Isa 21:1 | NET2full | STEP | This is an oracle about the wilderness by the Sea : Like strong winds blowing in the south , one invades from the wilderness , from a land that is feared .

‏ Isaiah 21:1

The Lord Will Judge Babylon

1 This is an oracle ^{▼▼tn See note at Isa 13:1.} about the wilderness by the Sea: ^{▼▼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 “wilderness” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like an uninhabited wilderness.}
Like strong winds blowing in the south, ^{▼▼tn Or “in the Negev” (NASB).}
one invades from the wilderness,
from a land that is feared.