Isaiah 21 · Verse 8

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:

Isaiah 21:8, King James Version

Isaiah 21:8 in other translations

BSB	Then the lookout shouted: “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; night after night I stay at my post.
WEB	He cried like a lion: “Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and every night I stay at my post.
ASV	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;
YLT	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.
DARBY	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.
BBE	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:
Webster	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.

What does Isaiah 21:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

8. A lion--rather, "(The watchman) cried, I am as a lion"; so as is understood (Is 62:5; Psa 11:1). The point of comparison to "a lion" is in Re 10:3, the loudness of the cry. But here it is rather his vigilance. The lion's eyelids are short, so that, even when asleep, he seems to be on the watch, awake; hence he was painted on doors of temples as the symbol of watchfulness, guarding the place (Hor. Apollo) [Horsley].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 21:1-10

The taking of Babylon. (Is. 21:1-10) Of the Edomites. (Is. 21:11,12) Of the Arabs. (Is. 21:13-17) Verses 1-10 Babylon was a flat country, abundantly watered. The destruction of Babylon, so often prophesied of by Isaiah, was typical of the destruction of the great foe of the New Testament church, foretold in the Revelation. To the poor oppressed captives it would be welcome news; to the proud oppressors it would be…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 21:1-10 →

Isaiah 21:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּקְרָ֖אvai.yik.Ra'and he called outH7121

אַרְיֵ֑ה'ar.Yeha lionH738

עַל\־'al-onH5921

מִצְפֶּ֣ה\׀mitz.Peha watchtowerH4707

אֲדֹנָ֗י'a.do.NaiO LordH136

אָנֹכִ֞י'a.no.KhiIH595

עֹמֵ֤ד'o.Med[am] standingH5975

תָּמִיד֙ta.MidcontinuallyH8548

יוֹמָ֔םyo.Mamby dayH3119

וְעַל\־ve.'al-and atH5921

מִ֨שְׁמַרְתִּ֔יmish.mar.Tipost myH4931

אָנֹכִ֥י'a.no.KhiIH595

נִצָּ֖בni.Tzav[am] stationedH5324

כָּל\־kol-allH3605

הַלֵּילֽוֹת\׃ha.lei.Lotthe nightsH3915

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 21:8

Habakkuk 2:1-2
I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Psalms 127:1
A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Isaiah 56:10
His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Jeremiah 50:44
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
Jeremiah 25:38
He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.
Psalms 63:6
When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
Isaiah 62:6
I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,
Isaiah 5:29
Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.
Jeremiah 4:7
The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
Jeremiah 49:19
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

cried, A lion. or, cried as a lion.
5:29; Jer 4:7; 25:38; 49:19; 50:44; 1Pe 5:8
I stand.
56:10; 62:6; Ps 63:6; 127:1; Hab 2:1,2
whole nights. or, every night.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Isaiah 21:7
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:
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:
Isaiah 21:9
And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

Read all of Isaiah 21

Isaiah 21:8 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y gritó como un león: Señor, sobre la atalaya estoy yo continuamente de día, y las noches enteras sobre mi guarda:
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	et elle cria comme un lion: Seigneur, je me tiens dans le poste d’observation constamment, de jour, et je suis là faisant ma garde toutes les nuits…
German Elberfelder 1871	und er rief wie ein Löwe: Herr, ich stehe auf der Turmwarte beständig bei Tage, und auf meinem Wachtposten stehe ich da alle Nächte hindurch!
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et clamavit leo: Super speculam Domini ego sum, stans jugiter per diem; et super custodiam meam ego sum, stans totis noctibus.