Isaías 13:18

18 Y con arcos tirarán a los niños, y no tendrán misericordia del fruto del vientre, ni su ojo perdonará a los hijos

Isaías 13:18 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 13:18

[Their] bows also shall dash their young men to pieces,
&c.] That is, the bows of the Medes should dash in pieces the young men of the Babylonians. The meaning is, either that they should put them into their bows, instead of arrows, and shoot them upon the ground, or against a wall, and so dash them to pieces; or that they should first shoot them through with their arrows, and then dash them with their bows; according to Xenophon ^F12, Cyrus came to Babylon with great numbers of archers and slingers: and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb;
even of those that were in the womb, but should rip up women with child, and cut them in pieces: their eyes shall not spare children;
in the arms of their parents, or running to them, shrieking and crying, and in the utmost fright; and yet their tender and innocent age would meet with no mercy. The Medes were notorious for their cruelty ^F13, and which issued at last in the ruin of their empire.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Cyropaedia, l. 2. sect. 1.
F13 Ammian. Marcellin. l. 23. c. 6. Diodor. Sicul. l. 13. p. 342.

Isaías 13:18 In-Context

16 Sus niños serán estrellados delante de ellos; sus casas serán saqueadas, y forzadas sus mujeres

17 He aquí que yo despierto contra ellos a los medos, que no buscarán la plata, ni codiciarán oro

18 Y con arcos tirarán a los niños, y no tendrán misericordia del fruto del vientre, ni su ojo perdonará a los hijos

19 Y Babilonia, hermosura de reinos y ornamento de la grandeza de los caldeos, será como Sodoma y Gomorra, a las que trastornó Dios

20 Nunca más será habitada, ni morará en ella de generación en generación; ni hincará allí tienda el árabe, ni pastores tendrán allí majada