Revised Literal Translation

Isaiah 21

1The burdenמַשָּׂ֖אma.Sa'H4853of the desertמִדְבַּר־mid.bar-H4057of the seaיָ֑םYamH3220.As whirlwindsכְּסוּפ֤וֹתke.su.FotH5492in the southבַּנֶּ֙גֶב֙ba.Ne.gevH5045passלַֽחֲלֹ֔ףla.cha.LofH2498through; soit comethבָּ֔אBa'H935from the desertמִמִּדְבָּ֣רmi.mid.BarH4057,from a terribleנוֹרָאָֽה׃no.ra.'AhH3372landמֵאֶ֖רֶץme.'E.retzH776.

2A grievousקָשָׁ֖הka.ShahH7186visionחָז֥וּתcha.ZutH2380is declaredהֻגַּד־hu.gad-H5046unto me; the treacherous dealerהַבּוֹגֵ֤ד׀ha.bo.GedH898dealeth treacherouslyבּוֹגֵד֙bo.GedH898,and the spoilerוְהַשּׁוֹדֵ֣ד׀ve.ha.sho.DedH7703spoilethשׁוֹדֵ֔דsho.DedH7703.Go upעֲלִ֤י'a.LiH5927,O Elamעֵילָם֙'ei.LamH5867:besiegeצוּרִ֣יtzu.RiH6696,O Mediaמָדַ֔יma.DaiH4074;all the sighingאַנְחָתָ֖ה'an.cha.TahH585thereof have I made to ceaseהִשְׁבַּֽתִּי׃hish.Ba.tiH7673.

3Therefore are my loinsמָתְנַי֙ma.te.NaiH4975filledמָלְא֤וּmal.'UH4390with painחַלְחָלָ֔הchal.cha.LahH2479:pangsצִירִ֣יםtzi.RimH6735have taken holdאֲחָז֔וּנִי'a.cha.Zu.niH270upon me, as the pangsכְּצִירֵ֖יke.tzi.ReiH6735of a woman that travailethיֽוֹלֵדָ֑הyo.le.DahH3205:I was bowed downנַעֲוֵ֣יתִיna.'a.Vei.tiH5753at the hearingמִשְּׁמֹ֔עַmi.she.Mo.a'H8085of it;I was dismayedנִבְהַ֖לְתִּיniv.Hal.tiH926at the seeingמֵרְאֽוֹת׃me.re.'otH7200of it.

4My heartלְבָבִ֔יle.va.ViH3824pantedתָּעָ֣הta.'AhH8582,fearfulnessפַּלָּצ֖וּתpa.la.TzutH6427affrightedבִּֽעֲתָ֑תְנִיbi.'a.Ta.te.niH1204me: the nightנֶ֣שֶׁףNe.shefH5399of my pleasureחִשְׁקִ֔יchish.KiH2837hath he turnedשָׂ֥םsamH7760into fearלַחֲרָדָֽה׃la.cha.ra.DahH2731unto me.

5Prepareעָרֹ֧ךְ'a.RokhH6186the tableהַשֻּׁלְחָ֛ןha.shul.ChanH7979,watchH6822in the watchtowerהַצָּפִ֖יתha.tza.FitH6844,eatאָכ֣וֹל'a.KholH398,drinkשָׁתֹ֑הsha.TohH8354:ariseק֥וּמוּKu.muH6965,ye princesהַשָּׂרִ֖יםha.sa.RimH8269, andanointמִשְׁח֥וּmish.ChuH4886the shieldמָגֵֽן׃ פma.GenH4043.

6For thus hath the Lordאֲדֹנָ֑י'a.do.NaiH136saidאָמַ֛ר'a.MarH559unto me, GoH3212,setהַעֲמֵ֣דha.'a.MedH5975a watchmanהַֽמְצַפֶּ֔הham.tza.PehH6822,let him declareיַגִּֽיד׃ya.GidH5046what he seethיִרְאֶ֖הyir.'EhH7200.

7And he sawוְרָ֣אָהve.Ra.'ahH7200a chariotרֶ֗כֶבRe.khevH7393witha coupleצֶ֚מֶדTze.medH6776of horsemenפָּֽרָשִׁ֔יםpa.ra.ShimH6571,a chariotרֶ֥כֶבRe.khevH7393of donkeysחֲמ֖וֹרcha.MorH2543, anda chariotרֶ֣כֶבRe.khevH7393of camelsגָּמָ֑לga.MalH1581;and he hearkenedוְהִקְשִׁ֥יבve.hik.ShivH7181diligentlyקֶ֖שֶׁבKe.shevH7182with muchרַב־rav-H7227heedקָֽשֶׁב׃Ka.shevH7182:

8And he criedוַיִּקְרָ֖אvai.yik.Ra'H7121,A lionאַרְיֵ֑ה'ar.YehH738:My lordאֲדֹנָ֗י'a.do.NaiH136,I standעֹמֵ֤ד'o.MedH5975continuallyתָּמִיד֙ta.MidH8548upon the watchtowerמִצְפֶּ֣ה׀mitz.PehH4707in the daytimeיוֹמָ֔םyo.MamH3119,and I am setנִצָּ֖בni.TzavH5324in my wardמִ֨שְׁמַרְתִּ֔יmish.mar.TiH4931whole nightsהַלֵּילֽוֹת׃ha.lei.LotH3915:

9And, behold, here comethבָא֙va'H935a chariotרֶ֣כֶבRe.khevH7393of menאִ֔ישׁ'IshH376, witha coupleצֶ֖מֶדTze.medH6776of horsemenפָּֽרָשִׁ֑יםpa.ra.ShimH6571.And he answeredוַיַּ֣עַןvai.Ya.'anH6030and saidוַיֹּ֗אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559,Babylonבָּבֶ֔לba.VelH894is fallenנָפְלָ֤הna.fe.LahH5307,is fallenנָֽפְלָה֙na.fe.LahH5307;and all the graven imagesפְּסִילֵ֥יpe.si.LeiH6456of her godsאֱלֹהֶ֖יהָ'e.lo.Hei.haH430he hath brokenשִׁבַּ֥רshi.BarH7665unto the groundלָאָֽרֶץ׃la.'A.retzH776.

10O my threshingמְדֻשָׁתִ֖יme.du.sha.TiH4098,and the grainוּבֶן־u.ven-H1121of my floorגָּרְנִ֑יga.re.NiH1637:that which I have heardשָׁמַ֗עְתִּיsha.Ma'.tiH8085of Yhwhיְהוָ֧הYah.wehH3068of Armiesצְבָא֛וֹתtze.va.'otH6635,the Godאֱלֹהֵ֥י'e.lo.HeiH430of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElH3478,have I declaredהִגַּ֥דְתִּיhi.Gad.tiH5046unto you.

11The burdenמַשָּׂ֖אma.Sa'H4853of Dumahדּוּמָ֑הdu.MahH1746.He callethקֹרֵ֣אko.Re'H7121to me out of Seirמִשֵּׂעִ֔ירmi.se.'IrH8165,Watchmanשֹׁמֵר֙sho.MerH8104,what of the nightמִלַּ֔יְלָהmi.Lay.lahH3915?Watchmanשֹׁמֵ֖רsho.MerH8104,what of the nightמִלֵּֽיל׃mi.LeilH3915?

12The watchmanשֹׁמֵ֔רsho.MerH8104saidאָמַ֣ר'a.MarH559,The morningבֹ֖קֶרVo.kerH1242comethאָתָ֥ה'a.TahH857,and also the nightלָ֑יְלָהLa.ye.lahH3915:if ye will enquireתִּבְעָי֥וּןtiv.'a.YunH1158,enquireבְּעָ֖יוּbe.'A.yuH1158ye: returnשֻׁ֥בוּShu.vuH7725,comeאֵתָֽיוּ׃ ס'e.Ta.yuH857.

13The burdenמַשָּׂ֖אma.Sa'H4853upon Arabiaבַּעְרָ֑בba'.RavH6152.In the forestבַּיַּ֤עַרbai.Ya.'arH3293in Arabiaבַּעְרַב֙ba'.RavH6152shall ye lodgeתָּלִ֔ינוּta.Li.nuH3885,O ye travelling companiesאֹֽרְח֖וֹת'o.re.ChotH736of Dedanimדְּדָנִֽים׃de.da.NimH1720.

14The inhabitantsיֹשְׁבֵי֙yo.she.VeiH3427of the landאֶ֣רֶץ'E.retzH776of Temaתֵּימָ֔אtei.Ma'H8485broughtהֵתָ֣יוּhe.Ta.yuH857waterמָ֑יִםMa.yimH4325to himH7125that was thirstyצָמֵ֖אtza.Me'H6771,they did meetקִדְּמ֥וּki.de.MuH6923with their breadבְּלַחְמ֖וֹbe.lach.MoH3899him that fledנֹדֵֽד׃no.DedH5074.

15For they fledנָדָ֑דוּna.Da.duH5074fromמִפְּנֵ֥יmi.pe.NeiH6440the swordsחֲרָב֖וֹתcha.ra.VotH2719,fromמִפְּנֵ֣י׀mi.pe.NeiH6440the drawnנְטוּשָׁ֗הne.tu.ShahH5203swordחֶ֣רֶבChe.revH2719,and fromוּמִפְּנֵי֙u.mi.pe.NeiH6440the bentדְּרוּכָ֔הde.ru.KhahH1869bowקֶ֣שֶׁתKe.shetH7198,and fromוּמִפְּנֵ֖יu.mi.pe.NeiH6440the grievousnessכֹּ֥בֶדKoedH3514of warמִלְחָמָֽה׃ סmil.cha.MahH4421.

16For thus hath the Lordאֲדֹנָ֖י'a.do.NaiH136saidאָמַ֥ר'a.MarH559unto me, Within a yearשָׁנָה֙sha.NahH8141,according to the yearsכִּשְׁנֵ֣יkish.NeiH8141of an hirelingשָׂכִ֔ירsa.KhirH7916,and all the gloryכְּב֥וֹדke.VodH3519of Kedarקֵדָֽר׃ke.DarH6938shall failוְכָלָ֖הve.kha.LahH3615:

17And the residueוּשְׁאָ֧רu.she.'ArH7605of the numberמִסְפַּר־mis.par-H4557of archersקֶ֛שֶׁתKe.shetH7198,the mighty menגִּבּוֹרֵ֥יgi.bo.ReiH1368of the childrenבְנֵֽי־ve.nei-H1121of Kedarקֵדָ֖רke.DarH6938,shall be diminishedיִמְעָ֑טוּyim.'A.tuH4591:for Yhwhיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068Godאֱלֹהֵֽי־'e.lo.hei-H430of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElH3478hath spokenדִּבֵּֽר׃ סdi.BerH1696it.

Commentaries on Isaiah 21