My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
Parallel translations
- WEB My heart flutters. Horror has frightened me. The twilight that I desired has been turned into trembling for me.
- BSB My heart falters; fear makes me tremble. The twilight of my desire has turned to horror.
- NKJV My heart wavered, fearfulness frightened me; The night for which I longed He turned into fear for me.
- NASB My mind reels, horror overwhelms me; The twilight I longed for has been turned into trembling for me.
- NLT My mind reels and my heart races. I longed for evening to come, but now I am terrified of the dark.
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
Isaiah's heart races with horror, and the rest he longed for becomes dread. It matters because it conveys the terror of impending judgment even on God's enemies.
Overview
The prophet's anticipated 'twilight' of rest is turned into trembling as the vision unfolds. His inner turmoil mirrors the dreadful reality of Babylon's coming fall. Even oracles against enemies are not occasions for callous delight but for sober awe at God's judgments. It reminds readers of the seriousness with which God's word treats divine wrath.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Luke 21:34–36And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
- Deut 28:67In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
- Job 21:11–13They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
- Esth 5:12Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king.
- Dan 5:5In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
- Esth 7:6–10And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
- Nah 1:10For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.
- Jer 51:39In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.
- 2 Sam 13:28–29Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.
- 1 Sam 25:36–38And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
- Isa 5:11–14Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
- Jer 51:57And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
- Dan 5:1Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
- Dan 5:30In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
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 21:4 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.