Isaiah 21:12

Isaiah 21:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.
• New International Version (NIV)The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)The watchman says: "Morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; come back again."
• New King James Version (NKJV)The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; Return! Come back!”

Context of Isaiah 21:12

10My downtrodden people, and my afflicted of the threshing floor! What I have heard from the Lord of armies, The God of Israel, I make known to you. 11The pronouncement concerning Edom: One keeps calling to me from Seir, “Watchman, how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone is the night?” The watchman says, “Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again.” 13The pronouncement about Arabia: In the thickets of Arabia you must spend the night, You caravans of Dedanites. 14Bring water for the thirsty, You inhabitants of the land of Tema; Meet the fugitive with bread.

Isaiah 21:12 word by word

אָמַ֣ר שֹׁמֵ֔ר אָתָ֥ה בֹ֖קֶר וְגַם־לָ֑יְלָה אִם־תִּבְעָי֥וּן בְּעָ֖יוּ שֻׁ֥בוּ אֵתָֽיוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

• The watchmanשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
• saysאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
• comesאָתָה'âthâh 'âthâ' · to comeH857
• but alsoגַּםgam · alsoH1571
• nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• Ifאִם'im · ifH518
• you would inquireבָּעָהbâ‛âh · to enquireH1158
• backשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725

Cross-references for Isaiah 21:12

• Isaiah 17:14At evening time, behold, there is terror! Before morning they are gone. This will be the fate of those who plunder us And the lot of those who pillage us.
• Jeremiah 50:27Put all her bulls to the sword; Let them go down to the slaughter! Woe be upon them, for their day has come, The time of their punishment.
• Ezekiel 7:5“This is what the Lord God says: ‘A disaster, a unique disaster, behold, it is coming!
• Isaiah 55:7Let the wicked abandon his way, And the unrighteous person his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
• Jeremiah 42:19The Lord has spoken to you, you remnant of Judah, “Do not go to Egypt!” You know for certain that I have admonished you today.
• Exodus 14:1Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
• Acts 2:37Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?”
• Acts 17:19And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming?
• Acts 17:30So having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent,

Commentaries on Isaiah 21:12

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12The watchman said - Or rather “saith;” indicating that this is the answer which the prophet returned to the inquiry from Idumea. The morning cometh - There are signs of approaching day. The morning‘ here is an emblem of prosperity; as the light of the morning succeeds to the darkness of the night. This refers to the deliverance from the captivity of Babylon, and is to be supposed as having been spoken near the time when that captivity was at an end - or…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Morning is coming, but it will start another difficult time. The Babylonians are approaching, so night will soon return.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Reply of the prophet, The morning (prosperity) cometh, and (soon after follows) the night (adversity). Though you, Idumeans, may have a gleam of prosperity, it will soon be followed by adversity again. Otherwise, as Barnes, "Prosperity cometh (to the Jews) to be quickly followed by adversity (to you, Idumeans, who exult in the fall of Jerusalem, have seized on the southern part of their land in their absence during the captivity, and now deride them…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 21:12

• Dumah
• Edomites
• Isaiah
• Night
• Watchman

In the dictionaries

• Anoint
• Cornfloor
• Dumah
• Evil
• Ezekiel
• Isaiah
• Night
• Repentance

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