Isa 21 | TNotes | STEP | 21:1 concerning Babylon—the desert by the sea: This description of Babylon was perhaps an ironic way to say that the land was physically lush but spiritually desolate. • Disaster ... from the desert: Literally from the desert, from the terrifying land (cp. Deut 8:15 ).

21:1 ^a concerning Babylon—the desert by the sea: This description of Babylon was perhaps an ironic way to say that the land was physically lush but spiritually desolate.

• Disaster ... from the desert: Literally from the desert, from the terrifying land (cp. Deut 8:15 ^b).
21:2 ^c I see: The prophet personalized Babylon’s experience, which intensifies his poetry, as does the terse language and the repetition of similar sounds, such as the betrayer betraying (Hebrew habboged boged) and the destroyer destroying (Hebrew hashoded shoded; also in 33:1 ^d).

• The Elamites lived to the northeast of Babylon. Along with the Medes, they were archrivals of the Babylonians.

• I will make an end to all the groaning Babylon caused: Babylon had caused groaning by attacking and enslaving many nations. It is likely that the Elamites and Medes played a part in the overthrow of Babylon in 539 BC (21:9 ^e).
21:3 ^f I grow faint ... I am too afraid: Through his vision, Isaiah experienced the terror of the Babylonian people (see also Dan 8:27 ^g; 10:16-17 ^h).
21:7 ⁱ The riders were messengers who reported what had taken place on the battlefield.
21:9 ^j Babylon is fallen, fallen: Assyrian king Sennacherib destroyed the city of Babylon in 689 BC. The final fall of Babylon was in 539 BC. In Scripture, Babylon represents all the ungodly power structures of this world, including nations and kingdoms that do not submit to God and his word. The apostle John gave hope with his prophecy that all Babylons will fall (Rev 14:8 ^k; 18:2 ^l).

• All the idols of Babylon lie broken: False gods could not save the Babylonians (see Isa 46:1-2 ^m).
21:10 ⁿ O my people: The focus shifted back to the people of Judah.

• Judah would be oppressed (threshed and winnowed) by the Babylonians but Babylon, too, would fall.

• I have told you everything: The prophet had been faithful in his duty to report what the Lord revealed to him.
Summary for Isa 21:11-17: 21:11-17 ^o These two prophecies pertain to Edom and Arabia, located in the territory between Babylon and Israel. These outlying regions suffered under Assyrian domination, and like Judah, they would not be able to rest under Babylon’s oppressive regime.
Summary for Isa 21:11-12: 21:11-12 ^p Edom: Hebrew Seir, which was the mountainous area of Edom.

• how much longer until morning: Edom’s suffering would be a long ordeal. The Assyrians were dominant in the ancient Near East during the 700s and 600s BC.
21:12 ^q Morning is coming, but it would mark the beginning of another oppressive era. Because the Babylonians were on the horizon, night will soon return.
Summary for Isa 21:13-17: 21:13-17 ^r Cp. Jer 49:28-33 ^s. 21:13 ^t Dedan was a tribe in Arabia (see Ezek 27:20 ^u; 38:13 ^v).

• Caravans would hide in the deserts of Arabia from attacks by the Assyrians and Babylonians, both of whom harassed the Arabian tribes (see Isa 21:1-10 ^w; Jer 49:28-29 ^x).
21:14 ^y Tema was an oasis in Arabia on a main trade route from Babylon.
21:15 ^z Assyrian weapons of war such as the drawn sword and the bent bow were highly advanced compared to the primitive weapons used by desert peoples.
21:16 ^aa Kedar was an Arabian tribe that had great wealth and possessions (see 60:7 ^ab; Ezek 27:21 ^ac).
21:17 ^ad Only a few ... will survive: Cp. 10:22 ^ae; 14:30 ^af; 16:14 ^ag; 24:6 ^ah, 13 ^ai; 37:32 ^aj.