About Isaiah

Isaiah proclaims both judgment and salvation, containing the most detailed messianic prophecies in the Old Testament.

Author: IsaiahWritten: c. 740-680 BCReading time: ~2 minVerses: 15
HolinessJudgmentSalvationMessiahServantRestoration

King James Version

Isaiah 47

15 verses with commentary

The Fall of Babylon

Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.

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KJV Study Commentary

The command for Babylon to 'come down, and sit in the dust' reverses her royal pretensions, depicting humiliation and mourning. The phrase 'virgin daughter of Babylon' employs ironic language - she thought herself inviolable but will be violated by conquest. The removal of her throne signifies divine judgment on human pride; God alone is the judge who puts down one and raises up another (Psalm 75:...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

XLVII. (1) **Come down . . .**—*The virgin daughter of Babylon, i.e., *Babylon itself, personified as till now unconquered, is called to leave her throne and sit in the dust as a menial slave. The epithets “tender” (better, perhaps, *wanton*) and “delicate” point to the luxury which had been identified with Babylon, and which was now to cease.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 11 Is 11:1-16. **From the local and temporary national deliverance the prophet passes by the law of suggestion in an easy transition to the end of all prophecy--**the everlasting deliverance under Messiah's reign, not merely His first coming, but chiefly His second coming. The language and illustrations are still drawn from the temporary national subject, with which he began, but the g...
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Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.</strong> God commands personified Babylon to assume the posture of abject slavery and humiliation. Grinding grain with hand-mills was the lowest slave labor (Exodus 11:5, Judges 16:21), typically assigned to captured women. The verb <em>tachan</em> (grind) sometimes carries s...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(2) **Take the millstones.**—Always the most servile form of female labour (Exodus 11:5; Job 31:10; Matthew 24:41). **Uncover thy locks.**—The picture of suffering is heightened by the fact that the female slave has to wade unveiled, and bare-legged, all sense of shame outraged, to the scene of her labours. The picture is, of course, to be taken symbolically, not literally.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**2. Spirit of the Lord--**Jehovah. The Spirit by which the prophets spake: for Messiah was to be a Prophet (Is 61:1; De 18:15, 18). Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are specified, to imply that the perfection of them was to be in Him. Compare "the seven Spirits" (Re 1:4), that is, the Holy Ghost in His perfect fulness: seven being the sacred number. The prophets had only a portion out of the "fulne...
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Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen.</strong> The Hebrew <em>ervah</em> (nakedness) carries connotations of sexual vulnerability and covenant violation (Leviticus 18:6-18). God promises complete exposure of Babylon's sins and degradation. The parallel term <em>cherpah</em> (shame, disgrace) indicates public humiliation before nations. What Babylon concealed throu...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(3) **I will not meet thee as a man.**—The words in italics show that the phrase is difficult. Omitting them we get *I shall not meet a man, i.e., *there will be none to oppose me, or *I will not spare a man.*

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3. make him of quick understanding--**literally, "quick-scented in the fear of Jehovah"; endowed with a singular sagacity in discerning the genuine principle of religious fear of God, when it lies dormant in the yet unawakened sinner (Mt 12:20; Ac 10:1-48; 16:14) [Horsley]. But Maurer, "He shall delight in the fear of God." The Hebrew means "to delight in the odors" of anything (Ex 30:38; Am 5:2...
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As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.

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KJV Study Commentary

The interjectory 'As for our redeemer' interrupts the taunt song with worship, identifying God as 'go'el' - the kinsman-redeemer who avenges wrongs and buys back enslaved family. The titles 'LORD of hosts' and 'Holy One of Israel' combine military sovereignty with covenant relationship. This anticipates Christ as ultimate Redeemer who conquers enemies and purchases His bride.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(4) **As for our redeemer . . .**—The verse comes in somewhat abruptly, but may be viewed (unless we suppose it to have been originally a marginal addition, which has found its way into the text) as Israel’s song of praise, as it looks on the overthrow of Babylon. As such it finds a parallel in the overthrow of the mystical Babylon in Revelation 18:20. **Sit thou silent.**—Another contrast between...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**4. judge--**see that impartial justice is done them. "Judge" may mean here "rule," as in Psa 67:4. **reprove--**or, "argue"; "decide." But Lowth, "work conviction in." **earth--**Compare with Mt 5:5, and Re 11:15. **earth--**its ungodly inhabitants, answering to "the wicked" in the parallel, and in antithesis to the "poor" and "meek," namely, in spirit, the humble pious (Mt 5:3). It is at ...
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Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans.</strong> God commands Babylon to assume the posture of mourning and disgrace. The Hebrew <em>dumiyah</em> (silent, dumbstruck) indicates shocked speechlessness - the empire that roared commands across nations will be rendered mute. "Get thee into darkness" reverses Babylon's self-glorification as enlightened civiliza...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**5. righteousness ... girdle--**(Re 1:13; 19:11). The antitypical High Priest (Ex 28:4). The girdle secures firmly the rest of the garments (1Pe 1:13). So "truth" gives firm consistency to the whole character (Ep 5:14). In Is 59:17, "righteousness" is His breastplate.

I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.

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KJV Study Commentary

God's statement 'I was wroth with my people' admits His agency in using Babylon to discipline Israel, yet 'thou didst shew them no mercy' condemns Babylon for exceeding her mandate with cruel oppression. This demonstrates that God can employ evil instruments for good purposes while still holding them accountable for their evil intentions (Genesis 50:20). Babylon's judgment arises from cruel pride,...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(6) **I was wroth with my people . . .**—The sin of Babylon was that she had gone beyond her commission as the chastiser of Israel, casting off all reverence for age, and making even the *old men *do the hard tasks of bond-slaves (Lamentations 4:16; Lamentations 5:12). (Comp. Zechariah 1:15.)

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**6. wolf ... lamb--**Each animal is coupled with that one which is its natural prey. A fit state of things under the "Prince of Peace" (Is 65:25; Eze 34:25; Ho 2:18). These may be figures for men of corresponding animal-like characters (Eze 22:27; 38:13; Jr 5:6; 13:23; Mt 7:15; Lu 10:3). Still a literal change in the relations of animals to man and each other, restoring the state in Eden, is a mo...
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And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.

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KJV Study Commentary

Babylon's boast 'I shall be a lady for ever' reveals the presumption of permanence that characterizes all worldly kingdoms. The failure to 'lay these things to thy heart' or 'remember the latter end' exposes spiritual blindness to God's judgment. This warning applies to all who think their prosperity or power is self-derived and permanent rather than God-granted and conditional.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(7) **Thou saidst . . .**—The boastful confidence of Babylon in her own perpetuity blinded her, as it had long blinded other nations, to “these things,” *scil, *the Divine law that pride and cruelty bring their own Nemesis.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**7. feed--**namely, "together"; taken from the second clause. **straw--**no longer flesh and blood.

Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:

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KJV Study Commentary

The self-deification 'I am, and none else beside me' parodies God's covenant name (Exodus 3:14) and claims absolute autonomy. The boasts 'I shall not sit as a widow' and 'I shall not know the loss of children' deny vulnerability and dependence, which are inevitable in a fallen world. This epitomizes unregenerate humanity's pretension to god-like self-sufficiency.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(8) **I am, and none else beside me . . .**—The boasts of Babylon are purposely embodied by the prophet in praises that recall Jehovah’s assertion of His own eternity. She practically deified herself. So a like boast is put into the mouth of Nineveh in Zephaniah 2:15, and was repeated almost verbally by the poets of Rome: *Terrarum dea gentiumque Roma, cui par est nihil, et nihil secundum *(Martia...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**8. play--**literally, "delight" himself in sport. **cockatrice--**a fabulous serpent supposed to be hatched from the egg of a cock. The Hebrew means a kind of adder, more venomous than the asp; Bochart supposes the basilisk to be meant, which was thought to poison even with its breath.

But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

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KJV Study Commentary

The judgment 'these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day' emphasizes sudden, comprehensive destruction despite Babylon's confidence. The 'loss of children, and widowhood' reverses her boasted immunity (v. 8). The condemnation extends to 'multitude of sorceries' and 'enchantments,' demonstrating that occult practices cannot avert God's judgment. All forms of divination are rebellion...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(9) **In their perfection.**—Better, *in their completeness. *She should taste the full bitterness of widowhood and bereavement. **For the multitude of thy sorceries.**—Better, *in spite of ***. . .**

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**9. my holy mountain--**Zion, that is, Jerusalem. The seat of government and of Messiah's throne is put for the whole earth (Jr 3:17). **sea--**As the waters find their way into every cavern of its depths, so Christianity shall pervade every recess of the earth (Ha 2:14). As Is 11:1-5 describe the personal qualities of Messiah, and Is 11:6-9 the regenerating effects of His coming on creation, s...
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For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me. perverted: or, caused thee to turn away

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KJV Study Commentary

The accusation 'thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee' shows that human learning divorced from God becomes spiritual poison. Babylon's claim 'I am, and none else beside me' appears again, showing how intellectual pride leads to practical atheism. This warns against all humanistic education that excludes God - knowledge without fear of the Lord is folly (Proverbs 1:7).

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(10) **For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness . . .**—Babylon, like other nations that have followed in her steps, took for its law that Might was Right, practically denied the existence of a Ruler who saw and judged, and boasted of its wisdom. The context implies that the special form of wisdom spoken of was that of astrology and magic.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**10. root--**rather, "shoot from the root" (compare Note, see on Is 11:1; Is 53:2; Re 5:5; 22:16). **stand--**permanently and prominently, as a banner lifted up to be the rallying point of an army or people (Is 5:26; Joh 12:32). **the people--**peoples, answering to "the Gentiles" in the parallel member. **to it ... seek--**diligently (Job 8:5). They shall give in their allegiance to the Di...
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Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know. from: Heb. the morning thereof put: Heb. expiate

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Babylon's Sudden Desolation:</strong> This verse forms part of Isaiah's prophetic taunt against Babylon (Isaiah 47), personified as a proud queen about to be humiliated. "Therefore shall evil come upon thee" (<em>uvaat alayikh raah</em>, וּבָאָה עָלַיִךְ רָעָה) announces certain judgment. The Hebrew <em>raah</em> (רָעָה) means "evil," "calamity," or "disaster"—not moral evil but catastroph...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(11) **Thou shalt not be able to put it off . . .**—The words have been variously rendered: (1) *of which thou shalt know no dawn, i.e., *after the night of calamity; and (2) *which thou shalt not be able to charm away. *Stress is laid on the destruction being at once unforeseen and irretrievable.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11. set ... hand--**take in hand the work. Therefore the coming restoration of the Jews is to be distinct from that after the Babylonish captivity, and yet to resemble it. The first restoration was literal, therefore so shall the second be; the latter, however, it is implied here, shall be much more universal than the former (Is 43:5-7; 49:12, 17, 18; Eze 37:21; Ho 3:5; Am 9:14, 15; Mi 4:6, 7; Z...
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Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.

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KJV Study Commentary

The sarcastic challenge 'Stand now with thine enchantments' invites Babylon to test her occult powers against God's judgment. The mocking 'if so be thou shalt be able to profit' questions whether sorceries ever provided real benefit, or only illusion. This exposes all false religion's impotence before the true God - when crisis comes, idols cannot help (Jeremiah 2:28).

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(12) **If so be thou shalt be able . . .**—The words come with a subtle tone of irony. *Persevere in thy enchantments ***. . .** *perchance thou wilt be able to profit, perchance thou wilt strike terror.*

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12. In the first restoration Judah alone was restored, with perhaps some few of Israel (the ten tribes): in the future restoration both are expressly specified (Eze 37:16-19; Jr 3:18). To Israel are ascribed the "outcasts" (masculine); to Judah the "dispersed" (feminine), as the former have been longer and more utterly castaways (though not finally) than the latter (Joh 7:52). The masculine and fe...
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Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers , the stargazers , the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. astrologers: Heb. viewers of the heavens the monthly: Heb. that give knowledge concerning the months

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KJV Study Commentary

The taunt 'Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels' exposes how multiplication of human wisdom increases confusion rather than clarity. The progression (astrologers, stargazers, monthly prognosticators) shows desperate resort to increasingly specific divination as crisis looms. Isaiah's sarcasm 'Let now the astrologers...save thee' demonstrates that those who reject God's free revelation...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(13) **Let now the astrologers . . .**—The three words describe two aspects of the same art—(1) the *dividers of the heavens, *assigning stellar influences to the signs of the Zodiac; (2) the “star-gazers,” further defined as *those who make known things to come at the new moon. *The Assyrian and Chaldæan observers compiled an almanack, in which the days of the month were noted as severally lucky ...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**13. envy ... of Ephraim ... Judah--**which began as early as the time (Jud 8:1; 12:1, &amp;c.). Joshua had sprung from, and resided among the Ephraimites (Nu 13:9; Jos 19:50); the sanctuary was with them for a time (Jos 18:1). The jealousy increased subsequently (2Sa 2:8, &amp;c.; 19:41; 20:2; 3:10); and even before David's time (1Sa 11:8; 15:4), they had appropriated to themselves the national ...
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Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it. themselves: Heb. their souls

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KJV Study Commentary

The image of false counselors becoming 'stubble' consumed by fire depicts utter impotence - they cannot even save themselves, much less others. The phrase 'there shall not be a coal to warm at' emphasizes totality of judgment; even residual benefit is removed. This foreshadows eternal judgment where those who led others astray face worse condemnation (Matthew 23:15).

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(14) **There shall not be a coal to warm at.**—Better, *it shall not be ***. . .** The destroying flame shall be altogether other than the fire on the hearth, at which a man can sit and warm himself.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

14. With united forces they shall subdue their foes (Am 9:12). **fly--**as a bird of prey (Ha 1:8). **upon the shoulders--**This expresses an attack made unexpectedly on one from behind. The image is the more apt, as the Hebrew for "shoulders" in Nu 34:11 is used also of a maritime coast ("side of the sea": Hebrew, "shoulder of the sea," Margin). They shall make a sudden victorious descent upo...
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Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth.</strong> Babylon's commercial and magical partners prove utterly worthless in crisis. The Hebrew <em>yaga'</em> (laboured, toiled) indicates exhausting effort Babylon invested in alliances, trade networks, and occult practices. The phrase "from thy youth" suggests these relationships were long-es...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(15) **Thy merchants, from thy youth . . .**—The commerce of Babylon is specially prominent in all descriptions. (Comp. Herod. i. 194-196; Ezekiel 17:4.) The time was coming when those who had thronged her markets would desert her and leave her to her desolation.** Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. **Bible Hub

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15. There shall be a second exodus, destined to eclipse even the former one from Egypt in its wonders. So the prophecies elsewhere (Psa 68:22; Ex 14:22; Zec 10:11). The same deliverance furnishes the imagery by which the return from Babylon is described (Is 48:20, 21). **destroy--**literally, "devote," or "doom," that is, dry up; for what God dooms, perishes (Psa 106:9 Na 1:4). **tongue--**the...
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