The Meaning of Isaiah 21:2 Explained

Isaiah 21:2

KJV: A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

YLT: A hard vision hath been declared to me, The treacherous dealer is dealing treacherously, And the destroyer is destroying. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Media, All its sighing I have caused to cease.

Darby: A grievous vision is declared unto me: the treacherous dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, Elam! besiege, Media! All the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

ASV: A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous man dealeth treacherously, and the destroyer destroyeth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A grievous  vision  is declared  unto me; the treacherous dealer  dealeth treacherously,  and the spoiler  spoileth.  Go up,  O Elam:  besiege,  O Media;  all the sighing  thereof have I made to cease. 

What does Isaiah 21:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Isaiah received this harsh vision. Treachery and destruction continued to mark the Persian Gulf area. Elam and Media were to go up against this foe to put an end to her evil ways that produced groaning in her victims. Elam ceased to oppose the Mesopotamian powers by639 B.C, so Isaiah evidently gave this oracle before then, possible as early as the Babylonian Merodach-baladan"s visit to Jerusalem about701 B.C. (cf. ch39).
"Elam and Media were peoples from the Iranian highlands who were becoming active in Mesopotamian affairs near the end of the eighth century ..." [1]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 21

1  The prophet, bewailing the captivity of his people,
6  sees in a vision the fall of Babylon by the Medes and Persians
11  Edom, scorning the prophet, is moved to repentance
13  The set time of Arabia's calamity

What do the individual words in Isaiah 21:2 mean?

A vision distressing is declared to me the treacherous dealer deals treacherously and the plunderer plunders Go up Elam Besiege Media all its sighing I have made to cease
חָז֥וּת קָשָׁ֖ה הֻגַּד־ לִ֑י הַבּוֹגֵ֤ד ׀ בּוֹגֵד֙ וְהַשּׁוֹדֵ֣ד ׀ שׁוֹדֵ֔ד עֲלִ֤י עֵילָם֙ צוּרִ֣י מָדַ֔י כָּל־ אַנְחָתָ֖ה הִשְׁבַּֽתִּי

חָז֥וּת  A  vision 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָזוּת  
Sense: vision, conspicuousness.
קָשָׁ֖ה  distressing 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: קָשֶׁה  
Sense: hard, cruel, severe, obstinate.
הֻגַּד־  is  declared 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לִ֑י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
הַבּוֹגֵ֤ד ׀  the  treacherous  dealer 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּגַד  
Sense: to act treacherously, deceitfully, deal treacherously.
בּוֹגֵד֙  deals  treacherously 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּגַד  
Sense: to act treacherously, deceitfully, deal treacherously.
וְהַשּׁוֹדֵ֣ד ׀  and  the  plunderer 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁדַד  
Sense: to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin, destroy, spoil.
שׁוֹדֵ֔ד  plunders 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁדַד  
Sense: to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin, destroy, spoil.
עֲלִ֤י  Go  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
עֵילָם֙  Elam 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵילָם 
Sense: a Korhite Levite in the time of David.
צוּרִ֣י  Besiege 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: צוּר 
Sense: to bind, besiege, confine, cramp.
מָדַ֔י  Media 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָדַי  
Sense: a people descended from the son of Japheth and who inhabited the territory of Media.
אַנְחָתָ֖ה  its  sighing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אֲנָחָה  
Sense: sighing, groaning (expression of grief or physical distress).
הִשְׁבַּֽתִּי  I  have  made  to  cease 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁבַת 
Sense: to cease, desist, rest.