21 The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea.
As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on,
it comes from the wilderness,
from a terrible land.
2 A stern vision is told to me;
the traitor betrays,
and the destroyer destroys.
Go up, O Elam;
lay siege, O Media;
all the sighing she has caused
I bring to an end.
3 Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;
pangs have seized me,
like the pangs of a woman in labor;
I am bowed down so that I cannot hear;
I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
4 My heart staggers; horror has appalled me;
the twilight I longed for
has been turned for me into trembling.
5 They prepare the table,
they spread the rugs,1
they eat, they drink.
Arise, O princes;
oil the shield!
6 For thus the Lord said to me:
“ Go, set a watchman;
let him announce what he sees.
7 When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs,
riders on donkeys, riders on camels,
let him listen diligently,
very diligently.”
8 Then he who saw cried out:2
“ Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,
continually by day,
and at my post I am stationed
whole nights.
9 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.”
10 O my threshed and winnowed one,
what I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel, I announce to you.
11 The oracle concerning Dumah.
One is calling to me from Seir,
“ Watchman, what time of the night?
Watchman, what time of the night?”
12 The watchman says:
“ Morning comes, and also the night.
If you will inquire, inquire;
come back again.”
13 The oracle concerning Arabia.
In the thickets in Arabia you will lodge,
O caravans of Dedanites.
14 To the thirsty bring water;
meet the fugitive with bread,
O inhabitants of the land of Tema.
15 For they have fled from the swords,
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow,
and from the press of battle.
16 For thus the Lord said to me, “Within a year, according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. 17 And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar will be few, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.”
Section Overview: Nations under Judgment
The poetry here is particularly rich and allusive as we enter the second section of oracles. This section is more concerned with general themes than specifics but is still recognizably related to historical circumstances of the eighth century BC. There are again five oracles, as in chapters 13–20; three brief ones form the content of this chapter. At first sight they seem to have little in common, but close links can be discerned, as well as a clear connection with the previous chapters. Egypt has been shown to be an unreliable ally, but the lessons have still not been learned by Judah. The message that only Yahweh’s word is reliable must be hammered home.
There has been great controversy as to when the oracle about the “wilderness of the sea” (21:1–10)—identified as Babylon only in verse 9—is to be placed. Many scholars connect it to the sack of Babylon by Cyrus in 539 BC; while that may be part of the overall meaning, the destruction of the city by Sennacherib in 689 BC is a more contemporary reference, one that also fits better with the overall flow of the prophecy. Behind this passage lies the figure of Merodach-baladan, sent an embassy to Hezekiah in 39:1. He was ruler of part of the ancient land of Chaldea who in 712–710 BC and again in 705–702 BC secured the independence of Babylon. Like Pharaoh, he sought to form anti-Assyrian alliances with smaller states, including Judah, and here Isaiah is showing that Babylon is no more reliable an ally than Egypt.
What is surprising is that this cryptic title “wilderness of the sea” is used in place of one that makes it clearer that Merodach-baladan is involved. His omission probably sets the scene for the later oracles, in which the setting is not one historical event. Such was the case to some extent in the earlier oracles, but it is more pronounced here, as we approach the ruined world city of chapter 24. This is an intensification of the prophetic word that speaks to the prophet’s own day—but, since it is the word of Yahweh, it also speaks to the circumstances of every day.
The three oracles are linked in various ways, not least by the figure of the watchman (21:8, 11, 12), by the background of Assyrian terror, and by the way in which the undefined time of verses 11–12 becomes the specific time of verse 16. There is emphasis on the word of Yahweh (vv. 6, 8, 10, 16), which controls history. The first ten verses address the end of Babylon and its gods, while the second two oracles speak of Edom and Arabia, which were adjacent to one another and fearful about Assyria.
Section Outline
II. The Oracles against the Nations (13:1–27:13) . . .
B. The Second Series (21:1–23:18)
1. Nations under Judgment: The Desert by the Sea (21:1–17)
a. The Captains and the Kings Depart (21:1–10)
b. Will Time Bring Relief? (21:11–12)
c. Notice Given to Worldly Power (21:13–17)
Response
Isaiah’s poetry here is at its most dense and allusive; readers must respond with imagination, not merely intellect. This does not mean that the words are deliberately obscure—after all, they are given to enlighten—but the great theology here cannot be dismissed in sound bites. While historical fact—especially the activities of Merodach-baladan—lie behind the words, the main emphasis is on the slow march of time and God’s activities throughout the millennia. This has the effect of reminding us of his greatness and of how time-conditioned power can never equal his might. This leads both to awe and a sense of ultimate security. This is a message relevant to every generation; indeed, it is eternally relevant, for what God does reveals who he is.
This powerful message does not come without a cost, as 21:3–4 reveals. Indeed, this is part of the prophetic experience in receiving revelation. Isaiah has already experienced such a reaction when he received his first revelation (6:5). Jeremiah’s whole ministry exemplifies this (cf. esp. Jer. 20:9). Daniel knows of this (cf. Dan. 7:28; 8:27). We are not prophets, but those who preach and teach the Word know something of this as well, particularly as we first seek to handle passages that expose our own sinfulness and then with fear and trembling seek to teach these to others.
This is related to the figure of the watchman. The figure has a particular role for the prophet, yet it also provides a picture of the church’s calling, which is to bring the gospel to everyone. The world’s problems cannot be solved by the world’s methods; God alone rules history and will bring it to its appointed end.
A further characteristic Isaianic theme is the fact that God speaks (Isaiah 6; 10; 17), alongside the companion emphasis on the need to inquire and persist in such inquiry. This theme will be particularly developed in chapter 55 with its powerful picture of the giving of the word (55:10–11) and the necessity of seeking the Lord (vv. 6–7).Isaiah 21
Isaiah 22