Isaiah13
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
2Set ye up an ensign upon the bare mountain, lift up the voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
3I have commanded my consecrated ones, yea, I have called my mighty men for mine anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
4The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! the noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts is mustering the host for the battle.
5They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Jehovah, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
6Wail ye; for the day of Jehovah is at hand; as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
7Therefore shall all hands be feeble, and every heart of man shall melt:
8and they shall be dismayed; pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman in travail: they shall look in amazement one at another; their faces shall be faces of flame.
9Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine.
11And 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.
12I will make a man more rare than fine gold, even a man than the pure gold of Ophir.
13Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble, and the earth shall be shaken out of its place, in the wrath of Jehovah of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
14And it shall come to pass, that as the chased roe, and as sheep that no man gathereth, they shall turn every man to his own people, and shall flee every man to his own land.
15Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is taken shall fall by the sword.
16Their infants also shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be rifled, and their wives ravished.
17Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not regard silver, and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
18And their bows shall dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.
19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
20It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall shepherds make their flocks to lie down there.
21But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and wild goats shall dance there.
22And wolves shall cry in their castles, and jackals in the pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Isaiah 13.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The armies of God's wrath. (1-5). The conquest of Babylon. (6-18). Its final desolation. (19-22).
vv1-5
The threatenings of God's word press heavily upon the wicked, and are a sore burden, too heavy for them to bear. The persons brought together to lay Babylon waste, are called God's sanctified or appointed ones; designed for this service, and made able to do it. They are called God's mighty ones, because they had their might from God, and were now to use it for him. They come from afar. God can make those a scourge and ruin to his enemies, who are farthest off, and therefore least dreaded.
vv6-18
We have here the terrible desolation of Babylon by the Medes and Persians. Those who in the day of their peace were proud, and haughty, and terrible, are quite dispirited when trouble comes. Their faces shall be scorched with the flame. All comfort and hope shall fail. The stars of heaven shall not give their light, the sun shall be darkened. Such expressions are often employed by the prophets, to describe the convulsions of governments. God will visit them for their iniquity, particularly the sin of pride, which brings men low. There shall be a general scene of horror. Those who join themselves to Babylon, must expect to share her plagues, Rev. 18:4. All that men have, they would give for their lives, but no man's riches shall be the ransom of his life. Pause here and wonder that men should be thus cruel and inhuman, and see how corrupt the nature of man is become. And that little infants thus suffer, which shows that there is an original guilt, by which life is forfeited as soon as it is begun. The day of the Lord will, indeed, be terrible with wrath and fierce anger, far beyond all here stated. Nor will there be any place for the sinner to flee to, or attempt an escape. But few act as though they believed these things.
vv19-22
Babylon was a noble city; yet it should be wholly destroyed. None shall dwell there. It shall be a haunt for wild beasts. All this is fulfilled. The fate of this proud city is a proof of the truth of the Bible, and an emblem of the approaching ruin of the New Testament Babylon; a warning to sinners to flee from the wrath to come, and it encourages believers to expect victory over every enemy of their souls, and of the church of God. The whole world changes and is liable to decay. Wherefore let us give diligence to obtain a kingdom which cannot be moved; and in this hope let us hold fast that grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
Key Words
מַשָּׂא: a burden; specifically, tribute, or (abstractly) porterage; figuratively, an utterance, chiefly adoom, especially singing; mental, desire
בָּבֶל: Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
יְשַׁעְיָה: Jeshajah, the name of seven Israelites
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אָמוֹץ: Amots, an Israelite
חָזָה: to gaze at; mentally to perceive, contemplate (with pleasure); specifically, to have avision of
עַל: above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
שָׁפָה: to abrade, i.e. bare
הַר: a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
Cross References
Isaiah 13Jesus uses the same celestial/cosmic collapse imagery for His final coming as Isa 13 uses for Babylon.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the comparison of Babylon's destruction to Sodom and Gomorrah and the description of cruel conquerors.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Fulfillment of Babylon's sudden fear and defeat on the night of Belshazzar's feast.
Supported by JFB
Uses the identical metaphor of labor pains coming suddenly upon those expecting peace.
Supported by JFB
Prophetic parallel of the darkening of the sun and moon in the day of the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The final desolation of mystical Babylon as a haunt of unclean spirits and doleful creatures.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Isaiah's parallel banner-raising/hissing imagery used to summon distant nations for divine judgment.
Supported by JFB
The Hebrew for preparation of war is 'sanctify' war, matching God's 'sanctified ones' for judgment.
Supported by JFB
Direct parallel describing the king of Babylon's hands growing feeble and pain taking hold.
Supported by JFB
Explicitly names the Medes as the instruments stirred up by God to destroy Babylon.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The ultimate archetype of complete, irreversible desolation by divine judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Establishes foreign conquerors as merely the 'rod' and 'weapons' of God's indignation.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels the melting of hearts and faces gathering blackness/flames under terror.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prophetic description of the heavens shaking, and stars and sun withdrawing their shining.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Illustrates the unsparing nature of the Medes who will not regard any silver or gold ransom.
Supported by Matthew Poole