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.
A terrible vision has been shown to me; the betrayer keeps on betraying, and the destroyer keeps on destroying. Attack, O Elam! Surround the city, O Media! I will put an end to all the groaning and suffering it has caused.
God is revealing to Isaiah a vision of judgment where enemy nations will attack and destroy Babylon, putting an end to the suffering it has caused others.
📚 Historical Context
Isaiah was a prophet in ancient Judah during the 8th century BC, a time when the Assyrian Empire threatened the region and Babylon was emerging as a powerful force. This vision in Isaiah 21 specifically foretells the fall of Babylon, with God calling upon the Elamites (allied with the Persians) and the Medes to attack, symbolizing divine judgment on Babylon's treachery and oppression. The prophecy was later fulfilled in 539 BC when Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon, ending its dominance.
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