The Meaning of Isaiah 21:9 Explained

Isaiah 21:9

KJV: 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.

YLT: And lo, this, the chariot of a man is coming, A couple of horsemen.' And he answereth and saith: 'Fallen, fallen hath Babylon, And all the graven images of her gods He hath broken to the earth.

Darby: And behold, there cometh a chariot of men; horsemen by pairs. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

ASV: and, behold, here cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 21:9 Mean?

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 21:9 mean?

and look this [one] comes a chariot of men [with] a pair of horsemen And he answered and said is fallen is fallen Babylon and all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground
וְהִנֵּה־ זֶ֥ה בָא֙ רֶ֣כֶב אִ֔ישׁ צֶ֖מֶד פָּֽרָשִׁ֑ים וַיַּ֣עַן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָפְלָ֤ה נָֽפְלָה֙ בָּבֶ֔ל וְכָל־ פְּסִילֵ֥י אֱלֹהֶ֖יהָ שִׁבַּ֥ר לָאָֽרֶץ

וְהִנֵּה־  and  look 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
זֶ֥ה  this  [one] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
בָא֙  comes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
רֶ֣כֶב  a  chariot 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
אִ֔ישׁ  of  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
צֶ֖מֶד  [with]  a  pair 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צֶמֶד  
Sense: couple, pair, team, yoke.
פָּֽרָשִׁ֑ים  of  horsemen 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: פָּרָשׁ 
Sense: horse, steed, warhorse.
וַיַּ֣עַן  And  he  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
נָפְלָ֤ה  is  fallen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
נָֽפְלָה֙  is  fallen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
בָּבֶ֔ל  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
פְּסִילֵ֥י  the  carved  images 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: פָּסִיל  
Sense: image, idol, graven image.
אֱלֹהֶ֖יהָ  of  her  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
שִׁבַּ֥ר  He  has  broken 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
לָאָֽרֶץ  to  the  ground 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.