Isaiah 21 (GNV)

Chapter Text

21:1 The burden of the desert Sea. As the whirlewindes in the South vse to passe from the wildernesse, so shall it come from the horrible land.

21:2 A grieuous vision was shewed vnto me, The transgressour against a transgressour, and the destroyer against a destroyer. Goe vp Elam, besiege Media: I haue caused all the mourning thereof to cease.

21:3 Therefore are my loynes filled with sorow: sorowes haue taken me as the sorowes of a woman that trauayleth: I was bowed downe when I heard it, and I was amased when I sawe it.

21:4 Mine heart failed: fearefulnesse troubled me: the night of my pleasures hath he turned into feare vnto me.

21:5 Prepare thou the table: watch in the watch towre: eate, drinke: arise, ye princes, anoynt the shielde.

21:6 For thus hath the Lord said vnto me, Go, set a watchman, to tell what he seeth.

21:7 And he sawe a charet with two horsemen: a charet of an asse, and a charet of a camel: and he hearkened and tooke diligent heede.

21:8 And he cryed, A lyon: my lorde, I stand continually vpon ye watche towre in the day time, and I am set in my watche euery night:

21:9 And beholde, this mans charet commeth with two horsemen. And he answered and said, Babel is fallen: it is fallen, and all the images of her gods hath he broken vnto the ground.

21:10 O my threshing, and the corne of my floore. That which I haue heard of the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, haue I shewed vnto you.

21:11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth vnto me out of Seir, Watchman, what was in ye night? Watchman, what was in the night?

21:12 The watchman saide, The morning commeth, and also the night. If yee will aske, enquire: returne and come.

21:13 The burden against Arabia. In the forest of Arabia shall yee tarie all night, euen in the waies of Dedanim.

21:14 O inhabitants of the lande of Tema, bring foorth water to meete the thirstie, and preuent him that fleeth with his bread.

21:15 For they flee from the drawen swords, euen from the drawen sword, and from the bent bowe, and from the grieuousnesse of warre.

21:16 For thus hath the Lord sayd vnto me, Yet a yeere according to the yeeres of an hireling, and all the glorie of Kedar shall faile.

21:17 And the residue of the nomber of ye strong archers of the sonnes of Kedar shall be fewe: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "burden", "desert", "whirlewindes", "south", "passe", "wildernesse", "shall", and "come". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "burden" and "desert", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local GNV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "burden" and "desert" carries the first interpretive weight. In The Suffering Servant Bears Iniquity, the local focus is the servant of the LORD, atonement, and judgment and restoration.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "burden" and "desert" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.