The Meaning of Isaiah 21:8 Explained

Isaiah 21:8

KJV: And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:

YLT: And he crieth -- a lion, 'On a watch-tower my lord, I am standing continually by day, And on my ward I am stationed whole nights.

Darby: And he cried as a lion, Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights.

ASV: And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he cried,  A lion:  My lord,  I stand  continually  upon the watchtower  in the daytime,  and I am set  in my ward  whole nights: 

What does Isaiah 21:8 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 21

1  The prophet, bewailing the captivity of his people,
6  sees in a vision the fall of Babylon by the Medes and Persians
11  Edom, scorning the prophet, is moved to repentance
13  The set time of Arabia's calamity

What do the individual words in Isaiah 21:8 mean?

and he cried a lion on the watchtower my Lord I stand continually in the daytime and at my post have sat every night
וַיִּקְרָ֖א אַרְיֵ֑ה עַל־ מִצְפֶּ֣ה ׀ אֲדֹנָ֗י אָנֹכִ֞י עֹמֵ֤ד תָּמִיד֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְעַל־ מִ֨שְׁמַרְתִּ֔י נִצָּ֖ב כָּל־ הַלֵּילֽוֹת

וַיִּקְרָ֖א  and  he  cried 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
אַרְיֵ֑ה  a  lion 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲרִי 
Sense: lion.
מִצְפֶּ֣ה ׀  the  watchtower 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִצְפֶּה  
Sense: watchtower, lookout point.
אֲדֹנָ֗י  my  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
עֹמֵ֤ד  stand 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
תָּמִיד֙  continually 
Parse: Adverb
Root: תָּמִיד  
Sense: continuity, perpetuity, to stretch.
יוֹמָ֔ם  in  the  daytime 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יׄומָם  
Sense: by day, in the daytime subst.
וְעַל־  and  at 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מִ֨שְׁמַרְתִּ֔י  my  post 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מִשְׁמֶרֶת  
Sense: guard, charge, function, obligation, service, watch.
נִצָּ֖ב  have  sat 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הֻצַּב 
Sense: to stand, take one’s stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַלֵּילֽוֹת  night 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.