21:12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but then night. 1
If you want to ask, ask;
come back again.” 2
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!”
1 sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be short-lived as night returns.
2 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.”
3 tn Or “[with] teams of horses,” or perhaps, “with a pair of horsemen.”
4 tn Heb “and he answered and said” (so KJV, ASV).