Isaiah 21:9

“And look, here comes a chariot of men, pairs of horsemen!” And he answered and said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon, and all the carved images of its gods he has shattered to the ground!””
Isaiah 21:9 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

And look,וְהִנֵּהhereזֶהcomesבָאa chariotרֶכֶבof men,אִישׁpairsצֶמֶדof horsemen!”פָּרָשִׁיםAnd he answeredוַיַּעַןand said,וַיֹּאמֶר“Fallen,נָפְלָהfallenנָפְלָהis Babylon,בָּבֶלand allוְכָלthe carved imagesפְּסִילֵיof its godsאֱלֹהֶיהָhe has shatteredשִׁבַּרto the ground!”לָאָרֶץ

Allusion · Revelation 14:8

Go to Revelation 14:8

Both texts say “Fallen, fallen is Babylon” (also Jeremiah 51:8).

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

יֹּאמֶרyomerH559λέγωνlegōnG3004“say”
נָפְלָהnaflaH5307ἜπεσενEpesenG4098“fall; decline”
בָּבֶלbavelH894ΒαβυλὼνBabylōnG897“Babylon”

Isaiah 21:9, word by word

comesבָאva

come

To come, arrive: "days are coming".

Where else “va” appears

a chariotרֶכֶבrechev

chariot

War chariots.

Where else “rechev” appears

of menאִישׁish

man

An adult male person; also each man of a people, a trade or a place.

Where else “ish” appears

pairsצֶמֶדtsemed

pair

Two animals harnessed together.

Where else “tsemed” appears

of horsemenפָּרָשִׁיםparashim

horseman

A soldier who fights mounted on a horse.

Where else “parashim” appears

And he answeredיַּעַןyaan

answer

To reply to what was said.

Where else “yaan” appears

and saidיֹּאמֶרyomer

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “yomer” appears

“Fallenנָפְלָהnafla

fall

To fall to the ground, or for a city to fall.

Where else “nafla” appears

is Babylonבָּבֶלbavel

Babel, Babylon

See it on the map Where else “bavel” appears

the carved imagesפְּסִילֵיpesile

carved image

Carved image: the figure of a god carved in wood or stone.

Where else “pesile” appears

of its godsאֱלֹהֶיelohe

gods

The gods of other peoples.

Where else “elohe” appears

he has shatteredשִׁבַּרshibar

break

To break something to pieces.

Where else “shibar” appears

to the groundאָרֶץarets

ground

What is underfoot: bowing down to touch it.

Where else “arets” appears

Translation note

Revelation 14:8 and 18:2 repeat “Fallen, fallen is Babylon.”

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Babylon
Today: Babylon ruins, near Hillah, Iraq
A great city on the Euphrates River, in present-day Iraq, about 53 miles (85 km) south of Baghdad.
In its land the languages were confused at Babel (Gen 11:9). Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and took the people captive there (2 Kgs 25:1-11). Daniel lived there (Dan 1:1-6).
Genesis 11:9 2 Kings 25:1 Psalms 137:1 Daniel 1:1

The context

8And a lion cried out, “On the watchtower, Adonai, I stand continually by day, and at my post I am stationed every night.

9 · This verse (above)

10My threshed one, and son of my threshing floor: what I have heard from YHWH Tsevaot, Elohim of Israel, I have declared to you.

Read all of Isaiah 21

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