Isaiah 21:3 kjv
Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.
Isaiah 21:3 nkjv
Therefore my loins are filled with pain; Pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor. I was distressed when I heard it; I was dismayed when I saw it.
Isaiah 21:3 niv
At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see.
Isaiah 21:3 esv
Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
Isaiah 21:3 nlt
My stomach aches and burns with pain.
Sharp pangs of anguish are upon me,
like those of a woman in labor.
I grow faint when I hear what God is planning;
I am too afraid to look.
Isaiah 21 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 21:3 | "Therefore my loins are filled with agony; pains have seized me, like the pains of a woman in labor; I am bowed down at the hearing of it; I am dismayed at the vision." | Direct Fulfillment |
| Jeremiah 4:19 | "My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the bars of my gate!..." | Similar prophetic suffering |
| Jeremiah 15:10 | "Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to all the land!..." | Prophet's personal distress |
| Psalm 38:8 | "I am utterly prostrated and crushed; I cry out because of the anguish of my heart." | Describing deep personal sorrow |
| Psalm 55:4-5 | "My heart quakes within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me." | Overwhelmed by fear/vision |
| Jeremiah 50:37 | "Her great cities he will burn to ashes; she shall be uninhabited for generations..." | Consequences for Babylon |
| Jeremiah 51:30 | "The warriors of Babylon have ceased to fight; they have remained in their strongholds; their might has failed; they have become like women..." | Babylon's defeat |
| Isaiah 13:8 | "They shall be seized with terror; pains and anguish shall seize them; they shall writhe like a woman in labor; they shall stare at one another in astonishment; their faces shall be like flames." | Parallel description of Babylon's pain |
| Isaiah 14:16 | "Those who see you will stare at you and consider you, saying, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,'..." | Impact of Babylon's fall |
| Isaiah 21:2 | "A harsh decree has been shown to me; the traitor deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys..." | The nature of the decree |
| Isaiah 13:1-3 | "The oracle concerning Babylon that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. Lift up a banner on a high mountain; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles. I myself have commanded my consecrated ones; I also called my warriors to my anger, even those who exult in my triumph!" | God's sovereign command |
| Jeremiah 49:28-30 | Prophecy against Kedar and Babylon, mirroring judgment theme. | Judgment against nations |
| Revelation 18:2, 10 | Babylon the Great's judgment. | Fulfillment of Babylon's fall |
| Revelation 17:5 | "and on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the Great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.’" | Identifying Babylon |
| Amos 3:7 | "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets." | God revealing his plans |
| Ezekiel 3:24-27 | Ezekiel's initial speechless reaction to God's word. | Prophet's overwhelming response |
| 2 Corinthians 4:17 | "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,..." | Suffering for the Gospel |
| Romans 8:18 | "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us." | Future glory and present suffering |
| Hebrews 12:2 | "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God." | Jesus' endurance of suffering |
| John 16:21 | "When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child has been born into the world." | Pain leading to joy |
| Zechariah 12:10 | "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn." | Mourning and lament |
Isaiah 21 verses
Isaiah 21 3 Meaning
This verse describes a severe and overwhelming distress experienced by the prophet. It signifies a moment of intense dread and personal suffering as he witnesses the judgment of God unfolding against Babylon. The emotional and physical impact on the prophet is profound, indicating the weight of the divine message he carries.
Isaiah 21 3 Context
Chapter 21 of Isaiah describes prophetic visions concerning different nations, focusing on their judgment. Verses 1-10 specifically address the desolation of Babylon. The vision is described as a devastating scene of invasion and destruction, implying a brutal and sudden downfall for the great city. The prophet receives this harsh decree, and its weight is overwhelming. This particular verse captures the intense personal impact of receiving and conveying such a severe message of divine judgment. The "she" referred to in verse 3 is likely Babylon itself, personified as a woman experiencing the violent consequences of her actions and pride.
Isaiah 21 3 Word Analysis
- Therefore (עַל־כֵּ֗ן):
al-ken- signifies consequence or result. It connects the prophet's internal state to the external vision he has received. - my loins (מָתְנַי֙):
matnay- plural ofmatneh, meaning loins or hips. In Hebrew thought, the loins were considered the seat of strength and vitality, and also associated with procreation. The agony in the loins suggests a deep physical and emotional distress, affecting his very core strength. - are filled with agony (מְלֵאתָ֥ה):
meleta- is filled, usually with something substantial. Here, it signifies a complete overwhelming of his being by pain. - pains (חִבָּלִ֖ים):
chibbalim- plural ofchobol, referring to birth pangs, labor pains, or severe throes. The intensity and nature of the pain are compared to those of a woman in childbirth. - have seized me (אֲחָז֑וּ):
achazu- fromachaz, meaning to seize, lay hold of, take possession of. This indicates the pain is inescapable and gripping. - like the pains (כְּהִתְחִ֣ילוֹת):
kehitḥillot- "like the beginning" or "like the throes." The formhitḥolalotimplies the onset of labor or severe distress, intensifying the comparison to childbirth. - of a woman in labor (לְיוֹלֵדָ֑ה):
leyoledah- literally, "to a mother giving birth." This is a vivid simile for extreme suffering and helplessness. - I am bowed down (אֶֽעָוַ֘ותִּי֙):
e'evati- fromavah, meaning to bend, twist, or writhe. It depicts a physical posture of submission to pain and distress. - at the hearing of it (מִשְּׁמֹ֣עַ):
mishmo'a- fromshama, meaning to hear. The hearing of the pronouncement of judgment causes this reaction. - I am dismayed (נָע֥וֹצִי):
na'otzi- fromna'ats, meaning to be stunned, bewildered, terrified, or utterly shaken. It conveys a state of extreme mental and emotional shock. - at the vision (מִמַּרְאֶֽה):
mimar'eh- "from the sight" or "from the vision." The sight or the revelation itself is the cause of his dismay.
Word-group analysis:
- "my loins are filled with agony; pains have seized me, like the pains of a woman in labor": This powerful combination of imagery emphasizes the visceral, overwhelming nature of the prophet's suffering. It's not just mental; it's deeply physical, suggesting a sympathetic engagement with the catastrophic event he foresees. The birth pangs imagery often signifies not only pain but also the travail of bringing forth something new (though here, it’s the death throes of Babylon).
- "I am bowed down at the hearing of it; I am dismayed at the vision": These parallel phrases highlight the dual source of his distress: the divine decree communicated audibly ("hearing") and the terrifying mental picture presented visually ("vision"). His reaction is one of profound helplessness and terror, illustrating the heavy burden of prophecy.
Isaiah 21 3 Bonus Section
This verse vividly illustrates the prophetic experience as a form of vicarious suffering. Scholars note that prophets often had to internalize the divine anger and sorrow over sin, making the pronouncement of judgment personally agonizing. The imagery of labor pains is a common trope in the Old Testament for intense distress and the dramatic turning of events. Some Jewish traditions understand the "she" in "her pains" to refer directly to Babylon, personified as a powerful woman, now experiencing the agonies of defeat and utter destruction, a fate shared by other "daughters" of empire throughout Scripture. The prophet’s suffering is a precursor to, and reflection of, the suffering and death experienced by Babylon itself, a powerful testament to the emotional depth of divine communication and prophetic calling.
Isaiah 21 3 Commentary
The prophet Isaiah's experience in Isaiah 21:3 is a stark depiction of the psychological and physical toll that divine revelation can take. The agony in his "loins" and the "pains" likened to childbirth are not metaphorical in the sense of being insignificant; rather, they describe an overwhelming, debilitating suffering. This visceral reaction demonstrates the prophet's deep empathy or connection to the events he is announcing, and the sheer gravity of God's judgment upon Babylon. It highlights that being a prophet involved not just delivering messages, but intensely feeling the weight of God's word and its consequences. His "bowed down" posture and "dismay" signify a surrender to the immense horror of the vision. This passage emphasizes that understanding divine judgment, even when accurately proclaimed, is a profoundly disturbing experience.