King James Version

Isaiah 13

22 verses with commentary

Prophecy Against Babylon

The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

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Chapter 13 begins oracles against nations, starting with Babylon. 'The burden of Babylon' introduces a prophetic message of judgment. Isaiah receives this vision 'which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see' during Babylon's rise, predicting its fall—remarkable since Babylon hadn't yet conquered Judah. This demonstrates prophetic insight into future events and God's sovereignty over all nations, not just Israel. Babylon, despite becoming God's judgment instrument against Judah, would itself face divine judgment for pride and cruelty.

Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

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God commands raising a banner on a high mountain, summoning armies for judgment. The 'exalted voice' and beckoning hand mobilize forces to enter 'gates of the nobles'—Babylon's palaces. This depicts God sovereignly orchestrating military campaigns. He commands armies (though they don't know Him) to execute His purposes. The imagery shows God's absolute control over international politics and warfare. Even pagan armies unwittingly serve His judicial purposes.

I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.

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God has 'sanctified' (set apart) and 'called' His mighty ones—the Medo-Persian army—for His anger. They are His warriors who rejoice in His highness, though unwittingly. This reveals that God sanctifies even pagan armies for specific purposes. Being 'sanctified' here means set apart for divine use, not moral purification. God can consecrate any instrument for His purposes. This demonstrates comprehensive sovereignty—even God's 'mighty ones' in judgment are His appointed agents.

The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. like: Heb. the likeness of

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The chapter opens with 'the burden of Babylon' (v.1), then Isaiah describes hearing 'a noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people.' This is no ordinary army but a tumultuous gathering of kingdoms and nations. The phrase 'the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle' reveals this is divine warfare—God assembling His forces for judgment. The Medes and others serve as God's instruments (v.17). This cosmic army gathers not by human command but by divine summons. When God decrees judgment, nations march at His command.

They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

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The invading army comes 'from a far country, from the end of heaven'—emphasizing both geographical distance and cosmic significance. Media and Persia lay far east of Babylon. But more than that, they come as 'the weapons of his indignation'—divine instruments of wrath. Their purpose: 'to destroy the whole land.' This is not mere military conquest but execution of divine judgment. God's indignation against Babylon's pride and wickedness (see chapter 14) manifests through historical means—an invading coalition—yet remains fundamentally His act.

Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

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'Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.' The command to howl (lament with loud wailing) reflects the terror of impending judgment. 'The day of the LORD' is a major prophetic theme—God's intervention in history to judge sin and vindicate righteousness. Here it comes 'as a destruction from the Almighty' (Hebrew: Shaddai). The wordplay is intentional: 'shod' (destruction) from 'Shaddai' (Almighty)—devastating judgment from the all-powerful God. This day is both historical (Babylon's fall) and eschatological (final judgment).

Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt: be faint: or, fall down

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The immediate physical effects of terror: 'all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt.' This describes total demoralization before overwhelming judgment. Faint hands cannot wield weapons; melted hearts cannot maintain courage. The Hebrew word for 'melt' (masas) suggests wax liquefying—complete dissolution of strength and will. This is not merely military defeat but psychological and spiritual collapse. When God's judgment falls, human bravado evaporates; earthly confidence dissolves. No courage, strategy, or strength avails against the Almighty.

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. be amazed: Heb. wonder one: Heb. every man at his neighbour flames: Heb. faces of the flames

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Terror seizes Babylon's inhabitants: pangs and sorrows like a woman in labor, amazement at each other, faces aflame with shock and fear. The childbirth metaphor describes sudden, intense, unavoidable agony. 'They shall be amazed one at another' suggests mutual shock and helplessness—no one can help anyone else. 'Faces shall be as flames' indicates either shame, terror, or the glow of burning city. This depicts comprehensive panic when God's judgment strikes.

Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

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Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger. This prophetic announcement introduces one of Scripture's most sobering themes: the Day of the Lord (yom YHWH). The Hebrew word akzari (אַכְזָרִי, "cruel") describes not divine sadism but the unmitigated severity of God's judgment against sin. The dual emphasis on "wrath" (evrah, עֶבְרָה) and "fierce anger" (charon af, חֲרוֹן אַף—literally "burning of nose") employs intensive Hebrew parallelism to convey the totality of divine indignation.

The phrase "to lay the land desolate" uses shamah (שָׁמָה), meaning utter devastation and horror. This prophecy had immediate application to Babylon's judgment (Isaiah 13:1-22) but extends eschatologically to the final Day of the Lord when God judges all wickedness. The comprehensive scope—"destroy the sinners thereof out of it"—reveals God's commitment to purging creation of rebellion.

This verse establishes crucial theological truths: (1) God's holiness demands judgment of sin; (2) His patience, while long, has limits; (3) judgment serves both punitive and purifying purposes; (4) the Day of the Lord brings both terror for the wicked and vindication for the righteous. The New Testament confirms this Day's certainty (2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 6:17) while urging repentance before it arrives.

For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

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Cosmic signs accompany divine judgment: 'the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.' This apocalyptic language appears throughout Scripture (Joel 2:10; Matthew 24:29; Revelation 6:12-13). It can be understood literally (cosmic disturbances), symbolically (political/social upheaval), or both. The darkening of celestial bodies represents the overthrow of established order—what seemed permanent and stable (like the heavens) proves temporary and shakeable. When God judges, even the cosmos responds.

And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

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God declares He will 'punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity.' The judgment extends beyond Babylon to universal scope—'the world.' Specific targets: pride of the arrogant, haughtiness of the terrible (violent oppressors). This demonstrates that while historical judgments target specific nations (Babylon), they represent principles of universal judgment. God opposes pride and wickedness everywhere. No nation, however powerful, escapes accountability for evil.

I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

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'I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.' This paradoxical statement means human life will become rare—casualties will be so immense that survivors are as precious as the finest gold. Ophir's gold was legendary for purity and value (1 Kings 10:11). Yet in Babylon's judgment, human scarcity will exceed gold's scarcity. This is both threat (devastating death toll) and promise (the righteous remnant becomes precious). God's judgment removes the wicked and purifies a people. What remains after judgment—true faith, genuine righteousness—is infinitely valuable.

Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

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'Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.' This cosmic shaking indicates the magnitude of divine judgment. The Hebrew word for 'shake' (ragaz) suggests violent trembling or quaking—earthquake imagery applied cosmically. The earth 'removing out of her place' suggests foundations shaken, order overturned, stability destroyed. This is the Creator exercising His prerogative over creation. In the New Testament, Hebrews 12:26-27 applies this language to the final judgment when everything shakeable will be shaken, leaving only the unshakeable kingdom.

And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.

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The image shifts to panicked flight: 'it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.' The gazelle (roe) flees from hunters; the sheep without a shepherd scatters before predators. Babylon's cosmopolitan population—gathered from many nations through conquest and trade—will fragment and flee homeward. No one will gather them; no one will defend them. Each seeks individual survival, abandoning collective defense. This is total social breakdown: every man for himself. Unity dissolves under judgment.

Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.

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'Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.' This is brutal language of conquest—no quarter given, no prisoners taken. Those found (unable to flee) will be killed; those joined with Babylon (allies, mercenaries) share their fate. The Hebrew word for 'thrust through' (daqar) means pierced, stabbed—indicating violent death. This reflects ancient Near Eastern warfare's brutality, but more importantly, it underscores divine judgment's comprehensiveness. Alliance with the wicked brings shared judgment. Friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4).

Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished .

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The horror intensifies: 'Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.' This describes war's most appalling atrocities—children murdered, property plundered, women violated. Modern readers recoil from such language, questioning how a loving God could decree such judgment. Yet several points must be considered: (1) This describes the realities of ancient warfare, which God permits as consequence of sin. (2) Babylon itself committed such atrocities against others, including God's people (Psalm 137:8-9). (3) Judgment is proportional—they receive what they inflicted. (4) This foreshadows the ultimate horror of final judgment separated from God.

Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

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'Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.' God explicitly names the instrument of judgment: the Medes (later allied with Persians under Cyrus). Remarkably, these conquerors cannot be bribed—they don't regard silver or delight in gold. Their motivation isn't plunder but conquest and possibly divine destiny (Cyrus saw himself as Marduk's chosen servant, unknowingly fulfilling Yahweh's plan). When God's judgment comes, normal human motivations and deterrents (bribery, tribute) fail. Divine purposes override economic incentives.

Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.

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The brutality continues: 'Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.' Medo-Persian archers were legendary. The image of bows dashing young men suggests both arrows killing soldiers and perhaps brutal treatment after conquest. The specific mention of no pity on unborn children ('fruit of the womb') or children emphasizes judgment's comprehensiveness—no future generation survives. This is dynastic termination, not just military defeat. The repetition of judgment-on-children language (see v.16) stresses totality: Babylon's line ends.

And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. as: Heb. as the overthrowing

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Babylon, 'the glory of kingdoms' and 'beauty of the Chaldees' excellency,' will become like Sodom and Gomorrah—utterly destroyed. The comparison to Sodom emphasizes complete, permanent desolation. Babylon's magnificence—hanging gardens, massive walls, architectural wonders—would be reduced to ruins. What humanity considers glorious and excellent, God can reduce to ash. This warns against trusting in human achievement and glory apart from God.

It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.

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Babylon will remain perpetually uninhabited—never settled, no nomads pitching tents, no shepherds grazing flocks. The three negatives (never, neither, neither) emphasize permanent desolation. Even nomads and shepherds—who use any land—will avoid it. This curse of complete abandonment demonstrates divine judgment's thoroughness. What God curses remains cursed. The land itself bears witness to God's judgment on Babylon's sins.

But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. wild: Heb. Ziim doleful: Heb. Ochim owls: or, ostriches: Heb. daughters of the owl

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Babylon's ruins will be inhabited only by wild beasts—'wild beasts of the desert,' 'doleful creatures,' 'owls,' and 'satyrs' (wild goats). This complete reversal from human habitation to animal occupation emphasizes desolation's totality. What once echoed with human voices now hosts only animal cries. The listing of specific creatures paints a vivid picture of abandonment. This demonstrates that God's judgment transforms centers of civilization into wilderness, reversing human dominion where it opposed divine purposes.

And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged. the wild: Heb. Iim desolate: or, palaces

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Wild beasts will 'cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces.' The timing: 'her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.' This emphasizes imminence—judgment approaches rapidly. The contrast between 'pleasant palaces' (past glory) and wild beasts crying there (future desolation) highlights the dramatic reversal. 'Days shall not be prolonged' indicates that Babylon's extension is limited—God has set an expiration date. This warns that apparent stability doesn't guarantee longevity when judgment is decreed.

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Isaiah 13

Prophecy Against Babylon

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