Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 21:8
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:
8. If the text be right, the first clause must read: And he cried (like) a lion (Rev 10:3).
My lord ] The A.V. seems here to assume that the prophet is addressed by his watchman. R.V. and most interpreters render “O Lord” (addressed to Jehovah). Nevertheless A.V. may be right, although it requires the substitution of ’dn for ’dni.
in my ward ] i.e. “at my post.”
For whole nights read “all the nights.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And he cried, A lion – Margin, As a lion. This is the correct rendering. The particle (k) – as, is not unfrequently omitted (see Isa 62:5; Psa 11:1). That is, I see them approach with the fierceness, rapidity, and terror of a lion (compare Rev 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
Oer 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 ( mishemeret from shamar to watch, to keep, to attend to).
Whole nights – Margin, Every night. It means that he had not left his post day or night.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. And he cried, A lion – “He that looked out on the watch”] The present reading, aryeh, a lion, is so unintelligible, and the mistake so obvious, that I make no doubt that the true reading is haroeh, the seer; as the Syriac translator manifestly found it in his copy, who renders it by duka, a watchman.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And he cried, A lion: the sense of the words thus rendered is this, The watchman cried out, I see also a lion, to wit, marching before the horsemen and chariots already mentioned; which they suppose to represent Cyrus or Darius marching in the head of their armies. Or, as it is rendered in the margin, and by divers others, he cried as (which particle is oft understood, as hath been formerly and frequently noted)
a lion, with a terrible cry, as being affrighted with the vision, and withal signifying the dreadfulness of that judgment which was here represented as coming upon Babylon.
My lord; the watchman speaks these words either to God, or to the prophet, who by command from God had set him in this place and station; to whom therefore he gives the following account of his discharge of the work wherewith he was intrusted.
I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day time, and I am set in my ward whole nights; according to thy command I have stood, and do yet stand, continually, both day and night, upon my watch-tower.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. A lionrather, “(Thewatchman) cried, I am as a lion”; so as isunderstood (Isa 62:5; Psa 11:1).The point of comparison to “a lion” is in Re10:3, the loudness of the cry. But here it is rather hisvigilance. The lion’s eyelids are short, so that, even whenasleep, he seems to be on the watch, awake; hence he was painted ondoors of temples as the symbol of watchfulness, guarding the place(Hor. Apollo) [HORSLEY].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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 2Ti 4:17 a type of Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, by whom antichrist, or mystical Babylon, will be destroyed, Re 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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
At length the procession has vanished; he sees nothing and hears nothing, and is seized with impatience. “Then he cried with lion’s voice, Upon the watch-tower, O Lord, I stand continually by day, and upon my watch I keep my stand all the nights.” He loses all his patience, and growls as if he were a lion (compare Rev 10:3), with the same dull, angry sound, the same long, deep breath out of full lungs, complaining to God that he has to stand so long at his post without seeing anything, except that inexplicable procession that has now vanished away.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
8. And he cried, A lion. “Having hearkened diligently with much heed,” at length he observes a lion. This is supposed to mean Darius who conquered and pillaged Babylon, as we learn from Daniel. (Dan 5:28.)
I stand continually. When the watchman says that he is continually on his watchtower by day and by night, this tends to confirm the prediction, as if he had said that nothing can be more certain than this vision; for they whom God has appointed to keep watch are neither drowsy nor dim-sighted. Meanwhile, by this example, he exhorts and stimulates believers to the same kind of attention, that by the help of the lamp of the word, they may obtain a distant view of the power of God.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) And he cried, A lion.Better, As a lion. The cry seems to be the low murmur of the eager, almost angry, impatience by which the prophet or the ideal watchman was stirred.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. And he cried, A lion This may mean that the appearance in the distance was formidable enough to be represented under the figure of “a lion;” or, more probably, it means that from long listening with no result, but rather, perhaps, even the vanishing away for a time of the processions before seen, the watchman himself, impatient at fruitless results, cries out, as with a lion’s voice, that is, roars or growls out, “Lord, I stand every moment watching, day and night, but see nothing more than this inexplicable procession, and scarcely that at present.” The watchman was not necessarily at Babylon, but probably near it.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 21:8 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:
Ver. 8. And he cried, A lion, ] i.e., A stout and cruel enemy is upon us. Or, He cried as a lion, so some render it – that is, the watchman cried aloud, professing his utmost vigilance in performance of his duty.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Alion: My LORD*. Read: [as] a lion, “O LORD”, &c.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
cried, A lion: or, cried as a lion, Isa 5:29, Jer 4:7, Jer 25:38, Jer 49:19, Jer 50:44, 1Pe 5:8
I stand: Isa 56:10, Isa 62:6, Psa 63:6, Psa 127:1, Hab 2:1, Hab 2:2
whole nights: or, every night
Reciprocal: Neh 12:25 – keeping Psa 130:6 – I say more than they that watch for the morning Eze 3:17 – a watchman Eze 10:1 – I looked Act 12:10 – the first Rom 12:7 – ministry Rev 18:2 – become
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 21:8-9. And he cried, A lion The present reading, , a lion, is so unintelligible, says Bishop Lowth, and the mistake so obvious, that I make no doubt that the true reading is , (he that saw, or looked out,) as the Syriac translator manifestly found it in his copy, who renders it by , speculator, the observer, or watchman. The bishop, therefore, renders the clause, He that looked out on the watch cried aloud. My lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower The watchman speaks these words to the prophet, who, by command from God, had set him in this station; to whom, therefore he gives the following account of his discharge of the office wherewith he was intrusted. In the daytime, &c., whole nights According to thy command I have stood, and do stand continually, both day and night, in my ward. This is said to express his great care and attention, and thereby to confirm the truth of the prediction which follows, as that which would as certainly come to pass, as if a watchman had descried the approach of an enemy afar off. And behold, here cometh a chariot, &c. Or, as in Isa 21:7, a cavalcade of men; two file of horse, &c. Bishop Lowth renders it, from the Syriac and Ephraim Syrus, Behold, here cometh a man, one of the two riders: and he answered Answered to the prophet, who set him to watch, or the Lord, by whose command he was set. Babylon is fallen, is fallen The expression is doubled, to show the certainty of the event. It is usual, likewise, for the prophets to speak of a thing future as if it were already accomplished, to signify that it will certainly be accomplished; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken, &c. It is remarkable that Xerxes, after his return from his unfortunate expedition into Greece, partly out of religious zeal, being a professed enemy to image-worship, and partly to reimburse himself after his immense expenses, seized the sacred treasures, plundered or destroyed the temples and idols of Babylon, and thereby accomplished this prophecy. Bishop Newton.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
21:8 And he cried, A {l} lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my post whole nights:
(l) Meaning, Darius who overcame Babylon.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The lion-like sentry reported to his sovereign Lord that he was not neglecting his duty but was paying close attention to what he saw. He reported that a troop of riders in pairs had appeared and had announced the fall of Babylon (cf. Rev 18:2). Her fallen idols symbolized their inability to protect her from her enemy (cf. Jer 51:47; Jer 51:52). Babylon fell several times: to the Assyrians in 710, 702, 689, and 648, and to the Medes and Persians in 539 B.C., among others. The Medes were allies of the Babylonians in the earlier battles. But Babylon will fall again (Rev 16:19; Revelation 17-18).