2Sa 18:24-27, 2Ki 9:17-20, Isa 21:6-9, 56:9-10, 62:6, Jer 51:12, Eze 33:7 | ESV | STEP | Now David was sitting between the two gates , and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall , and when he lifted up his eyes and looked , he saw a man running alone .

r[See ver. 11 above]

t[See ver. 2 above]

2 Samuel 18:24-27

24 Now David ^awas sitting between the two gates, and ^bthe watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone. 25 The watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he drew nearer and nearer. 26 The watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the gate and said, “See, another man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings news.” 27 The watchman said, “I think the running of the first is ^clike the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, ^d“He is a good man and comes with good news.”

2 Kings 9:17-20

17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came and said, “I see a company.” And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’” 18 So a man on horseback went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu said, “What do you have to do with peace? Turn around and ride behind me.” And the watchman reported, saying, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.” 19 Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, “Thus the king has said, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu answered, “What do you have to do with peace? Turn around and ride behind me.” 20 Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the driving ^eis like the driving of Jehu ^fthe son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”

Isaiah 21:6-9

6 For thus the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman;
let him announce what he sees.
7 When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs,
riders on donkeys, riders on camels,
let him listen diligently,
very diligently.”
8 Then he who saw cried out: ^{▼▼Dead Sea Scroll, Syriac; Masoretic Text Then a lion cried out, or Then he cried out like a lion}
^h“Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,
continually by day,
and at my post I am stationed
whole nights.
9 And behold, here come riders,
horsemen in pairs!”
ⁱAnd he answered,
^j“Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
^kand all the carved images of her gods
he has shattered to the ground.”

Isaiah 56:9-10

Israel’s Irresponsible Leaders

9 ^lAll you beasts of the field, come to devour—
all you beasts in the forest.
10 ^mHis watchmen are blind;
they are all without knowledge;
they are all silent ⁿdogs;
they cannot bark,
dreaming, lying down,
loving to slumber.

Isaiah 62:6

6 On your walls, O Jerusalem,
I have set ^owatchmen;
all the day and all the night
they shall never be silent.
You who put the Lord in remembrance,
take no rest,

Jeremiah 51:12

12 ^p“Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon;
^qmake the watch strong;
set up watchmen;
prepare the ambushes;
^rfor the Lord has both planned and done
what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

Ezekiel 33:7

7 ^s“So you, ^tson of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. ^uWhenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.