Isaiah 21 6

Isaiah 21:6 kjv

For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

Isaiah 21:6 nkjv

For thus has the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman, Let him declare what he sees."

Isaiah 21:6 niv

This is what the Lord says to me: "Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.

Isaiah 21:6 esv

For thus the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees.

Isaiah 21:6 nlt

Meanwhile, the Lord said to me,
"Put a watchman on the city wall.
Let him shout out what he sees.

Isaiah 21 verses

Isaiah 21 6 meaning

Isaiah 21:6 communicates a direct and authoritative command from the Lord to the prophet Isaiah: to appoint a dedicated watchman whose explicit task is to intently observe and faithfully declare what is revealed to him. This watchman serves as a symbol of the prophetic office, tasked with discerning and communicating God's predetermined future judgment, particularly regarding the impending downfall of Babylon. The verse underscores God's supreme sovereignty over all nations and history, and it highlights the crucial responsibility of His chosen messengers to both perceive and articulate His divine will without compromise.

Isaiah 21 6 Context

Isaiah chapter 21 presents a series of "oracles" or "burdens," prophecies primarily directed at foreign nations. The initial section, vv. 1-10, focuses on "The Oracle Concerning Babylon," a vivid and unsettling prophecy predicting the city's future destruction. Verse 6 is situated within this context, depicting God's instruction to His prophet to prepare for and reveal the dramatic events of Babylon's fall. At the time of Isaiah's ministry (8th century BCE), Babylon was not yet the dominant world power that would later conquer Judah. However, God, through Isaiah, foresaw its rise and eventual collapse at the hands of Medo-Persia. The command to "station a watchman" prepares both the prophet and the audience for a significant, divinely orchestrated moment of historical judgment. This is not for a human army's immediate intelligence but for the proclamation of God's foretold actions, asserting His control over future events to those who would witness them or hear of them.

Isaiah 21 6 Word analysis

• "For thus has the Lord said to me" (כִּי כֹּה אָמַר אֵלַי אֲדֹנָי - kî kōh ’āmar ’ēlay ’ădōnāy)

  • כִּי (kî - "For"): Establishes a foundational reason or a transition to the divine directive, underscoring its pivotal importance.
  • כֹּה (kōh - "thus"): Confirms the specific and exact nature of the following command, allowing no room for misinterpretation or alteration.
  • אָמַר (’āmar - "said"): Signifies a simple yet authoritative verbal declaration by God, making the instruction an undeniable divine decree.
  • אֵלַי (’ēlay - "to me"): Explicitly highlights the personal and direct nature of the revelation received by the prophet Isaiah.
  • אֲדֹנָי (’ădōnāy - "the Lord" / "My Lord"): Employs a deferential, yet deeply authoritative divine title that conveys God's supreme ownership and sovereignty, signifying the ultimate source of the command.
  • Words-group significance: This opening phrase establishes the unimpeachable divine origin and absolute authority of the message, distinguishing it unequivocally from any human invention or speculation. It stresses God's initiative in unveiling His future plans and judgments through His chosen instrument.

• "Go, station a watchman" (לֵךְ הַעֲמֵד הַצֹּפֶה - lēḵ ha‘amēḏ haṣṣōpeh)

  • לֵךְ (lēḵ - "Go"): An immediate and forceful imperative command, demanding prompt action and a purposeful assignment.
  • הַעֲמֵד (ha‘amēḏ - "station, set up"): From the Hifil stem of amad, meaning "to cause to stand" or "to firmly establish." This signifies a deliberate, firm commissioning or appointment to a fixed and significant role.
  • הַצֹּפֶה (haṣṣōpeh - "the watchman"): Includes the definite article, referring to a specific individual or archetypal role known for active vigilance. The root ṣāphāh implies careful, discerning observation from a vantage point, metaphorically applying to a prophet who receives divine insight.
  • Words-group significance: This command dictates the precise establishment of a specific observer for a critical purpose. It illustrates God's detailed plan, commissioning an agent (the prophet himself or one designated by him) to spiritually discern and observe a divinely appointed event. The use of the Hifil imperative for "station" emphasizes God's active involvement in establishing this watchman for service.

• "let him declare what he sees" (אֲשֶׁר יִרְאֶה יַגִּיד - ’ăšer yir’eh yaggîḏ)

  • אֲשֶׁר (’ăšer - "who/what"): Functions as a relative pronoun, linking the watchman directly to his two core responsibilities.
  • יִרְאֶה (yir’eh - "he will see/what he sees"): From ra'ah (to see, perceive). The imperfect tense suggests an ongoing or future act of seeing that transcends mere physical sight, indicating a deep, prophetic discernment and reception of revelation from God.
  • יַגִּיד (yaggîḏ - "he will declare/tell"): From the Hifil stem of nagad, meaning "to cause to tell" or "to make known fully and plainly." This implies an active, clear, and unambiguous proclamation. The imperfect tense underscores an ongoing duty of communication.
  • Words-group significance: This phrase defines the watchman's indispensable twin responsibilities: to spiritually perceive divine revelation and then to accurately and boldly articulate that vision. It highlights the indispensable role of clear communication in the prophetic office, ensuring God’s message is conveyed precisely as given, without any personal filtering or fear. The act of "declaring" is presented as a co-equal and active duty with "seeing," transforming the watchman from a mere observer into a participant in God's revelation.

Isaiah 21 6 Bonus section

The "watchman" motif, prominently featured in Isaiah 21:6, is central to the biblical understanding of a prophet's identity and function. It speaks not only to the need for physical alertness but, more significantly, to spiritual attentiveness—an acute perception of divine messages. The watchman stands metaphorically at the boundary between the divine and human realms, receiving communications from God and transmitting them to His people. This role necessitates immense fidelity, as the watchman is not to inject personal opinions or withhold uncomfortable truths, but to accurately and courageously convey "what he sees." Furthermore, the act of "stationing" (ha‘amēḏ) implies a God-ordained authority and an enablement for the task. The divine imperative highlights that the prophetic message originates solely from God, thus lending it absolute truth and universal applicability, whether for immediate historical context or broader eschatological fulfillment. The watchman is thus an integral part of God's plan for both warning and guiding His covenant people through the unfolding of His divine narrative.

Isaiah 21 6 Commentary

Isaiah 21:6 serves as a foundational verse for understanding the prophetic call: a divine summons to both vigilance and proclamation. God, using the revered title ’ădōnāy, directly instructs His prophet to "station a watchman," indicating a deliberate, sovereign appointment to a crucial role. This watchman, likely symbolizing Isaiah or the prophetic office, is tasked not just with passively observing, but with active discernment—a spiritual "seeing" of God's unfolding plans, particularly regarding the foretold judgment on Babylon. Crucially, this seeing must be followed by an unequivocal "declaring." The watchman's duty is to faithfully transmit the received vision, ensuring God's truth is audibly communicated. This underscores the unwavering fidelity and courage required of God's messengers, who are called to perceive His will and then declare it clearly, embodying God's sovereignty over history and His method of communicating His purposes to humanity.