Targum Jonathan on the Prophets Isaiah · chapter 21

Tap any Aramaic word to trace it to its Jastrow dictionary entry.

1. 1

   מַטַל מַשִׁרְיָן דְאָתְיָן מִמַדְבְּרָא כְּמֵי יַמָא דְנָגְדִין כְּעַלְעוֹלִין דְאָתָן בְּאוֹרַח דָרוֹמָא מַדְבְּרָא וְאַתְיָן מִמַדְבְּרָא מֵאַרְעָא דְאִתְעֲבִידָא בָּהּ חֲסִינִין:

   The burden of the armies which are coming from the wilderness, as the waters of the sea, rushing along as the tempests: yea, they are coming by the way of the south, hurrying along; yea, they are coming from the wilderness, from the land, in which terrible things are done.

2. 2

   אֲמַר נְבִיָא נְבוּאָה קָשְׁיָא אִתְחַוָאָה לִי אֲנִיסַיָא מִתְאַנְסִין וּבָזְזַיָא מִתְבַּזְזִין סַקוּ עֵילָמָאֵי תְקִיפוּ מְדָאֵי כָּל דַהֲווֹ מִתְאַנְחִין מִן קֳדָם מַלְכָּא דְבָבֶל אַנְחֵית לְהוֹן:

   The prophet said: a dreadful vision has been declared unto me. The violent deal violently, and the spoilers spoil. Come up, ye Elamites; encompass, ye Media! I will give rest to all who sigh on account of the king of Babylon.

3. 3

   עַל כֵּן אִתְמְלִיאוּ חַרְצֵיהוֹן זִיעַיָא דַחֲלָא אֲחַדְתִּינוּן הָא כְּחֶבְלִין לְיָלֵידְתָּא אִטַפָּשׁוּ מִלְמִשְׁמַע טָעוּ מִלְמֶחֱזֵי:

   Therefore their loins shall be full of terror: behold, fear shall seize them, like the pangs of a woman that travaileth. They are become foolish, so that they cannot hear; they have erred, so that they cannot see.

4. 4

   טְעָה לִבְּהוֹן עָקָא וּבִיעוּתִין אַחֲדוּנוּן אֲתַר בֵּית רוֹחְצָנֵיהוֹן הֲוָה לְהוֹן לִתְבַר:

   Their heart is bewildered; distress and terrors have seized them, because the place of their confidence hath become destruction unto them.

5. 5

   סַדַרוּ פָּתוֹרִין אֲקִימוּ סַכְוָאִין אֲכוֹלוּ שְׁתוּ קוּמוּ רַבְרְבַיָא מְרִיקוּ וְצַחְצַחוּ זְיָנָא:

   Prepare the table, place the watchmen, eat ye, drink ye; rise, ye princes, polish, and make bright the arms!

6. 6

   אֲרֵי כִדְנַן אֲמַר לִי יְיָ אֱזֵיל אֲקֵים סַכְוָאָה דְיֶחֱזֵי חַוֵי:

   For thus hath the Lord said unto me: Go, set a watchman, let him report what he seeth.

7. 7

   וְיֶחֱזֵי רְתַךְ אֱנַשׁ וְעִמֵהּ זוֹג פָּרָשִׁים רָכֵב עַל חֲמַר רָכִב עַל גַמְלָא אֲמַר נְבִיָא אֲצֵיצִית אֲצָתָא וַחֲזֵית וְהָא מַשִׁרְיָן לַחֲדָא:

   And he saw a chariot, a man, and with him a couple of horsemen: a rider on an ass, a rider on a a camel. The prophet said, I listened diligently, and, behold, I saw mighty armies!

8. 8

   אֲמַר נְבִיָא קַל מַשִׁרְיָן דְאַתְיָן בְּסִיטוּנֵיהוֹן כְּאַרְיָא וְעַל סָכוּתָא קֳדָם יְיָ אֲנָא קָאִים תְּדִירָא בִּימָמָא וְעַל מַטַרְתִּי אֲנָא מְעַתַּד כָּל לֵילְיָא:

   The prophet said, the voice of armies, coming with coats of mail, is as a lion; and I stand continually upon the watchtower before the Lord in the day, and as a guard I stand all the night.

9. 9

   וְהָא דֵין אָתָא רְתַךְ אֱנַשׁ וְעִמֵיהּ זוֹג פָּרָשִׁין וְאָתִיב וַאֲמַר נְפַלַת וְאַף עֲתִידָא לְמִפַּל בָּבֶל וְכָל צַלְמֵי טַעֲוָתָהָא יְדַקְדְקוּן לְאַרְעָא:

   And, behold, this was coming: A chariot! a man! and with him a couple of horsemen. He answered, and said, She is fallen! Yea, it shall come to pass, that Babylon shall fall, and all the images of her idols shall be dashed to pieces to the ground.

10. 10

    מַלְכִין דְאוּמָנִין לְאַגָחָא קְרָבָא יֵיתוּן עֲלָהּ לְמִבְזָהָא כְּאִכָּרָא דְאוּמָן לְמֵידַשׁ יַת אִדְרָא אֲמַר נְבִיָא דִשְׁמַעֵית יַת קַל מֵימְרָא דַייָ צְבָאוֹת אֱלָהָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל חַוֵיתִי לְכוֹן:

    Kings who are skillful to wage war, shall come against her to plunder her, like a husbandman who is skillful to thrash the floor. The prophet said, The voice of the WORD of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, which I have heard, I have declared unto you.

11. 11

    מַטַל כָּס דִלְוָט לְאַשְׁקָאָה יַת דוּמָה עֲלֵי אַכְלֵי מִן שְׁמַיָא נְבִיָא פָּרֵישׁ לְהוֹן יַת נְבוּאֲתָא נְבִיָא פָּרֵישׁ לְהוֹן מָה דַעֲתִיד לְמֵיתֵי:

    The Burden Of The Cup Of Cursing To Give Duma To Drink. He thundered unto me from the heavens, Prophet! explain unto them the prophecy; prophet! explain unto them what shall hereafter come to pass.

12. 12

    אֲמַר נְבִיָא אִית אֲגַר לְצַדִיקַיָא וְאִית פּוּרְעֲנוּת לְרַשִׁיעַיָא אִם תַּיְבִין אַתּוּן תּוּבוּ עַד דְאַתּוּן יָכְלִין לְמֵגָתָב:

    The prophet said, there is a reward to the righteous, and there is punishment to the wicked: if ye will repent, repent ye, whilst ye are able to repent.

13. 13

    מַטַל כָּס דִלְוָט לְאַשְׁקָאָה יַת עֲרָבָאֵי בְּחוּרְשָׁא בְרַמְשָׁא יְבִיתִין שְׁיָרַת בְּנֵי דְדָן:

    The Burden Of Give The Arabians To Drink. In the forest, at even, the caravan of the sons of Dedan shall remain for the night.

14. 14

    לְאַפֵּי צַחְיָא פּוּקוּ נַגְדִין דְמַיָא דְיָתְבֵי בְּאַרְעָא דְרוֹמָא לַחְמָא דְאַתּוּן אָכְלִין זַמִינוּ לִמְעַרְקַיָא:

    Bring bottles of water before the thirsty, who dwell in land of the south; prepare for the fugitives the daily food which ye eat.

15. 15

    אֲרֵי מִן קֳדָם קְטוֹל עֲרָקוּ מִן קֳדָם חַרְבָּא שְׁלִיפָא וּמִן קֳדָם קֶשֶׁת מְתִיחָא וּמִן קֳדָם תְּקוֹף קְרָבָא:

    Because, on account of the slaughter they have fled: from the face of the drawn sword; and from the face of the bent bow; and from the face of the strength of the battle.

16. 16

    אֲרֵי כִדְנַן אֲמַר יְיָ לִי בְּסוֹף שְׁנַיָא כִשְׁנֵי אֲגִירָא וְיָסוּף כָּל יְקָרְהוֹן דַעֲרָבָאֵי:

    For thus hath the Lord said unto me: at the end of the years, as the years of an hireling, all the glory of the Arabians shall come to an end.

17. 17

    וּתְקוֹף עָבְדֵי קְרָב גִבָּרֵי בְּנֵי עֲרָבָאֵי יִזְעֲרוּן אֲרֵי בְּמֵימְרָא דַייָ אֱלָהָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל גְזִיר כֵּן:

    And the strength of the warriors, the mighty, the sons of the Arabians, shall be lessened, because by the WORD of the Lord, the God of Israel, it is thus decreed.