The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire. Come back again.”
Parallel translations
- KJV The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.
- BSB The watchman replies, “Morning has come, but also the night. If you would inquire, then inquire. Come back yet again.”
- NKJV The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; Return! Come back!”
- NASB The watchman says, “Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again.”
- NLT The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but night will soon return. If you wish to ask again, then come back and ask.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The watchman answers that morning comes, but night too; ask again if you will. It matters because it offers only partial, sobering hope and a call to keep seeking.
Overview
The reply that 'morning comes, and also the night' suggests relief mingled with continued darkness for Edom. The ambiguous answer withholds easy comfort and invites further inquiry: 'Come back again.' It reflects the limited hope held out to a nation under God's hand. The verse cautions against presuming on deliverance and urges persistent seeking.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Acts 17:30–32The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,
- Acts 2:37–38Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
- Ezek 14:1–6Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me, and sat before me.
- Ezek 18:30–32“Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
- Isa 55:7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
- Ezek 7:10“‘Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom has gone out. The rod has blossomed. Pride has budded.
- Ezek 7:5–7“Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘An evil! A unique evil! Behold, it comes.
- Jer 42:19–22“Yahweh has spoken concerning you, remnant of Judah, Don’t you go into Egypt: know certainly that I have testified to you today.
- Isa 17:14At evening, behold, terror! Before the morning, they are no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who rob us.
- Ezek 7:12The time has come! The day draws near. Don’t let the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for wrath is on all its multitude.
- Acts 17:19–20They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you?
- Jer 50:27Kill all her bulls. Let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them! For their day has come, the time of their visitation.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 21:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.