Isaiah 21:11

Bad News for Seir

21:11 Here is a message about Dumah: ¹ 

Someone calls to me from Seir, ² 

“Watchman, what is left of the night?

Watchman, what is left of the night?” ³ 

Isaiah 26:2

26:2 Open the gates so a righteous nation can enter –

one that remains trustworthy.

Isaiah 21:12

21:12 The watchman replies,

“Morning is coming, but then night. ⁴ 

If you want to ask, ask;

come back again.” ⁵ 

Isaiah 56:2

56:2 The people who do this will be blessed, ⁶ 

the people who commit themselves to obedience, ⁷ 

who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,

who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. ⁸ 

Isaiah 56:6

56:6 As for foreigners who become followers of ⁹  the Lord and serve him,

who love the name of the Lord and want to be his servants –

all who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,

and who are faithful to ¹⁰  my covenant –

[21:11]  ¹ tn The noun דּוּמָה (dumah) means “silence,” but here it is a proper name, probably referring to a site in northern Arabia or to the nation of Edom. See BDB 189 s.v. II דּוּמָה. If Dumah was an area in northern Arabia, it would be of interest to the Edomites because of its strategic position on trade routes which they used. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:398.

[21:11]  ² sn Seir is another name for Edom. See BDB 973 s.v. שֵׂעִיר.

[21:11]  ³ sn The “night” probably here symbolizes distress and difficult times. See BDB 539 s.v. לַיְלָה.

[21:12]  ⁴ sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be short-lived as night returns.

[21:12]  ⁵ sn The point of the watchman’s final instructions (“if you want to ask, ask; come again”) is unclear. Perhaps they are included to add realism to the dramatic portrayal. The watchman sends the questioner away with the words, “Feel free to come back and ask again.”

[56:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “blessed is the man who does this.”

[56:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”

[56:2]  ⁹ tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

[56:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “who attach themselves to.”

[56:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and take hold of”; NAB “hold to”; NIV, NRSV “hold fast.”