King James Version

Isaiah 21:12

The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

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Hebrew

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אָמַ֣רamarsayאָמַרverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “say”, a completed actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…שֹׁמֵ֔רshomerbewardשָׁמַרverb, qal, participle, absolute — “beward”, a verb used as a describing wordH8104properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).אָתָ֥הatahcomeאָתָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “come”, a completed actionH857to arrive(be-, things to) come (upon), bring.בֹ֖קֶרvoqerdayבֹּקֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “day”, the ordinary formH1242properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning([phrase]) day, early, morning, morrow.וְגַםvegamand alsoגַּםconjunction, particle, affirmation — “and also”H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...andagain, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.לָ֑יְלָהlayelahnightלַיִלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “night”, the ordinary formH3915properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity(mid-)night (season).אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…תִּבְעָי֥וּןtivayunswell outבָּעָהverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural, paragogic nun — “swell out”, an unfinished actionH1158to gush over, i.e. to swell; (figuratively) to desire earnestly; by implication to askcause, inquire, seek up, swell out.בְּעָ֖יוּbeayvswell outבָּעָהverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “swell out”, a commandH1158to gush over, i.e. to swell; (figuratively) to desire earnestly; by implication to askcause, inquire, seek up, swell out.שֻׁ֥בוּshuvvagainשׁוּבverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “again”, a commandH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…אֵתָֽיוּetayvcomeאָתָהverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “come”, a commandH857to arrive(be-, things to) come (upon), bring.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

The watchman said: 'The morning cometh, and also the night — if ye will inquire, inquire ye; return, come.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: turn ye, come.

Young’s Literal Translation

The watchman hath said, 'Come hath morning, and also night, If ye inquire, inquire ye, turn back, come.'

World English Bible

The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire. Come back again.”

Darby Translation

The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire; return, come.

Douay-Rheims

The watchman said: The morning cometh, also the night: if you seek, seek: return, come.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

The watchman said: 'The morning cometh, and also the night — if ye will inquire, inquire ye; return, come.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

I watch in the morning and the night: if thou wouldest enquire, enquire, and dwell by me.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Φυλάσσω τοπρωῒ καὶ τὴν νύκτα· ἐὰν ζητῇς ζήτει, καὶ παρʼ ἐμοὶ οἴκει,