Yesaya 21:1-2

The Lord Will Judge Babylon

21:1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: ¹ 

Like strong winds blowing in the south, ² 

one invades from the desert,

from a land that is feared.

21:2 I have received a distressing message: ³ 

“The deceiver deceives,

the destroyer destroys.

Attack, you Elamites!

Lay siege, you Medes!

I will put an end to all the groaning!” ⁴ 

Yesaya 25:4

25:4 For you are a protector for the poor,

a protector for the needy in their distress,

a shelter from the rainstorm,

a shade from the heat.

Though the breath of tyrants ⁵  is like a winter rainstorm, ⁶ 

Yesaya 28:2

28:2 Look, the sovereign master ⁷  sends a strong, powerful one. ⁸ 

With the force of a hailstorm or a destructive windstorm, ⁹ 

with the might of a driving, torrential rainstorm, ¹⁰ 

he will knock that crown ¹¹  to the ground with his hand. ¹² 

[21:1]  ¹ sn The phrase is quite cryptic, at least to the modern reader. Verse 9 seems to indicate that this message pertains to Babylon. Southern Mesopotamia was known as the Sealand in ancient times, because of its proximity to the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the reference to Babylon as a “desert” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like a desolate desert.

[21:1]  ² tn Or “in the Negev” (NASB).

[21:2]  ³ tn Heb “a severe revelation has been related to me.”

[21:2]  ⁴ sn This is often interpreted to mean “all the groaning” that Babylon has caused others.

[25:4]  ⁵ tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; NIV, NRSV “the ruthless.”

[25:4]  ⁶ tc The Hebrew text has, “like a rainstorm of a wall,” which might be interpreted to mean, “like a rainstorm battering against a wall.” The translation assumes an emendation of קִיר (qir, “wall”) to קֹר (qor, “cold, winter”; cf. Gen 8:22). See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:457, n. 6, for discussion.

[28:2]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 22 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[28:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “Look, a strong and powerful [one] belongs to the Lord.”

[28:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of hail, a wind of destruction.”

[28:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of mighty, overflowing waters.”

[28:2]  ¹¹ tn The words “that crown” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The object of the verb is unexpressed in the Hebrew text.

[28:2]  ¹² tn Or “by [his] power.”