Isaiah 21:2
New International Version
A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.

New Living Translation
I see a terrifying vision: I see the betrayer betraying, the destroyer destroying. Go ahead, you Elamites and Medes, attack and lay siege. I will make an end to all the groaning Babylon caused.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
A 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.”

King James Bible
A 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.

New King James Version
A distressing vision is declared to me; The treacherous dealer deals treacherously, And the plunderer plunders. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All its sighing I have made to cease.

New American Standard Bible
A harsh vision has been shown to me; The treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media; I have put an end to all the groaning she has caused.

NASB 1995
A harsh vision has been shown to me; The treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media; I have made an end of all the groaning she has caused.

NASB 1977
A harsh vision has been shown to me; The treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media; I have made an end of all the groaning she has caused.

Legacy Standard Bible
A harsh vision has been declared to me; The treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media; I have made an end of all the groaning she has caused.

Amplified Bible
A harsh vision has been shown to me; The treacherous one deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam! Lay siege, Media! All the groaning [caused by Babylon’s ruthless oppressions] I [the LORD] have brought to an end.

Christian Standard Bible
A troubling vision is declared to me: “The treacherous one acts treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Advance, Elam! Lay siege, you Medes! I will put an end to all the groaning.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A troubling vision is declared to me:” The treacherous one acts treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Advance, Elam! Lay siege, you Medes! I will put an end to all her groaning.”

American Standard Version
A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous man dealeth treacherously, and the destroyer destroyeth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
A hard vision appeared to us: an oppressor oppresses and a plunderer plunders. Go up Eelam and the mountains of Media, and I ended all its groaning

Brenton Septuagint Translation
so a fearful and a grievous vision was declared to me: he that is treacherous deals treacherously, the transgressor transgresses. The Elamites are upon me, and the ambassadors of the Persians come against me: now will I groan and comfort myself.

Contemporary English Version
What a horrible vision was shown to me--a vision of betrayal and destruction. Tell Elam and Media to surround and attack the Babylonians. The Lord has sworn to end the suffering they caused.

Douay-Rheims Bible
A grievous vision is told me: he that is unfaithful dealeth unfaithfully : and he that is a spoiler, spoileth. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Mede: I have made all the mourning thereof to cease.

English Revised Version
A 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I was shown a harsh vision. The traitor betrays. The destroyer destroys. Go to war, Elam! Surround them, Media! I will put an end to all the groaning.

Good News Translation
I have seen a vision of cruel events, a vision of betrayal and destruction. Army of Elam, attack! Army of Media, lay siege to the cities! God will put an end to the suffering which Babylon has caused.

International Standard Version
A dire vision has been announced to me: the traitor betrays, and the plunderer takes loot. Get up, Elam! Attack, Media! I am putting a stop to all the groaning she has caused.

JPS Tanakh 1917
A 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.'

Literal Standard Version
A hard vision has been declared to me, | The treacherous dealer is dealing treacherously, | And the destroyer is destroying. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Media, | I have caused all its sighing to cease.

Majority Standard Bible
A 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.”

New American Bible
A harsh vision has been announced to me: “The traitor betrays, the despoiler spoils. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; put an end to all its groaning!”

NET Bible
I have received a distressing message: "The deceiver deceives, the destroyer destroys. Attack, you Elamites! Lay siege, you Medes! I will put an end to all the groaning!"

New Revised Standard Version
A stern vision is told to me; the betrayer betrays, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, O Elam, lay siege, O Media; all the sighing she has caused I bring to an end.

New Heart English Bible
A grievous vision is declared to me. The treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam; attack. I have stopped all of Media's sighing.

Webster's Bible Translation
A grievous vision is declared to me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler plundereth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all her sighing have I made to cease.

World English Bible
A grievous vision is declared to me. The treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam; attack! I have stopped all of Media’s sighing.

Young's Literal Translation
A hard vision hath been declared to me, The treacherous dealer is dealing treacherously, And the destroyer is destroying. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Media, All its sighing I have caused to cease.

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.” 3Therefore 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.…

Cross References
2 Kings 17:6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.

Psalm 25:3
Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who are faithless without cause will be disgraced.

Psalm 60:3
You have shown Your people hardship; we are staggered from the wine You made us drink.

Psalm 119:158
I look on the faithless with loathing because they do not keep Your word.

Isaiah 22:6
Elam takes up a quiver, with chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovers the shield.

Isaiah 24:16
From the ends of the earth we hear singing: "Glory to the Righteous One." But I said, "I am wasting away! I am wasting away! Woe is me." The treacherous betray; the treacherous deal in treachery.

Isaiah 33:1
Woe to you, O destroyer never destroyed, O traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, you will be betrayed.


Treasury of Scripture

A grievous vision is declared to me; the treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the spoiler spoils. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

grievous.

Psalm 60:3
Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

Proverbs 13:15
Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.

the treacherous

Isaiah 24:16
From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.

Isaiah 33:1
Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

1 Samuel 24:13
As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

go up

Isaiah 13:2-4,17,18
Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles…

Jeremiah 50:14,34
Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the LORD…

Jeremiah 49:34
The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,

all the

Isaiah 14:1-3
For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob…

Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 47:6
I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.

Jump to Previous
Attack Besiege Caused Dealer Dealeth Deals Declared Destroyer Destroys Elam End Grievous Groaning Harsh Lay Media Shown Siege Sighing Spoiler Spoileth Stern Stopped Thereof Treacherous Treacherously Vision
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Attack Besiege Caused Dealer Dealeth Deals Declared Destroyer Destroys Elam End Grievous Groaning Harsh Lay Media Shown Siege Sighing Spoiler Spoileth Stern Stopped Thereof Treacherous Treacherously Vision
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.














(2) A grievous vision . . .--The verse contains, as it were, the three tableaux that came in succession before the prophet's gaze: (1) The treacherous dealer, the Assyro-Chaldaean power, spoiling and oppressing, breaking treaties, and, as its kings boasted (Habakkuk 2:5; Records of the Past, vii. 42, 44), "removing landmarks." (2) The summons to Elam and Media to put an end to this tyranny. (3) The oppressed peoples ceasing to sigh, and rejoicing in their liberation.

Elam appears here as combined with Media, which is named in Isaiah 13:17 as the only destroyer of Babylon, and this has been urged as evidence of a later date. As a matter of fact, however, Sargon at this very time was carrying on a fierce war against Elam (Records of the Past, cvii. 41-49) as well as against Media (ibid, p. 37). In Ezekiel 32:24, Elam is numbered among the extinct nations, but the name, at all events, re-appears as applied to the Persians, though they were of a distinct race. It was, even as a mere forecast, perfectly natural that the two should be associated together as the future destroyers of the Nineveh and Babel empires, which to the prophet's eye were identical in character and policy. The advance described as "from the wilderness" implies a march of part at least of the Medo-Persian army down the Choaspes and into the lowland of Chuzistan, bordering on the great Arabian desert.

Verse 2. - A grievous vision; literally, a hard vision; not, however, "hard of interpretation" (Kay), but rather "hard to be borne," "grievous," "calamitous." The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously; rather, perhaps, the robber robs (Knobel); or, the violent man uses violence (Rosenmüller). The idea of faithlessness passes out of the Hebrew boged occasionally, and is unsuitable here, more especially if it is the army of Cyrus that is intended. Go up, O Elam. The discovery that Cyrus, at the time of his conquest of Babylon, Bore the title of "King of Ansan," not "King of Persia," coupled with the probability that "Ansan" was a part of Elam, lends a peculiar interest to these words. Isaiah could not describe Cyrus as "King of Persia," and at the same time be intelligible to his contemporaries, since Persia was a country utterly unknown to them. In using the term "Elam" instead, he uses that of a country known to the Hebrews (Genesis 14:1), adjoining Persia, and, at the time of his expedition against Babylon, subject to Cyrus. Besiege, O Media. Having given "Elam" the first place, the prophet assigns to Media the second. Eleven years before he attacked Babylon, Cyrus had made war upon Astyages (Istuvegu), King of the Medes, had captured him, and become king of the nation, with scarcely any opposition (see the 'Cylinder of Nabonidus'). Hence the Medes would naturally form an important portion of the force which he led against Babylon. All the sighing thereof have I made to cease. The "sighing" caused by Babylon to the nations, to the captives, and to the kings whose prison-doors were kept closed (Isaiah 14:17), God has in his counsels determined to bring to an end.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A dire
קָשָׁ֖ה (qā·šāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7186: Hard, severe

vision
חָז֥וּת (ḥā·zūṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2380: A look, striking appearance, revelation, compact

is declared
הֻגַּד־ (hug·gaḏ-)
Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

to me:
לִ֑י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

“The traitor
הַבּוֹגֵ֤ד ׀ (hab·bō·w·ḡêḏ)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 898: To cover, to act covertly, to pillage

still betrays,
בּוֹגֵד֙ (bō·w·ḡêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 898: To cover, to act covertly, to pillage

and the destroyer
וְהַשּׁוֹדֵ֣ד ׀ (wə·haš·šō·w·ḏêḏ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7703: To deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin

still destroys.
שׁוֹדֵ֔ד (šō·w·ḏêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7703: To deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin

Go up,
עֲלִ֤י (‘ă·lî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

O Elam!
עֵילָם֙ (‘ê·lām)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5867: Elam -- a son of Shem, also his descendants and their country

Lay siege,
צוּרִ֣י (ṣū·rî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 6696: To confine, bind, besiege

O Media!
מָדַ֔י (mā·ḏay)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4074: Media -- a son of Japheth, also his descendants and their land

I will put an end
הִשְׁבַּֽתִּי׃ (hiš·bat·tî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7673: To repose, desist from exertion

to all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

her groaning.”
אַנְחָתָ֖ה (’an·ḥā·ṯāh)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 585: A sighing, groaning


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 21:2 A grievous vision is declared to me (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 21:1
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