Isaiah 21

Isaiah · Chapter 21

Isaiah 21:3

1The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.2A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.3Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.4My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.5Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.6For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.7And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:8And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:9And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.10O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.11The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?12The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.13The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.14The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.15For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.16For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:17And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
3Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see.Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
there-עַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

-foreכֵּ֗ןKenH3651C
right

כֵּן (ken) adv adj 1) right, just, honest, true, veritable 1a) right, just, honest 1b) correct 1c) true, veritable

they are fullמָלְא֤וּmal-'UH4390
to fill

מָלֵא (ma.le) 1) to fill, be full 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be full 1a1a) fulness, abundance (participle) 1a1b) to be full, be accomplished, be ended 1a2) to consecrate, fill the hand 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be filled, be armed, be satisfied 1b2) to be accomplished, be ended 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to fill 1c2) to satisfy 1c3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete 1c4) to confirm 1d) (Pual) to be filled 1e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against Aramaic equivalent: me.la (מְלָא "to fill" H4391)

loins myמָתְנַי֙ma-te-NAIH4975
loin

מׇתְנַ֫יִם (mo.ten) 1) loins, hips 1a) used with zar.zir (זַרְזִיר "greyhound" H2223) in Pr 30:31; perhaps an extinct animal, exact meaning unknown

anguishחַלְחָלָ֔הchal-cha-LAHH2479
anguish

חַלְחָלָה (chal.cha.lah) pain, trembling, terror, writhing, anguish

pangsצִירִ֣יםtzi-RIMH6735C
pang

צִיר (tsir) pang, distress

they have seized meאֲחָז֔וּנִי'a-cha-ZU-niH0270
to grasp

אָחַז (a.chaz) 1) grasp, take hold, seize, take possession 1a) (Qal) to grasp, take hold of 1b) (Niphal) to be caught, grasped, be settled 1c) (Piel) to enclose, overlay 1d) (Hophal) fastened

like [the] pangs ofכְּצִירֵ֖יke-tzi-REIH6735C
pang

צִיר (tsir) pang, distress

[a woman who] gives birthיֽוֹלֵדָ֑הyo-le-DAHH3205
to beget

יָלַד (ya.lad) 1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to bear, bring forth 1a1a) of child birth 1a1b) of distress (simile) 1a1c) of wicked (behaviour) 1a2) to beget 1b) (Niphal) to be born 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to cause or help to bring forth 1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife 1c3) midwife (participle) 1d) (Pual) to be born 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to beget (a child) 1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity) 1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive) 1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)

I am bent overנַעֲוֵ֣יתִיna-'a-VEI-tiH5753A
to twist

עָוָה (a.vah) 1) to bend, twist, distort 1a) (Niphal) to be bent, be bowed down, be twisted, be perverted 1b) (Piel) to twist, distort 1c) (Hiphil) to do perversely

from hearingמִשְּׁמֹ֔עַmi-she-MO-a'H8085G
to hear: hear

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) : hear v 1) to hear, listen to, obey 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to hear (perceive by ear) 1a2) to hear of or concerning 1a3) to hear (have power to hear) 1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to 1a5) to understand (language) 1a6) to hear (of judicial cases) 1a7) to listen, give heed 1a7a) to consent, agree 1a7b) to grant request 1a8) to listen to, yield to 1a9) to obey, be obedient 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound) 1b2) to be heard of 1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed 1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound …

I am terrifiedנִבְהַ֖לְתִּיniv-HAL-tiH0926
hastely

בְּהִילוּ (be.hi.lu) haste, hastily Aramaic of ba.hal (בָּהַל "to dismay" H0926)

from seeingמֵרְאֽוֹת׃me-re-'otH7200G
to see: see

רָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.