Isaiah 21:8-9

21:8 Then the guard ¹  cries out:

“On the watchtower, O sovereign master, ² 

I stand all day long;

at my post

I am stationed every night.

21:9 Look what’s coming!

A charioteer,

a team of horses.” ³ 

When questioned, he replies, ⁴ 

“Babylon has fallen, fallen!

All the idols of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”

Habakkuk 2:1

2:1 I will stand at my watch post;

I will remain stationed on the city wall. ⁵ 

I will keep watching, so I can see what he says to me

and can know ⁶  how I should answer

when he counters my argument. ⁷ 

[21:8]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text has, “the lion,” but this makes little sense here. אַרְיֵה (’aryeh, “lion”) is probably a corruption of an original הָרֹאֶה (haro’eh, “the one who sees”), i.e., the guard mentioned previously in v. 6.

[21:8]  ² tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). Some translations take this to refer to the Lord (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV), while others take it to refer to the guard’s human master (“my lord”; cf. NIV, NLT).

[21:9]  ³ tn Or “[with] teams of horses,” or perhaps, “with a pair of horsemen.”

[21:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he answered and said” (so KJV, ASV).

[2:1]  ⁵ sn Habakkuk compares himself to a watchman stationed on the city wall who keeps his eyes open for approaching messengers or danger.

[2:1]  ⁶ tn The word “know” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[2:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “concerning my correction [or, “reproof”].”