The appointed watchman gives his report here. His report may include the next verse also with an embedded quote of a messenger (so New International Version, Bible en français courant). It may end in the middle of the next verse with someone else (probably a messenger) speaking at the end of that verse (so RSV/NRSV, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). For Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible the watchman stops speaking at the end of this verse, but starts again at the end of verse 9 after a comment from the prophet.

Then he who saw cried is literally “And a lion called out” in Masoretic Text. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh is similar with “And [like] a lion he called out.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project reluctantly endorses the Masoretic Text reading because it is the best attested one. However, de~Waard notes that most versions follow the Dead Sea Scrolls text here, which reads “And the one who sees [that is, the watchman] called out.” In Hebrew the words for “lion” and “one who sees” are similar in spelling. The context certainly favors the Dead Sea Scrolls reading, because it is almost impossible to make good sense of “lion” here. If the phrase “one who sees” is difficult to render, translators can use the same word they used for “watchman” in verse 6 (so Good News Translation with “sentry”). Cried may be rendered “called out” or “stated.”

Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day: The watchman confirms that he is constantly vigilant, just as he was ordered to be. These words are similar to those in Hab 2.1. A watchtower was a tall structure with a lookout at the top. It could be part of a city wall to watch for anyone approaching the city. Lord is the same term used in verse 6. Since the prophet was the one who put the watchman in place (verse 6), Lord refers to the prophet here, not God. New International Version shows this with “my lord.” Bible en français courant has “Master,” and Good News Translation “Sir.” Stand renders a Hebrew participle, so it speaks of a current situation. Continually by day may be rendered “every day,” “day after day,” or “all day [long].”

And at my post I am stationed whole nights is parallel to the previous clause. It emphasizes that the watchman is constantly on duty. Post is a technical term for the assigned place where a person stands guard. The passive expression I am stationed may be expressed as “I take my stand.” Whole nights may be rendered “every night,” “all night [long],” or “night after night.” Since this clause is parallel with the previous one, Good News Translation combines them.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Then the man on watch called out:
“I stand on a watchtower, sir, day after day,
I am at my post night after night.

• The watchman then states:
“Sir, I stand [here] on a watchtower all day,
I take my stand at my post all night.”

The second example follows Good News Translation with the watchman’s first speech ending in this 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 .