Bible Strands
Isaiah 21:9
Look, here come the riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The lookout on the watchtower reports a vision to his lord, which an answering voice then interprets regarding approaching riders. This report is subsequently delivered to the crushed people of Israel as a direct message from the LORD of Hosts.
The words — The Hebrew phrase זֶה בָא רֶכֶב אִישׁ צֶמֶד פָּרָשִׁים (zeh va' rechev ish tzedem parashim) literally translates to "this [is] a rider of a man, a pair of horses." The doubled declaration fallen, fallen (נָפְלָה נָפְלָה) emphasizes the completed and total collapse of Babylon.
The thread — The declaration "Fallen, fallen is Babylon" reappears in Jeremiah 51:8 and is echoed by angels in Revelation 14:8 and Revelation 18:2 to mark divine judgment on the same symbolic center of opposition.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that political and religious systems opposed to God will be decisively dismantled, requiring the reader to align their hope with divine sovereignty rather than human institutions.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.
Cross-references
- Revelation 18:2 And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.
- Jeremiah 51:8 Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been shattered. Wail for her; get her balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed.
- Revelation 14:8 Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
- Jeremiah 51:44 I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him spew out what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even the wall of Babylon will fall.
- Isaiah 13:19 And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Isaiah 14:4 you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended!
- Isaiah 46:1 Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.
- Jeremiah 50:2 “Announce and declare to the nations; lift up a banner and proclaim it; hold nothing back when you say, ‘Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is shattered, her images are disgraced, her idols are broken in pieces.’
- Jeremiah 50:9 For behold, I stir up and bring against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the land of the north. They will line up against her; from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed.
- Jeremiah 50:29 Summon the archers against Babylon, all who string the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.