Isaiah 47:13

13 Thou failedest in the multitude of thy counsels; the false diviners of heaven stand, and save thee, which beheld stars, and numbered months, that they should tell by them things to coming to thee. (Thou hast failed, despite the multitude of thy advice; let the false diviners of the heavens stand up, and save thee, they who looked at the stars, and numbered the months, so that they could tell by them the things that would come to thee.)

Isaiah 47:13 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 47:13

Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels
Taken of astrologers, diviners, and soothsayers; who were never able to give any satisfactory answers to questions put to them, or to give good advice in cases of emergency; as appears from Nebuchadnezzar's consultation with them about his dream; and Belshazzar's about the handwriting upon the wall, which was the very night that the city was taken, ( Daniel 2:2 Daniel 2:10 ) ( Daniel 5:7 Daniel 5:8 Daniel 5:30 ) : let now the astrologers;
or, "viewers of the heavens" ^F19; not that look upon them, and consider them as the work of God's hands, in order to glorify him; but that examine the face of the skies, and the position of the heavenly bodies, their conjunctions with, and aspects on each other, in order to foretell what shall be below: or, "the dividers of the heavens" ^F20, as it may be rendered, from the use of the word in the Arabic language; who divide the heavens into so many parts, or houses; who, as Kimchi ^F21, from the same use of the word, fix and determine things according to the stars; and who next are called "the stargazers"; that look at them, and, according to their position, conjunction, aspect, and influence, judge what will come to pass among men. So Cicero observes ^F23, that the Chaldeans, by long observation of the stars, were thought to have formed a science, whereby they could foretell what should happen to everyone, and what fate he was born to: the monthly prognosticators;
or "that make known months", or "for the months" ^F24; what shall be in every month; what weather it will be, and what things shall happen; such as our almanac makers. Let these now all meet together, and stand up and save thee from those things that shall come upon thee;
which they were never able to do; for if they could not foretell these things by their art, it could not be thought they could give any directions how to escape them, or put upon any methods that would secure from them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (Mymv yrbwh) "speculantes coelos", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version; "contemplatores coelorum", Vitringa.
F20 <arabic> "resecuit, amputavit", Golius, Castel.
F21 Sepher Shorash. rad. (rbh)
F23 De Divinatione, l. 1. c. 1.
F24 (Myvdxl Myeydwm) "cognoscere faciunt menses", Pagninus; "facientes", Montanus; "qui notas faciunt in menses", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; i.e. "praedictiones suas notificantes in menses", Cocceius; "indicantes novilunia", Vitringa.

Isaiah 47:13 In-Context

11 Evil shall come [up]on thee, and thou shalt not know the beginning thereof; and mischief shall fall [up]on thee, which thou shalt not be able to cleanse; wretchedness which thou knowest not, shall come [up]on thee suddenly (and such wretchedness, which thou knowest not, shall suddenly come upon thee).

12 Stand thou with thine enchanters, and with the multitude of thy witches, in which thou travailedest from thy youth; if in hap they profit anything to thee, either if thou mayest be made the stronger. (Stand thou with thy enchanters, and with the multitude of thy witches, with whom thou hast laboured from thy youth; if perhaps they profit anything to thee, or if thou mayest be made stronger, or more awesome.)

13 Thou failedest in the multitude of thy counsels; the false diviners of heaven stand, and save thee, which beheld stars, and numbered months, that they should tell by them things to coming to thee. (Thou hast failed, despite the multitude of thy advice; let the false diviners of the heavens stand up, and save thee, they who looked at the stars, and numbered the months, so that they could tell by them the things that would come to thee.)

14 Lo! they be made as stubble, the fire hath burnt them; they shall not deliver their life from the power of flame; coals be not, by which they shall be warmed, neither fire, that they sit at it. (Lo! they shall be made like stubble, and the fire shall burn them up; they shall not be able to save, or to rescue, their own lives from the power of the flame; there shall not be coals by which they shall be warmed, nor a fire, that they can sit before.)

15 So those things be made to thee in which ever thou travailedest; thy merchants from thy youth erred, each man in his way; none is, that shall save thee. (So shall these enchanters be to thee, they with whom thou hast laboured all thy life; they have wandered off, each in his own way, and there is no one, who can save thee.)