Isaiah 21 5

Isaiah 21:5 kjv

Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

Isaiah 21:5 nkjv

Prepare the table, Set a watchman in the tower, Eat and drink. Arise, you princes, Anoint the shield!

Isaiah 21:5 niv

They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields!

Isaiah 21:5 esv

They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink. Arise, O princes; oil the shield!

Isaiah 21:5 nlt

Look! They are preparing a great feast.
They are spreading rugs for people to sit on.
Everyone is eating and drinking.
But quick! Grab your shields and prepare for battle.
You are being attacked!

Isaiah 21 verses

Isaiah 21 5 meaning

Isaiah 21:5 depicts a scene of stark and sudden contrast: a people enjoying a feast in security are abruptly commanded to prepare for war. It describes a swift transition from luxury and complacency—signified by a prepared table, eating, and drinking—to an urgent, life-threatening situation requiring immediate military readiness, as princes are called to rise and anoint their shields for battle. This verse signals the sudden and unexpected nature of the impending judgment upon Babylon, interrupting its confident repose with a call to arms that will ultimately be futile.

Isaiah 21 5 Context

Isaiah 21 falls within a section of oracles (chapters 13-23) known as "burdens" or "pronouncements" concerning various nations. Chapter 21, specifically titled "The Burden of the Desert of the Sea" (Isa 21:1), is primarily an oracle against Babylon, although some interpret "Desert of the Sea" to also refer to the region of Mesopotamia which Babylon dominated. The prophet receives a vision (Isa 21:2-3) of a "grievous vision," seeing a treacherous foe (Elam and Media) laying siege, which causes him immense anguish. The verse preceding 21:5, Isaiah 21:4, describes how the watchman's "heart panted, horror affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me." This vividly sets the stage for the abrupt end of pleasure and the onset of terror for the city that had been living in ease. Verse 5 encapsulates this sudden, ironic reversal from assumed safety and festivity to a desperate, last-minute call to battle. The subsequent verses describe the watchman being commanded to return to his post and the eventual fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians (Isa 21:6-9).

Isaiah 21 5 Word analysis

• Prepare the table: (עָרֹךְ הַשֻּׁלְחָן, arokh ha-shulkhan) The verb arokh means to arrange, to set in order, to make ready. Shulkhan is the table. This phrase denotes the meticulous arrangement of a banquet, emphasizing a scene of peace, abundance, and pleasure, suggesting a feast in preparation or already in progress. It implies an atmosphere of perceived security.
• set the watch: (צָפֹה הַצָּפִית, tzafoh ha-tzapit) The verb tzafoh means to watch, to look out. Tzaphit is the watch or watch-post. This command signifies establishing security measures, often done in a relaxed or routine manner during peacetime. It suggests a confidence in their existing defenses or an almost ceremonial approach to their security, contrasting sharply with the sudden alarm that follows.
• eat, drink: (אָכֹל שְׁתוֹ, achol shto) These are infinitives used imperatively, intensifying the command for continuous action. They denote continued feasting, indulgence, and revelry. These actions further reinforce the atmosphere of pleasure and luxury, highlighting the complacency of Babylon prior to its downfall.
• arise, ye princes: (קוּמוּ שָׂרִים, qumu sarim) Qumu (arise) is an urgent and abrupt command, marking a dramatic shift. Sarim (princes/chiefs) indicates that the leaders of the nation, likely those reveling, are directly addressed and tasked with the urgent military preparation. This points to the high level of authority being shaken and required to act.
• and anoint the shield: (מִשְׁחוּ מָגֵן, mishkhu magen) Mishkhu means to anoint or smear. Magen is a shield. Oiling shields with olive oil prevented wood from cracking, kept leather pliable, and made the surface slippery to deflect arrows or blows. This is a crucial and immediate act of preparation for hand-to-hand combat, symbolizing a sudden, desperate call to defensive arms. It is a sign of intense, last-minute readiness.

Words-group by words-group analysis data

• "Prepare the table, set the watch, eat, drink:" This entire opening sequence describes a state of affairs marked by ease, luxury, and presumed security. It paints a picture of Babylon engrossed in celebratory feasting, possibly trusting in its mighty walls and watchmen, lulling itself into a false sense of peace. The repetition of indulgent acts ("eat, drink") highlights the depth of their complacency just before catastrophe.
• "arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield." This is an abrupt, urgent call to action, shattering the preceding atmosphere of tranquility and revelry. The command targets the "princes," underscoring that even the highest leadership is caught off guard and must personally engage in manual military preparation. "Anoint the shield" signifies not merely preparing for war in general, but for immediate, personal combat, illustrating the severity and suddenness of the impending attack. The shift from feasting to this act of martial readiness is the core ironic twist of the verse.

Isaiah 21 5 Bonus section

The phrase "Desert of the Sea" for Babylon, though geographically peculiar (Babylon was inland, watered by rivers), likely carries symbolic meaning. It might refer to the extensive waterways and marshlands around Babylon (which could appear like a "sea" from a distance) or, more powerfully, denote its eventual desolation to a "desert." Some scholars also link "Sea" metaphorically to the chaos or vastness of nations/peoples over whom Babylon ruled. This symbolic title subtly prefigures the desolate end of the feasting city. The command to "anoint the shield" points to the use of leather or wooden shields common in the ancient Near East, contrasting with later, fully metallic shields, suggesting an era-appropriate detail of warfare. This vivid instruction emphasizes the personal, tactile involvement in preparing for desperate defense, a sharp counterpoint to the distant and ceremonial "setting the watch."

Isaiah 21 5 Commentary

Isaiah 21:5 masterfully captures the essence of divine judgment against a complacent world power, specifically Babylon. It uses vivid, ironic imagery to depict an empire that has surrendered itself to luxury and perceived invincibility, only to be jolted by an urgent and immediate call to battle. The very preparations for feasting and comfortable living—setting a table, indulging in food and drink—are interrupted by the desperate necessity of preparing for war—anointing the shield. This serves as a powerful testament to the unexpectedness of God's timing and the futility of false security built on material indulgence and human strength. The passage highlights a recurring biblical theme: those who feel most secure in their prosperity and power are often the ones facing sudden downfall, a stark reminder of God's sovereignty over earthly empires and human affairs. It’s a call from deep peace to utter chaos, signifying a swift, divinely ordained disruption.