Isaiah 21:1
New International Version
A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.

New Living Translation
This message came to me concerning Babylon—the desert by the sea: Disaster is roaring down on you from the desert, like a whirlwind sweeping in from the Negev.

English Standard Version
The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on, it comes from the wilderness, from a terrible land.

Berean Standard Bible
This is the burden against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.

King James Bible
The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

New King James Version
The burden against the Wilderness of the Sea. As whirlwinds in the South pass through, So it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.

New American Standard Bible
The pronouncement concerning the wilderness of the sea: As windstorms in the Negev come in turns, It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land.

NASB 1995
The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As windstorms in the Negev sweep on, It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land.

NASB 1977
The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As windstorms in the Negev sweep on, It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land.

Legacy Standard Bible
The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negev sweep on, It comes from the wilderness, from a fearsome land.

Amplified Bible
The [mournful, inspired] oracle (a burden to be carried) concerning the Desert of the Sea (the seasonally flooded plains just south of Babylon): As windstorms in the Negev (the South) sweep through, So it (God’s judgment) comes from the desert, from [the hostile armies of] a terrifying land.

Christian Standard Bible
A pronouncement concerning the desert by the sea: Like storms that pass over the Negev, it comes from the desert, from the land of terror.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
An oracle against the desert by the sea: Like storms that pass over the Negev, it comes from the desert, from the land of terror.

American Standard Version
The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
The burden of the wilderness of the sea: like a hurricane from the south it shall run from the wilderness and shall come from a distant land

Brenton Septuagint Translation
THE VISION OF THE DESERT. As though a whirlwind should pass through the desert, coming from a desert, even from such a land,

Contemporary English Version
This is a message about a desert beside the sea: Enemies from a hostile nation attack like a whirlwind from the Southern Desert.

Douay-Rheims Bible
THE burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds come from the south, it cometh from the desert from a terrible land.

English Revised Version
The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This is the divine revelation about the desert by the sea. Like a storm sweeping through the Negev, an invader will come from the desert, from a terrifying land.

Good News Translation
This is a message about Babylonia. Like a whirlwind sweeping across the desert, disaster will come from a terrifying land.

International Standard Version
A message concerning the pasture by the Sea. "Like whirlwinds in the Negev sweep on, it comes from the desert, from a distant land.

JPS Tanakh 1917
The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweeping on, It cometh from the wilderness, from a dreadful land.

Literal Standard Version
The burden of the wilderness of the sea. Like windstorms in the south for passing through, | It has come from the wilderness, | From a fearful land.

Majority Standard Bible
This is the burden against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.

New American Bible
Oracle on the wastelands by the sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negeb, it comes from the desert, from the fearful land.

NET Bible
Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: Like strong winds blowing in the south, one invades from the desert, from a land that is feared.

New Revised Standard Version
The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on, it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.

New Heart English Bible
The oracle of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negev sweep through, it comes from the wilderness, from an awesome land.

Webster's Bible Translation
The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

World English Bible
The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it comes from the wilderness, from an awesome land.

Young's Literal Translation
The burden of the wilderness of the sea. 'Like hurricanes in the south for passing through, From the wilderness it hath come, From a fearful land.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Babylon is Fallen
1This is the burden against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror. 2A dire vision is declared to me: “The traitor still betrays, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I will put an end to all her groaning.”…

Cross References
Isaiah 5:28
Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows are strung. The hooves of their horses are like flint; their chariot wheels are like a whirlwind.

Isaiah 13:1
This is the burden against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz received:

Isaiah 13:20
She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation; no nomad will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flock there.

Isaiah 14:23
"I will make her a place for owls and for swamplands; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD of Hosts.

Jeremiah 51:42
The sea has come up over Babylon; she is covered in turbulent waves.

Ezekiel 1:4
I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,

Ezekiel 38:9
You and all your troops, and many peoples with you will go up, advancing like a thunderstorm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.


Treasury of Scripture

The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.

the burden.

Isaiah 13:1
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

Isaiah 17:1
The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

the desert

Isaiah 13:20-22
It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there…

Isaiah 14:23
I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.

Jeremiah 51:42
The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.

as whirlwinds

Job 37:9
Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.

Daniel 11:40
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

Zechariah 9:14
And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

from

Isaiah 13:4,5,17,18
The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle…

Ezekiel 30:11
He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.

Ezekiel 31:12
And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.

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Awesome Burden Desert Dreadful Feared Fearful Greatly Invader Negeb Negev Oracle Passing Rushing Sea South Southland Storm-Winds Sweep Sweeping Terrible Terrifying Terror Waste Whirlwinds Wilderness Word
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Awesome Burden Desert Dreadful Feared Fearful Greatly Invader Negeb Negev Oracle Passing Rushing Sea South Southland Storm-Winds Sweep Sweeping Terrible Terrifying Terror Waste Whirlwinds Wilderness Word
Isaiah 21
1. The prophet, bewailing the captivity of his people,
6. sees in a vision the fall of Babylon by the Medes and Persians.
11. Edom, scorning the prophet, is moved to repentance.
13. The set time of Arabia's calamity.














XXI.

(1) The burden of the desert of the sea . . .--The title of the prophecy is obviously taken from the catch-word of "the desert" that follows. The "sea" has been explained (1) as the Euphrates, just as in Isaiah 18:2; Isaiah 19:5, it appears as used of the Nile (Cheyne). (2) As pointing to the surging flood of the mingled myriads of its population. (3) Xenophon's description of the whole plain of the Euphrates, intersected by marshes and lakes, as looking like a sea affords, perhaps, a better explanation.

As whirlwinds in the south . . .--The "South" (or Negeb) is here, as elsewhere, the special name of the country lying south of Judah. The tempests of the region seem to have been proverbial (Zechariah 9:14; Jeremiah 4:11; Jeremiah 13:24; Hosea 13:15). . . .

Verses 1-10. - THE BURDEN OF THE DESERT OF THE SEA. This is a short and somewhat vague, but highly poetic, "burden of Babylon" It is probably an earlier prophecy than Isaiah 13. and 14, and perhaps the first revelation made to Isaiah with respect to the fall of the great Chaldean capital. It exhibits no consciousness of the fact that Babylon is Judah's predestined destroyer, and is expressive rather of sympathy (vers. 3, 4) than of triumph. Among recent critics, some suppose it to refer to Sargon's capture of the city in B.C. 710; but the objection to this view, from the entire absence of all reference to Assyria as the conquering power, and the mention of "Elam" and "Media" in her place, is absolutely fatal to it. There can be no reasonable doubt that the same siege is intended as in Isaiah 13, where also Media is mentioned (ver. 17); and there are no real grounds for questioning that the event of which the prophet is made cognizant is that siege and capture of Babylon by Cyrus the Great which destroyed the Babylonian empire. Verse 1. - The desert of the sea. The Isaianic authorship of this title is doubtful, since "the desert of the sea" is an expression elsewhere wholly unknown to biblical writers. Some regard "the sea" as the Euphrates, in which case "the desert of the sea" may be the waste tract west of the Euphrates, extending thence to the eastern borders of Palestine. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; rather, as whirlwinds in the south country, sweeping along. The "south country" is that immediately to the south of Judaea. Its liability to whirlwinds is noticed in Zechariah 9:14 and in Job 37:9 (compare Major Palmer's 'Sinai,' p. 33). It cometh. What cometh? Dr. Kay says, "God's visitation;" Rosenmüller, "a numerous army." But is it not rather the "grievous vision" of the next verse? From the desert. The great desert bounding Palestine on the east - a truly "terrible land." Across this, as coming from Baby-Ionia to Palestine, seemed to rush the vision which it was given to the prophet to see.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
[This is] an oracle
מַשָּׂ֖א (maś·śā)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4853: A burden, tribute, porterage, an utterance, chiefly a, doom, singing, mental, desire

concerning the Desert
מִדְבַּר־ (miḏ·bar-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

by the Sea:
יָ֑ם (yām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

Like whirlwinds
כְּסוּפ֤וֹת (kə·sū·p̄ō·wṯ)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5492: A storm wind

sweeping
לַֽחֲלֹ֔ף (la·ḥă·lōp̄)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2498: To slide by, to hasten away, pass on, spring up, pierce, change

through the Negev,
בַּנֶּ֙גֶב֙ (ban·ne·ḡeḇ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5045: South country, the Negeb, south

[an invader] comes
בָּ֔א (bā)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

from the desert,
מִמִּדְבָּ֣ר (mim·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

from a land
מֵאֶ֖רֶץ (mê·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of terror.
נוֹרָאָֽה׃ (nō·w·rā·’āh)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 3372: To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 21:1 The burden of the wilderness (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 20:6
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