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Wednesday, June 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 6 / Ordinary 11
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Isaiah 21:8

Then the guard cries out: "On the watchtower, O sovereign master, I stand all day long; at my post I am stationed every night.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Babylon;   Isaiah;   Persia;   Watchman;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;   Watchmen;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Towers;   Ward, or Guard;   Watchmen;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Persia;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ward;   Watches;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Babel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Isaiah, Book of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Babylon ;   Elam ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Medes;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ba'bel;   Tower;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Evil;   Hezekiah (2);   Isaiah;   Ward;   Watch-Tower;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bible in Mohammedan Literature;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the lookout reported,“Lord, I stand on the watchtower all day,and I stay at my post all night.
Hebrew Names Version
He cried as a lion: Lord, I stand continually on the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights;
King James Version
And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:
English Standard Version
Then he who saw cried out: "Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post I am stationed whole nights.
New American Standard Bible
Then the lookout called, "Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower, And I am stationed every night at my guard post.
New Century Version
Then the lookout called out, "My master, each day I stand in the watchtower watching; every night I have been on guard.
Amplified Bible
And the lookout called like a lion, "O Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower by day, And I am stationed every night at my guard post.
World English Bible
He cried as a lion: Lord, I stand continually on the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights;
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he cryed, A lyon: my lorde, I stand continually vpon ye watche towre in the day time, and I am set in my watche euery night:
Legacy Standard Bible
Then the lookout called,"O Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower,And I am stationed every night at my guard post.
Berean Standard Bible
Then the lookout shouted, "Day after day, O lord, I stand on the watchtower; night after night I stay at my post.
Contemporary English Version
Then a guard said, "I have stood day and night on this watchtower, Lord.
Complete Jewish Bible
He calls out like a lion: "My lord, I stand on the watchtower all day long, I stay at my post all night."
Darby Translation
And he cried [as] a lion, Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then one day the watchman called out, "My master, every day I have been in the watchtower watching. Every night I have been standing on duty.
George Lamsa Translation
Then the watchman cried into my ears, saying, I the LORD stand continually in the daytime, and I stand upon my watchtower every night.
Good News Translation
The sentry calls out, "Sir, I have been standing guard at my post day and night."
Lexham English Bible
Then the watchman called, "Lord, I am standing on the watchtower continually by day, and I am standing at my post throughout the night.
Literal Translation
And he cried, A lion! My lord, I always stand on my watchtower by day; and I am stationed at my post all the nights.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the lyon cried: LORDE, I haue stonde waytinge all the whole daye, and haue kepte my watch all the night.
American Standard Version
And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights;
Bible in Basic English
And the watchman gave a loud cry, O my lord, I am on the watchtower all day, and am placed in my watch every night:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he cried as a lion: 'Upon the watch-tower, O Lord, I stand continually in the daytime, and I am set in my ward all the nights.'
King James Version (1611)
And he cryed; A lyon: my Lord, I stand continually vpon the watch-tower in the day time, and I am set in my ward whole nights.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
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.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Hearken with great attention, and call thou Urias to the watch-tower: the Lord has spoken. I stood continually during the day, and I stood in the camp all night:
English Revised Version
And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and criede as a lioun, Y stonde contynueli bi dai on the totyng place of the Lord, and Y stonde bi alle nyytis on my kepyng.
Update Bible Version
And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually on the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights;
Webster's Bible Translation
And he cried, a lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day time, and I am set in my ward whole nights.
New King James Version
Then he cried, "A lion, [fn] my Lord!I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime;I have sat at my post every night.
New Living Translation
Then the watchman called out, "Day after day I have stood on the watchtower, my lord. Night after night I have remained at my post.
New Life Bible
Then the watchman called out like a lion, "O Lord, I stand watching from the watch-tower at all times during the day. And I stand there every night.
New Revised Standard
Then the watcher called out: "Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post I am stationed throughout the night.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then cried he. A lion! On the watch, O My Lord, had I been standing continually, by day, And at my post, had I been stationed whole nights; -
Douay-Rheims Bible
And a lion cried out: I am upon the watchtower of the Lord, standing continually by day: and I am upon my ward, standing whole nights.
Revised Standard Version
Then he who saw cried: "Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post I am stationed whole nights.
Young's Literal Translation
And he crieth -- a lion, `On a watch-tower my lord, I am standing continually by day, And on my ward I am stationed whole nights.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the lookout called, "O Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower, And I am stationed every night at my guard post.

Contextual Overview

1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: Like strong winds blowing in the south, one invades from the desert, from a land that is feared. 2 I have received a distressing message: "The deceiver deceives, the destroyer destroys. Attack, you Elamites! Lay siege, you Medes! I will put an end to all the groaning!" 3 For this reason my stomach churns; cramps overwhelm me like the contractions of a woman in labor. I am disturbed by what I hear, horrified by what I see. 4 My heart palpitates, I shake in fear; the twilight I desired has brought me terror. 5 Arrange the table, lay out the carpet, eat and drink! Get up, you officers, smear oil on the shields! 6 For this is what the sovereign master has told me: "Go, post a guard! He must report what he sees. 7 When he sees chariots, teams of horses, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, he must be alert, very alert." 8 Then the guard cries out: "On the watchtower, O sovereign master, I stand all day long; at my post I am stationed every night. 9 Look what's coming! A charioteer, a team of horses." When questioned, he replies, "Babylon has fallen, fallen! All the idols of her gods lie shattered on the ground!" 10 O my downtrodden people, crushed like stalks on the threshing floor, what I have heard from the Lord who commands armies, the God of Israel, I have reported to you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cried, A lion: or, cried as a lion, Isaiah 5:29, Jeremiah 4:7, Jeremiah 25:38, Jeremiah 49:19, Jeremiah 50:44, 1 Peter 5:8

I stand: Isaiah 56:10, Isaiah 62:6, Psalms 63:6, Psalms 127:1, Habakkuk 2:1, Habakkuk 2:2

whole nights: or, every night

Reciprocal: Nehemiah 12:25 - keeping Psalms 130:6 - I say more than they that watch for the morning Ezekiel 3:17 - a watchman Ezekiel 10:1 - I looked Acts 12:10 - the first Romans 12:7 - ministry Revelation 18:2 - become

Cross-References

Genesis 19:3
But he urged them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate.
Genesis 26:30
So Isaac held a feast for them and they celebrated.
Genesis 29:22
So Laban invited all the people of that place and prepared a feast.
Genesis 40:20
On the third day it was Pharaoh's birthday, so he gave a feast for all his servants. He "lifted up" the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants.
Judges 14:10
Then Samson's father accompanied him to Timnah for the marriage. Samson hosted a party there, for this was customary for bridegrooms to do.
Judges 14:12
Samson said to them, "I will give you a riddle. If you really can solve it during the seven days the party lasts, I will give you thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.
1 Samuel 1:22
but Hannah did not go up with them. Instead she told her husband, "Once the boy is weaned, I will bring him and appear before the Lord , and he will remain there from then on."
1 Samuel 25:36
When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his house like that of the king. Nabal was having a good time and was very intoxicated. She told him absolutely nothing until morning's light.
2 Samuel 3:20
When Abner, accompanied by twenty men, came to David in Hebron, David prepared a banquet for Abner and the men who were with him.
1 Kings 3:15
Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream. He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings, and held a feast for all his servants.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he cried, a lion,.... That is, the watchman cried, a lion, or that he saw a lion; not Uriah the priest, as the Septuagint; nor Habakkuk, as some Jewish writers; but Cyrus, at the head of the Persian and Median armies, compared to a lion for his fierceness, courage, and strength; see 2 Timothy 4:17 a type of Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, by whom antichrist, or mystical Babylon, will be destroyed, Revelation 5:5. The Targum is,

"the prophet said, the voice of armies, coming with coats of mail, as a lion.''

Aben Ezra interprets it, the watchman cried as a lion, with a great voice; upon sight of the chariots and horsemen, he lifted up his voice, and roared like a lion, to express the terror he was in, and the greatness of the calamity that was coming upon the city.

I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime: so that nothing could escape his notice:

and I am set in my ward whole nights: which expresses his diligence, vigilance, and constancy, in the discharge of his duty; and therefore what he said he saw might be depended on.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And he cried, A lion - Margin, ‘As a lion.’ This is the correct rendering. The particle כ (k) - ‘as,’ is not unfrequently omitted (see Isaiah 62:5; Psalms 11:1). That is, ‘I see them approach with the fierceness, rapidity, and terror of a lion (compare Revelation 10:3).

My lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower - This is the speech of the watchman, and is addressed, not to Yahweh, but to him that appointed him. It is designed to show the “diligence” with which he had attended to the object for which he was appointed. He had been unceasing in his observation; and the result was, that now at length he saw the enemy approach like a lion, and it was certain that Babylon now must fall. The language used here has a striking resemblance to the opening of the “Agamemnon” of AEschylus; being the speech of the watchman, who had been very long upon his tower looking for the signal which should make known that Troy had fallen. It thus commences:

‘Forever thus! O keep me not, ye gods,

Forever thus, fixed in the lonely tower

Of Atreus’ palace, from whose height I gaze

O’er watched and weary, like a night-dog, still

Fixed to my post; meanwhile the rolling year

Moves on, and I my wakeful vigils keep

By the cold star-light sheen of spangled skies.’

Symmons, quoted in the “Pictorial Bible.”

I am set in my ward - My place where one keeps watch. It does not mean that he was confined or imprisoned, but that he had kept his watch station (משׁמרת mishemeret from שׁמר shâmar “to watch, to keep, to attend to”).

Whole nights - Margin, ‘Every night.’ It means that he had not left his post day or night.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 21:8. And he cried, A lion - "He that looked out on the watch"] The present reading, אריה aryeh, a lion, is so unintelligible, and the mistake so obvious, that I make no doubt that the true reading is הראה haroeh, the seer; as the Syriac translator manifestly found it in his copy, who renders it by דקוא duka, a watchman.


 
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