Isa 21:5 | NET2full | STEP | Arrange the table , lay out the carpet , eat and drink ! Get up , you officers , smear oil on the shields !

‏ Isaiah 21:5

5 Arrange the table,
lay out ^{▼▼tn The precise meaning of the verb in this line is debated. Some prefer to derive the form from the homonymic צָפֹה (tsafoh, “keep watch”) and translate “post a guard” (cf. KJV “watch in the watchtower”; ASV “set the watch”).} the carpet,
eat and drink! ^{▼▼tn The verbal forms in the first three lines are infinitives absolute, which are functioning here as finite verbs. It is uncertain if the forms should have an imperatival or indicative/descriptive force here.}
Get up, you officers,
smear oil on the shields! ^{▼▼sn Smearing the shields with oil would make them more flexible and effective in battle. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:394.}