Isaiah 21:7
in Isaiah 21When he sees chariots with teams of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, he must be alert, fully alert.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and when he seeth a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.
KJV
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:
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This verse in Isaiah 21
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
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.
This site's exposition
They prepare a table
on Isaiah 21:5-8
Verse 5 shows the court of Babylon at a feast, "they eat, they drink", even as the princes are told to "oil the shields". Its confidence and its danger stand in one scene. The Lord tells the prophet to "post a lookout and have him report what he sees".
This site's exposition
riders on donkeys, riders on camels
Barnes and Clarke find the word for chariot obscure here, and Barnes reports that Gesenius took it as horsemen riding in pairs. The Persians rode donkeys and camels into battle. The riders in view are the army of Elam and Media.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
[In the Gospels it is said,] "And he began to send them forth two by two." He sent them two by two that no one of them, being abandoned and alone, might fall into a denial, like Peter, or flee, like John. Human frailty quickly …
(Verse 7.) And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, a rider on a donkey, and a rider on a camel. When I placed him on the watchtower, he saw a chariot coming with two horses, and a charioteer high above, and an ass and a camel drawing the chariot. But it signifies Cyrus, the king of the Persians and Medes, coming with little and great authority. For the Persians were formerly unknown before Cyrus and held no place among the nations; the Medes, however, were always very powerful. Therefore, this one, supported by the army of two nations, came against Babylon.
(Vers. 6, 7.) For the Lord said to me: Go and set a watchman, and whatever he sees, let him announce. And he saw a chariot of two horsemen, a rider on a donkey, and a rider on a camel, and he examined carefully with great attention, and the lion roared. LXX: For thus says the Lord to me: Go and set a watchman for yourself, and whatever you see, announce. And I saw two horsemen riding, a rider on a donkey, and a rider on a camel: I heard a great sound, and I called Uriah to the watchtower. The Prophet is commanded to place in his heart a lookout and to look more closely at what is to come to the world. And he saw two horsemen, one riding on a donkey and the other riding on a camel. Some have interpreted this as the rider on the donkey representing Christ according to the Gospel reading (Matt. XXI) and the prophecy of Zechariah (Zech. IX), and, on the contrary, the rider on the camel representing contrary strength because of the ugliness of the twisted animal. But others refer the two ascending letters and spirit to the two Testaments. And that which is said in Hebrew Arie (), for which Aquila and Symmachus have interpreted lion and lioness, the Seventy, I know not what, have put οὐρίαν, which some think to be interpreted as the light of the Lord, while with other letters it is the light of the Lord, which is not here, and with others it is written lion, which is here read. And he wishes this beholder, whom the Prophet is commanded to place in his heart, to be called Uriah, and through the interpretation of the name, refers it to the understanding of Christ, so that with him dwelling in us, we may perceive what is to come. Indeed, Jacob (Gen. XLIX) and Balaam (Num. XXIII and II) are named under the mystery of Christ, and can be compared to the lion.
The Medieval Church1 voice
516. Second, the vision is set out, and first, he sets out the thing that was seen: and he saw a chariot with two horsemen, which was usually pulled by two horses, signifying the army of two kingdoms; a rider, namely of chariots, upon an …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
After a long sleep in sin and security, is it not time to rise, high time to awake out of sleep? We have a great deal of work to do, a long journey to go; is it not time to be stirring? "Watchman, what o'clock is it?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
A chariot - Hereby he signifies the variety and abundance of warlike provisions which the Medes and Persians should have for their expedition, and particularly of chariots, whereof some were for the carriage of necessary things, and others for the battle.
And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"Chariot" is not appropriate to be joined, as English Version translates, with "asses"; the Hebrew means plainly in Isa 21:7, as in Isa 21:9, "a body of men riding." The Persians used asses and camels for war [MAURER].
And he saw a chariot, etc. “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, 1:80, 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.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְרָ֣אָה | veraah | and he will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| רֶ֗כֶב | rekhev | a rider | H7393 → | 119 times |
| צֶ֚מֶד | tzemed | a pair of | H6776 → | 15 times |
| פָּֽרָשִׁ֔ים | parashim | horses | H6571 → | 57 times |
| רֶ֥כֶב | rekhev | a rider of | H7393 → | 119 times |
| חֲמ֖וֹר | chamor | a donkey | H2543 → | 96 times |
| רֶ֣כֶב | rekhev | a rider of | H7393 → | 119 times |
| גָּמָ֑ל | gamal | a camel | H1581 → | 54 times |
| וְהִקְשִׁ֥יב | vehikshiv | and he will pay attention | H7181 → | 46 times |
| קֶ֖שֶׁב | keshev | attentiveness | H7182 → | |
| רַב־ | rav- | greatness of | H7227 → | 454 times |
| קָֽשֶׁב׃ | kashev | attentiveness | H7182 → |
וְרָ֣אָהand he will see
veraahH7200 →1300 times
רֶ֗כֶבa rider
rekhevH7393 →119 times
צֶ֚מֶדa pair of
tzemedH6776 →15 times
פָּֽרָשִׁ֔יםhorses
parashimH6571 →57 times
רֶ֥כֶבa rider of
rekhevH7393 →119 times
חֲמ֖וֹרa donkey
chamorH2543 →96 times
רֶ֣כֶבa rider of
rekhevH7393 →119 times
גָּמָ֑לa camel
gamalH1581 →54 times
וְהִקְשִׁ֥יבand he will pay attention
vehikshivH7181 →46 times
קֶ֖שֶׁבattentiveness
keshevH7182 →
רַב־greatness of
rav-H7227 →454 times
קָֽשֶׁב׃attentiveness
kashevH7182 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 2:1We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
it leads to
- Luke 8:15
But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.
- 2 Peter 1:12–13
Therefore I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.
- Proverbs 7:1–2
My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.
- Proverbs 2:1–6
My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,
- Hebrews 1:1–2
On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.
- Luke 8:15
Through
Isaiah 21:9Look, here come the riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”
it leads to
- Revelation 18:2
And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable…
- Jeremiah 51:8
Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been shattered. Wail for her; get her balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed.
- Revelation 18:2
Through
Isaiah 37:24Through your servants you have taunted the Lord, and you have said: “With my many chariots I have ascended to the heights of the mountains, to the remote peaks of Lebanon. I have cut…
it leads to
- Isaiah 14:8
Even the cypresses and cedars of Lebanon exult over you: “Since you have been laid low, no woodcutter comes against us.”
- Isaiah 14:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Peter Chrysologus, SERMON 170 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.