Isaiah Chapter 13

From The Open Bible Project

13:1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw:

• (a) That is, the great calamity which was prophesied to come on Babel, a grievous burden which they were not able to bear. In these twelve chapters following he speaks of the plagues with which God would smite the strange nations (whom they knew) to declare that God chastised the Israelites as his children and these others as his enemies: and also that if God does not spare these who are ignorant, they must not think strange if he punishes them who have knowledge of his Law, and do not keep it.

13:2 Set up a banner on the bare mountain! Lift up your voice to them! Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

• (b) That is, the Medes and Persians.

13:3 I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.

• (c) That is, prepared and appointed to execute my judgments.
• (d) Who willingly go about to the work to which I appoint them, but how the wicked do this, read (Isaiah 10:6).

13:4 The noise of a multitude is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Yahweh of Armies is mustering the army for the battle.

13:5 They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Yahweh, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

• (e) The army of the Medes and the Persians against Babylon.

13:6 Wail; for the day of Yahweh is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.

• (f) You Babylonians.

13:7 Therefore all hands will be feeble, and everyone's heart will melt.

13:8 They will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labor. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame.

• (g) The Babylonians anger and grief will be so much that their faces will burn as fire.

13:9 Behold, the day of Yahweh comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy its sinners out of it.

13:10 For the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.

• (h) They who are overcome will think that all the powers of heaven and earth are against them, (Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 3:15; Matthew 24:29).

13:11 I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the haughtiness of the terrible.

• (i) He compares Babylon to the whole world because they so esteemed themselves by reason of their great empire.
• (k) He notes the principal vice, to which they are most given as are all that abound in wealth.

13:12 I will make people more rare than fine gold, even a person than the pure gold of Ophir.

• (l) He notes the great slaughter that will be, seeing the enemy will neither for gold or silver spare a man’s life as in (Isaiah 13:17).

13:13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place in the wrath of Yahweh of Armies, and in the day of his fierce anger.

13:14 It will happen that like a hunted gazelle, and like sheep that no one gathers, they will each turn to their own people, and will each flee to their own land.

• (m) Meaning the power of Babylon with their hired soldiers.

13:15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through. Everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.

13:16 Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be ransacked, and their wives raped.

• (n) This was not accomplished when Cyrus took Babylon, but after the death of Alexander the great.

13:17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.

13:18 Their bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare children.

13:19 Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

13:20 It will never be inhabited, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.

• (o) Who used to go from country to country to find pasture for their beasts, but they will find none.

13:21 But wild animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will frolic there.

• (p) Who were either wild beasts or fools, or wicked spirits, by which Satan deluded man, as by the fairies, goblins, and such like fantasies.

13:22 Wolves will cry in their castles, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.