Isaiah 47:1-6

The Fall of Babylon

1 “Go down, sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, queen city of the Babylonians.^[a]No more will you be called tender or delicate.

2 Take millstones and grind flour; take off your veil. Lift up your skirts, bare your legs, and wade through the streams.

3 Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”

4 Our Redeemer—the LORD Almighty is his name— is the Holy One of Israel.

5 “Sit in silence, go into darkness, queen city of the Babylonians; no more will you be called queen of kingdoms.

6 I was angry with my people and desecrated my inheritance; I gave them into your hand, and you showed them no mercy. Even on the aged you laid a very heavy yoke.

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Isaiah 47:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 47

This chapter is a prophecy of the destruction of Babylon, and of the Chaldeans, and declares the causes of it. The mean, low, ignominious, and miserable condition Babylon and the Chaldeans should be brought into by the Lord, the Redeemer of his people, is described, Isa 47:1-5, the causes of it are their cruelty to the Jews, Isa 47:6, their pride, voluptuousness, and carnal security, Isa 47:7,8 their sorceries and enchantments, and trust in their own wisdom, Isa 47:9,10, wherefore their destruction should come suddenly upon them, and they should not be able to put it off, Isa 47:11, their magic art, and judiciary astrology, which they boasted of, by them they could neither foresee nor withstand their ruin, which would be of no avail unto them, Isa 47:12-14, nor their merchants either, Isa 47:15.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 25

1. S Job 2:13; S Isaiah 29:4
2. S Isaiah 21:9; S Isaiah 23:12
3. Psalms 137:8; Jeremiah 50:42; Jeremiah 51:33; Zechariah 2:7
4. Deuteronomy 28:56
5. Exodus 11:5; Matthew 24:41
6. S Judges 16:21
7. S Genesis 24:65
8. S Isaiah 32:11
9. S Genesis 2:25; Ezekiel 16:37; Nahum 3:5
10. S Isaiah 20:4
11. S Isaiah 1:24; S Isaiah 34:8
12. Isaiah 13:18-19
13. S Job 19:25
14. S Isaiah 13:4
15. Isaiah 48:2; Jeremiah 50:34; Amos 4:13
16. S Isaiah 1:4; Isaiah 48:17
17. S Job 2:13
18. Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 13:10
19. S Isaiah 21:9
20. ver 7; Lamentations 1:1; Revelation 18:7
21. S Isaiah 13:19; Revelation 17:18
22. S 2 Chronicles 28:9
23. S Deuteronomy 13:15; S Isaiah 42:24; Jeremiah 2:7; Jeremiah 50:11
24. Isaiah 10:13
25. S Isaiah 14:6

Footnotes 1

[a]. Or "Chaldeans" ; also in verse 5