This is a key verse because it is the first time Babylonia is identified as the target of the oracle.

And, behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!: The watchman is calling attention to what he sees, which is either messenger(s) or an invading army (see the introductory comments on verses 5-10). For behold see the comments on 3.1.

There is some uncertainty concerning the number of people the watchman sees coming. The Hebrew text here is slightly different from the wording in verse 7a. And, behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs is literally “And behold this he comes a rider/chariot of a man a pair of horsemen.” Revised Standard Version and most other translations render “he comes a rider/chariot of a man” as a plural. This agrees with the following phrase, which mentions a pair of horsemen. But New International Version, New American Bible, and Bible en français courant retain the Hebrew singular. These versions understand the text to refer to a single chariot driven by one man, and drawn by two horses. In verse 7a Bible en français courant had “a war chariot pulled by horses,” and here it maintains the same expression with “a man driving a chariot pulled by horses.” Revised English Bible also keeps the singular by saying “a column of horsemen in pairs.” In Hebrew poetry singular and plural verbs are often interchanged, so the singular or plural interpretation is possible here. Translators can follow either interpretation, but the alternative should be put in a footnote. However, we recommend that translators use the same wording here as in verse 7a.

And he answered: The pronoun he can refer to the messenger (so New International Version, Bible en français courant) or the watchman (so Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible). Like Revised Standard Version, many versions do not try to identify who is speaking here; for example, Contemporary English Version and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch have “someone,” and Revised English Bible says “A voice.” In this difficult text we recommend that translators identify clearly either the messenger or the watchman as the one who announces the downfall of Babylonia. There may be an ellipsis here since the verb answered implies that a question was asked. The question is not recorded but it would either be the watchman asking the messenger why he came, or the prophet asking the watchman what he saw. In either case, translators may choose a verb other than answered, which is awkward in this context. Some possible alternatives are “shouted” (Contemporary English Version), “open his mouth … shouts” (Bible en français courant), and “gives the news” (Good News Translation).

Fallen, fallen is Babylon: The messenger or the watchman announces the destruction of Babylonia. The verb fallen is repeated for emphasis. It may be rendered “destroyed” or “overthrown.” This is the climax of the oracle since Babylon is finally mentioned. A rendering that expresses this is “She has fallen! She has fallen! It’s Babylonia!”

And all the images of her gods he has shattered to the ground: The messenger/watchman does not mention destroyed buildings or casualties to depict the end of Babylonia, but he emphasizes that the images of the Babylonian gods have been destroyed. This means that its temples were desecrated and that its gods were unable to rescue it from its attackers, Elam and Media. For images see 10.10, where it is rendered “graven images.” In the broader context the pronoun he refers to the enemy, the invading armies from Elam and Media. However, no subject is identified here. So instead of the active verb has shattered, the Septuagint uses the passive expression “were shattered” (similarly New American Bible). Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and many commentators prefer to follow this approach. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh keeps an active verb without the pronoun he, saying “Have crashed.” Good News Translation, New International Version, and Revised English Bible are similar with “lie shattered.” An alternative is to make the subject explicit by adding “the enemy.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Look! Here come chariots pulled by pairs of horses!”
The messenger announced,
“She has fallen! She has fallen! It’s Babylonia!
All the images of her gods lie in pieces on the ground!”

• Now, look! Here come chariots and pairs of horsemen!
The watchman reports,
“It’s Babylonia. She has been overthrown, overthrown!
Her gods all have crashed to the ground!”

The second example follows Good News Translation‘s interpretation and arrangement of this verse. It goes with the second example under the previous verse.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .