Isaiah 21:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The prophet conveys a similar notion now, noting that he hears the voice of God: ‘Come, position yourself as a watchman, and inform me of what you will perceive.’ He was instructed not simply to be a sentinel but to prepare himself wholly for the contemplation of God, acting as a sentinel from on high, observing with his mind what is to come while attentively watching the unfolding events. Hence, he says: I observed two horsemen on horseback, a rider on a donkey, and a rider on a camel. The implications of this vision will become evident through the lamentations of the Assyrians. For he declared, The Elamites are against me, and the envoys of Persia are against me (Isaiah 21:2). The Elamites were a barbarous people who commonly rode camels. And who might the rider on the donkey be but the noble Persians, who are noted for riding into battle on horses and in chariots adorned with tents to prevent fatigue. Upon reaching the battlefield, they would dismount from their chariots and mount superior steeds. Thus, the rider on the donkey is described as one who is borne by horses. Alternatively, one might interpret it as the prophet envisioning a multitude of warriors on horseback, accompanied by a host of camels and horses, likely poised for the transport of plunder. In another passage, he states: 'The lion and lionesses endure sorrow and distress; I will send away the aspids and the tribe of soaring aspids who transport their wealth on donkeys and camels' (Isaiah 30:6). Cyrus, along with the Persians and Medes under his command, were depicted as lions and lionesses. Aspids and the tribe of soaring aspids signify those who move swiftly and are carried like birds, alongside other nations traditionally riding camels.

The term used in Hebrew for lion, 'arie,' was rendered as Uriah by the LXX translators, though the exact reasoning behind this is unclear, especially since the name Uriah appears in a different form elsewhere. Some interpret Uriah as representing the watchman the prophet was instructed to establish in his heart, associating this with Christ and His presence within. The same can apply to the lion, as both Jacob and Balaam have referred to Christ using such terminology.

On the watchtower of the Lord I remain day and night. Lo, he approaches—a man driving a chariot drawn by two horses, declaring, "Babylon has fallen, has fallen, and all its idols lie in ruins." My threshing floor and its offspring! What I have heard from the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, I have made known to you.

The prophet, standing at the Lord's watchtower and illuminated by His light, perceives what is yet to unfold. He conveys the duty given to him—to foresee what lies ahead in this present darkness. Behold, he proclaims, the Lord Savior is on His way, riding a chariot led by two distinct animals, symbolizing the duality of the world's influences. This charioteer affirms to the waiting prophet and those eager to hear His words that Babylon, emblematic of worldly confusion, has collapsed; it fell at His coming when He assumed human form and will ultimately fall at the consummation of time. All of its idols are vanquished.

In response, the LXX interprets idols as both human-made and false, highlighting the errors of those who fabricate deities from the imaginations of their hearts. Then the prophet speaks in the first person, noting: "My threshing floor and the son of my threshing floor," which conveys this message according to the Hebrew: O people destined to be gathered into My barns, having endured trials to separate the chaff from the pure grain I desire to collect. The declarations I have received from the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, have been shared with you who inhabit this world.

Some posit that this also refers to the Lord Savior, echoing His own words to the apostles: "What I have received from the Father, I have conveyed to you." The LXX's additional phrase, "Hear ye that are left and mourn," seems to speak directly to the apostles—those identified in Isaiah as the remnant spared from destruction. You who remain from the Jewish people for salvation, and who mourn for your brethren as the Apostle Paul expressed, I now declare what I have received from the God of Israel about your future.