guest together with the king.
- Esther 7:6Esther answered, “Our vicious enemy is this wicked man Haman!” Then Haman became panic-stricken in the presence of the king and queen.
- Job 21:11They send their little children out ⌞to play⌟ like a flock of lambs, and their children dance around.
- Jeremiah 51:39When they are excited, I will prepare a feast for them and make them drunk so that they will shout and laugh. They will fall into a deep sleep and never wake up again, declares the Lord.
- Daniel 5:1King Belshazzar threw a large banquet for 1,000 nobles and drank wine with them.
- Nahum 1:10⌞The people of Nineveh will be⌟ like tangled thorns and like people drunk on their own drink. They will be completely burned up like very dry straw.
- Luke 21:34“Make sure that you don’t become drunk, hung over, and worried about life. Then that day could suddenly catch you by surprise
Commentaries on Isaiah 21:4
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4My heart panted - Margin, My mind wandered.‘ The Hebrew word rendered panted‘ (תעה tâ‛âh ) means to wander about; to stagger; to be giddy; and is applied often to one that staggers by being intoxicated. Applied to the heart, it means that it is disquieted or troubled. The Hebrew word “heart” here is to be taken in the sense of “mind.” The night of my pleasure - There can be no doubt that the prophet here refers to the night of revelry and riot in which…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. panted--"is bewildered" [Barnes]. night of my pleasure--The prophet supposes himself one of the banqueters at Belshazzar's feast, on the night that Babylon was about to be taken by surprise; hence his expression, "my pleasure" (Is 14:11; Jr 51:39; Da 5:1-31).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 21:4
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries