Isaiah 21:7

Bishop's Bible

And he sawe a charret which two horsemen sat vpon, with the cariage of an Asse, and the cariage of a Camel: So he loked, and toke diligent heede.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When he sees riders—pairs of horsemen,riders on donkeys,riders on camels—he must pay close attention.”

Hebrew Names Version
and when he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he shall listen diligently with much heed.

King James Version
And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:

English Standard Version
When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently."

New American Standard Bible
"When he sees a column of chariots, horsemen in pairs, A train of donkeys, a train of camels, He is to pay close attention, very close attention."

New Century Version
If he sees chariots and teams of horses, donkeys, or camels, he should pay very close attention."

Amplified Bible
"When he sees a chariot, horsemen in pairs, A train of donkeys and a train of camels, Let him pay attention and listen closely, very closely."

World English Bible
and when he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he shall listen diligently with much heed.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And he sawe a charet with two horsemen: a charet of an asse, and a charet of a camel: and he hearkened and tooke diligent heede.

Legacy Standard Bible
Indeed, he shall see riders, horsemen in pairs,Riders of donkeys, riders of camels,So let him pay close attention, very close attention."

Berean Standard Bible
When he sees chariots with teams of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, he must be alert, fully alert."

Contemporary English Version
When they see cavalry troops and columns of soldiers on donkeys and camels, tell them to be ready!"

Complete Jewish Bible
If he sees the cavalry, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, he must be on alert, on full alert!"

Darby Translation
And he saw chariots, horsemen by pairs, a chariot with asses, a chariot with camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed.

Easy-to-Read Version
Whether he sees a chariot and a team of horses or men riding donkeys or camels, he must listen carefully."

George Lamsa Translation
And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a rider on an ass and a rider on a camel; and he hearkened diligently with much heed;

Good News Translation
If he sees riders coming on horseback, two by two, and riders on donkeys and camels, he is to observe them carefully."

Lexham English Bible
When he sees riders, a pair of horsemen, riders of donkeys, riders of camels, then he must listen attentively, paying attention, paying special attention."

Literal Translation
And he sees a chariot, a couple of horsemen; a chariot of an ass; a chariot of a camel; and let him bow attentively, very attentively.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whe he had wayted diligetly, he sawe two horsmen: the one rydinge vpon an Asse, the other vpon a camel.

American Standard Version
and when he seeth a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.

Bible in Basic English
And when he sees war-carriages, horsemen by twos, war-carriages with asses, war-carriages with camels, let him give special attention.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when he seeth a troop, horsemen by pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.

King James Version (1611)
And he saw a charet with a couple of horsemen, a charet of asses, and a charet of camels; and hee hearkened diligently with much heede.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I saw two mounted horsemen, and a rider on an ass, and a rider on a camel.

English Revised Version
and when he seeth a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he siy the chare of tweyne horse men, the stiere of an asse, and the stiere of a camel; and he bihelde diligentli with myche lokyng,

Update Bible Version
and when he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he shall listen diligently with much heed.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he saw a chariot [with] a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, [and] a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:

New English Translation
When he sees chariots, teams of horses, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, he must be alert, very alert."

New King James Version
And he saw a chariot with a pair of horsemen, A chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels, And he listened earnestly with great care.

New Living Translation
He should look for chariots drawn by pairs of horses, and for riders on donkeys and camels. Let the watchman be fully alert."

New Life Bible
When he sees men riding on horses, two by two, and men on donkeys, and men on camels, let him be very careful to watch."

New Revised Standard
When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When he seeth A train of horsemen in double rank, A train of asses, A train of camels, Then shall he hearken attentively with diligent heed.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, a rider upon an ass, and a rider upon a camel: and he beheld them diligently with much heed.

Revised Standard Version
When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on asses, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently."

Young's Literal Translation
And he hath seen a chariot -- a couple of horsemen, The rider of an ass, the rider of a camel, And he hath given attention -- He hath increased attention!

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, A train of donkeys, a train of camels, Let him pay close attention, very close attention."

Contextual Overview

¹ The burthen of the waste sea. Euen as the stormie weather passeth through at the noone day from the wildernesse, so shall it come from the terrible lande. ² A greeuous vision was shewed vnto me: let one deceiptfull offendour come agaynst another, and one destroyer agaynst another: Up Elam, lay siege thou of Media, all their gronyng haue I layde downe. ³ Therfore are my loynes fylled with sorowe, heauinesse hath taken holde vpon me as the panges of a woman that is trauaylyng: it made me stoupe when I heard it, and it vexed me when I sawe it. ⁴ My heart panted, fearefulnesse came vpon me: the nyght of my voluptuousnesse hath he turned agaynst me into feare. ⁵ Whyle they garnished the table, the watchman loked: and whyle I was eatyng and drynkyng, it was sayde, vp ye captaynes, take you to your shielde. ⁶ For thus hath the Lorde sayde vnto me: Go and set a watchman to tel what he seeth. ⁷ And he sawe a charret which two horsemen sat vpon, with the cariage of an Asse, and the cariage of a Camel: So he loked, and toke diligent heede. ⁸ And he cryed, a lion, my Lorde I stande continually vpon the watche towre in the day tyme, and am appoynted to kepe my watch euery nyght. ⁹ And beholde here commeth a charret of men, with two horsemen, and he aunswered and sayd, Babylon is fallen, it is fallen, and all the images of her gods hath he smitten downe vnto the grounde. ¹⁰ Thou art he whom I must threshe, and thou belongest to my corne floure: This that I hearde of the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel, haue I shewed vnto you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

And he saw: Isaiah 21:9, Isaiah 37:24

he hearkened: Hebrews 2:1

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 19:7 - thirty Isaiah 46:11 - Calling Jeremiah 17:24 - if Jeremiah 50:25 - opened

Cross-References

Genesis 21:11
And this saying was very greeuous in Abrahams sight, because of his sonne.

Genesis 21:12
And God sayde vnto Abraham, let it not be greeuous in thy sight, because of the lad and of thy bonde woman: In al that Sara hath said vnto thee, heare her voyce, for in Isahac shall thy seede be called.

Genesis 21:32
Thus made they a leage together at Beer seba: and Abimelech and Phicol his chiefe captayne rose vp, and turned agayne into the lande of the Philistines.

Genesis 21:34
And Abraham soiourned in the Philistines lande a long season.

Numbers 23:23
For there is no sorcerie in Iacob, nor soothsaying in Israel, according to this time it shalbe sayde of Iacob and Israel: What hath God wrought?

Psalms 86:8
Among the gods there is none like vnto thee O Lorde: there is not one that can do as thou doest.

Psalms 86:10
For thou art great and doest wonderous thinges: thou art God alone.

Isaiah 49:21
Then shalt thou thinke by thy selfe, who hath begotten me these, seeyng I am barren and alone, a captiue and an outcast? and who hath norished them vp for me? I am desolate and alone, but from whence come these?

Isaiah 66:8
Who euer heard or sawe such thinges? doth the grounde beare in one day? or are the people borne all at once, as Sion trauayled in childe birth and bare her sonnes?

Ephesians 3:10
To thintent that nowe vnto the rulers and power in heauenly [thynges] myght be knowen by ye Church, the very manyfolde wysedome of God:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he saw a chariot [with] a couple of horsemen,.... The drivers of it, or the riders in it; perhaps meaning Cyrus and Darius:

a chariot of asses, [and] a chariot of camels; by the former may be meant the Persians, who very much used mules or asses; and the Medes by the latter, who abounded in camels: the words are in the singular number, and may be rendered, "a rider of an ass, and a rider of a camel" w; and so may describe the couple of riders along with the chariot, which may signify the whole army of the Medes and Persians, chariots being much used in war; and the rider of the ass or mule may design Cyrus, who was called a mule, because of his mixed descent, being a Persian by his father, and a Mede by his mother's side; so the oracle of Apollo told the Babylonians, that their city should stand, until a mule was king of the Medes; and the rider of the camel may point at Darius:

and he hearkened diligently with much heed; the watchman that was set to watch used the utmost attention to what he saw, and listened diligently to the noise of this chariot and horsemen, as they came nearer.

w רכב חמור רכב גמל αναβατην ονου, και αναβατην καμηλου, Sept.; "ascensorem asini, et ascensorem cameli", V. L. "unum equitantium in asinis, alterum equitantium in camelis", Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen - This passage is very obscure from the ambiguity of the word רכב rekeb - ‘chariot.’ Gesenius contends that it should be rendered ‘cavalry,’ and that it refers to cavalry two abreast hastening to the destruction of the city. The word רכב rekeb denotes properly a chariot or wagon Judges 5:28; a collection of wagons 2Ch 1:14; 2 Chronicles 8:6; 2 Chronicles 9:25; and sometimes refers to the “horses or men” attached to a chariot. ‘David houghed all the chariots’ 2 Samuel 8:4; that is, all the “horses” belonging to them. ‘David killed of the Syrians seven hundred chariots’ 2 Samuel 10:18; that is, all “the men” belonging to seven hundred chariots. According to the present Masoretic pointing, the word רכב rekeb does not mean, perhaps, anything else than a chariot strictly, but other forms of the word with the same letters denote “riders or cavalry.” Thus, the word רכב rakâb denotes a horseman 2 Kings 9:17; a charioteer or driver of a chariot 1 Kings 22:34; Jeremiah 51:21. The verb רבב râbab means “to ride,” and is usually applied to riding on the backs of horses or camels; and the sense here is, that the watchman saw “a riding,” or persons riding two abreast; that is, “cavalry,” or men borne on horses, and camels, and asses, and hastening to attack the city.

With a couple of horsemen - The word ‘couple’ (צמד tsemed) means properly a “yoke or pair;” and it means here that the cavalry was seen “in pairs, that is,” two abreast.

A chariot of asses - Or rather, as above, “a riding” on donkeys - an approach of men in this manner to battle. Asses were formerly used in war where horses could not be procured. Thus Strabo (xv. 2, 14) says of the inhabitants of Caramania, ‘Many use donkeys for war in the want of horses.’ And Herodotus (iv. 129) says expressly that Darius Hystaspes employed donkeys in a battle with the Scythians.

And a chariot of camels - A “riding” on camels. Camels also were used in war, perhaps usually to carry the baggage (see Diod. ii. 54; iii. 44; Livy, xxxvii. 40; Strabo, xvi. 3). They are used for all purposes of burden in the East, and particularly in Arabia.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 21:7. And he saw a chariot, c. - "And he saw a chariot with two riders a rider on an ass, a rider on a camel"] This passage is extremely obscure from the ambiguity of the term רכב recheb, which is used three times, and which signifies a chariot, or any other vehicle, or the rider in it; or a rider on a horse, or any other animal; or a company of chariots, or riders. The prophet may possibly mean a cavalry in two parts, with two sorts of riders; riders on asses or mules, and riders on camels; or led on by two riders, one on an ass, and one on a camel. However, so far it is pretty clear, that Darius and Cyrus, the Medes and the Persians, are intended to be distinguished by the two riders on the two sorts of cattle. It appears from Herodotus, i. 80, that the baggage of Cyrus' army was carried on camels. In his engagement with Croesus, he took off the baggage from the camels, and mounted his horsemen upon them; the enemy's horses, offended with the smell of the camels, turned back and fled. - L.