Isaiah 21:3
New International Version
At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see.

New Living Translation
My stomach aches and burns with pain. Sharp pangs of anguish are upon me, like those of a woman in labor. I grow faint when I hear what God is planning; I am too afraid to look.

English Standard Version
Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see.

King James Bible
Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

New King James Version
Therefore my loins are filled with pain; Pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor. I was distressed when I heard it; I was dismayed when I saw it.

New American Standard Bible
For this reason my loins are full of anguish; Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor. I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see.

NASB 1995
For this reason my loins are full of anguish; Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor. I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see.

NASB 1977
For this reason my loins are full of anguish; Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor. I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see.

Legacy Standard Bible
For this reason my loins are full of anguish; Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor. I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see.

Amplified Bible
Therefore [continues Isaiah] my loins are filled with anguish; Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in childbirth; I am so bent and bewildered that I cannot hear, I am so terrified that I cannot see.

Christian Standard Bible
Therefore I am filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pain of a woman in labor. I am too perplexed to hear, too dismayed to see.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore I am filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pain of a woman in labor. I am too perplexed to hear, too dismayed to see.

American Standard Version
Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.

Contemporary English Version
I'm in terrible pain like a woman giving birth. I'm shocked and hurt so much that I can't hear or see.

English Revised Version
Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
That is why my body is full of trembling. Pain grips me like the pain of childbirth. I'm disturbed by what I hear. I'm terrified by what I see.

Good News Translation
What I saw and heard in the vision has filled me with terror and pain, pain like that of a woman in labor.

International Standard Version
Therefore my body is racked with pain; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am so upset that I cannot hear; I am so frightened that I cannot see while I'm reeling around.

Majority Standard Bible
Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see.

NET Bible
For this reason my stomach churns; cramps overwhelm me like the contractions of a woman in labor. I am disturbed by what I hear, horrified by what I see.

New Heart English Bible
Therefore my thighs are filled with anguish. Pains have taken hold on me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am in so much pain that I can't hear. I so am dismayed that I can't see.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

World English Bible
Therefore my thighs are filled with anguish. Pains have seized me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am in so much pain that I can’t hear. I am so dismayed that I can’t see.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Therefore my loins have been filled [with] great pain, "" Pangs have seized me as pangs of a travailing woman, "" I have been bent down by hearing, "" I have been troubled by seeing.

Young's Literal Translation
Therefore filled have been my loins with great pain, Pangs have seized me as pangs of a travailing woman, I have been bent down by hearing, I have been troubled by seeing.

Smith's Literal Translation
For this, my loins were filled with pain: distress took hold of me as the pains of her bringing forth: I was shaken from hearing; I trembled from seeing.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore are my loins filled with pain, anguish hath taken hold of me, as the anguish of a woman in labour: I fell down at the hearing of it, I was troubled at the seeing of it.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Because of this, my lower back has been filled with pain, and anguish has possessed me, like the anguish of a woman in labor. I fell down when I heard it. I was disturbed when I saw it.

New American Bible
Therefore my loins are filled with anguish, pangs have seized me like those of a woman in labor; I am too bewildered to hear, too dismayed to look.

New Revised Standard Version
Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear, I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Therefore my loins are filled with pain; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail; I was dismayed so that I could not hear, I was terrified so that I could not see.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because of this, my guts are filled with quaking and terror seized me as the terror of a woman in labor. I shook so that I could not hear and I was disturbed that I could not see
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Therefore are my loins filled with convulsion; Pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail; I am bent so that I cannot hear; I am affrighted so that I cannot see.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Therefore are my loins filled with feebleness, and pangs have seized me as a travailing woman: I dealt wrongfully that I might not hear; I hasted that I might not see.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Babylon is Fallen
2A dire vision is declared to me: “The traitor still betrays, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I will put an end to all her groaning.” 3Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see. 4My heart falters; fear makes me tremble. The twilight of my desire has turned to horror.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 4:19
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.

Nahum 2:10
She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and laid waste! Hearts melt, knees knock, bodies tremble, and every face grows pale!

Daniel 5:6
his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.

Ezekiel 21:6-7
But you, son of man, groan! Groan before their eyes with a broken heart and bitter grief. / And when they ask, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you are to say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will go limp. Every spirit will faint, and every knee will turn to water.’ Yes, it is coming and it will surely happen, declares the Lord GOD.”

Jeremiah 30:6
Ask now, and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor and every face turned pale?

Isaiah 13:8
Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.

Jeremiah 6:24
We have heard the report; our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor.

Isaiah 15:5
My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath-shelishiyah. With weeping they ascend the slope of Luhith; they lament their destruction on the road to Horonaim.

Isaiah 16:11
Therefore my heart laments for Moab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir-heres.

Isaiah 22:4
Therefore I said, “Turn away from me, let me weep bitterly! Do not try to console me over the destruction of the daughter of my people.”

Revelation 18:10
In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

Matthew 24:8
All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Luke 21:25-26
There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. / Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Mark 13:8
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold on me, as the pangs of a woman that travails: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

are

Isaiah 15:5
My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.

Isaiah 16:9,11
Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen…

Habakkuk 3:16
When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.

pangs have

Isaiah 13:8
And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

Isaiah 26:17
Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.

Psalm 48:6
Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.

I was bowed

Deuteronomy 28:67
In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

Daniel 5:5,6
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote…

Jump to Previous
Affrighted Anguish Bent Bewildered Bitter Body Bowed Cause Childbirth Convulsion Dismayed Ears Filled Grief Hear Hearing Hold Labor Pain Pained Pains Pangs Reason Seize Sorrow Thighs Travail Travaileth
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Affrighted Anguish Bent Bewildered Bitter Body Bowed Cause Childbirth Convulsion Dismayed Ears Filled Grief Hear Hearing Hold Labor Pain Pained Pains Pangs Reason Seize Sorrow Thighs Travail Travaileth
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.














Therefore my body is filled with anguish
The word "therefore" connects this verse to the preceding context, indicating a consequence or result of the prophetic vision Isaiah has received. The phrase "my body is filled with anguish" uses the Hebrew word "מָעַיִם" (me'ayim), often translated as "loins" or "inward parts," signifying deep, visceral distress. This imagery conveys the profound emotional and physical turmoil experienced by the prophet, reflecting the intensity of the divine message concerning judgment. In a conservative Christian perspective, this anguish can be seen as a response to the holiness and justice of God, which brings about a righteous fear and reverence.

pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor
The comparison to "the pains of a woman in labor" is a powerful metaphor used throughout Scripture to describe intense suffering and inevitable deliverance. The Hebrew word "צִירִים" (tsirim) refers to sharp, writhing pains, emphasizing the severity of the prophet's experience. This imagery not only highlights the intensity of the prophetic burden but also suggests a process leading to a new birth or revelation. From a conservative viewpoint, this can be seen as a reminder of the transformative power of God's word, which, though painful, ultimately brings forth His purposes.

I am bewildered by what I hear
The term "bewildered" captures the prophet's state of confusion and astonishment. The Hebrew root "תָּעָה" (ta'ah) implies wandering or being led astray, indicating a sense of being overwhelmed by the divine revelation. This bewilderment reflects the human limitation in comprehending the full scope of God's plans. In a conservative Christian context, it underscores the mystery of God's ways, which are higher than human understanding, and calls believers to trust in His sovereign wisdom.

I am dismayed by what I see
"Dismayed" conveys a sense of being shattered or broken, derived from the Hebrew "בָּהַל" (bahal), meaning to be terrified or alarmed. The prophet's reaction to the vision is one of fear and awe, recognizing the gravity of the impending judgment. This response is consistent with the biblical theme of the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. For conservative Christians, it serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the reality of divine justice, urging a response of repentance and faith.

(3) Therefore are my loins filled with pain . . .--Comp. Nahum 2:10; Ezekiel 21:6; and for the image of the "woman in travail," Isaiah 13:8; Jeremiah 30:6. The vision of destruction is so terrible that it over-powers all feeling of exultation, and oppresses the prophet like a horrible nightmare.

Verse 3. - Therefore are my loins filled with pain, etc. (comp. above, Isaiah 15:5; Isaiah 16:9-11). The prophet is horrorstruck at the vision shown him - at the devastation, the ruin, the carnage (Isaiah 13:18). He does not stop to consider how well deserved the punishment is; he does not, perhaps, as yet know how that, in smiting Babylon, God will be specially avenging the sufferings of his own nation (see the introductory paragraph). I was bowed down at the hearing, etc.; rather, I am so agonized that I cannot hear; I am so terrified that I cannot see.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Therefore
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

my body
מָתְנַי֙ (mā·ṯə·nay)
Noun - mdc | first person common singular
Strong's 4975: The waist, small of the back, the loins

is filled
מָלְא֤וּ (mā·lə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

with anguish.
חַלְחָלָ֔ה (ḥal·ḥā·lāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2479: Writhing, terror

Pain
צִירִ֣ים (ṣî·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6735: A hinge, a throe, a herald, erranddoer

grips me,
אֲחָז֔וּנִי (’ă·ḥā·zū·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular
Strong's 270: To grasp, take hold, take possession

like the pains
כְּצִירֵ֖י (kə·ṣî·rê)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6735: A hinge, a throe, a herald, erranddoer

of a woman in labor.
יֽוֹלֵדָ֑ה (yō·w·lê·ḏāh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

I am bewildered
נַעֲוֵ֣יתִי (na·‘ă·wê·ṯî)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5753: To bend, twist

to hear,
מִשְּׁמֹ֔עַ (miš·šə·mō·a‘)
Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

I am dismayed
נִבְהַ֖לְתִּי (niḇ·hal·tî)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 926: To tremble inwardly, be, alarmed, agitated, to hasten anxiously

to see.
מֵרְאֽוֹת׃ (mê·rə·’ō·wṯ)
Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7200: To see


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 21:3 Therefore my thighs are filled with anguish (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 21:2
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