Isaiah 47

1 Thou virgin, the daughter of Babylon, go down, sit thou in (the) dust, sit thou in [the] earth; a king's seat is not to the daughter of [the] Chaldees, for thou shalt no more be called soft and tender. (Thou virgin daughter of Babylon, go down from off thy throne, and sit thou in the dust, yea, upon the ground; a king's throne is not for the daughter of the Chaldeans, for thou shalt no more be called soft and tender.)
2 Take thou a quern-stone, and grind thou meal; make thou naked thy filth(hood), discover the shoulder, show the hips, pass thou [over the] floods. (Take thou a millstone, and grind thou some meal with it; make thou thyself naked, yea, uncover the shoulder, show the hips, and cross thou over the rivers.)
3 Thy shame shall be showed, and thy shame shall be seen; I shall take vengeance, and no man shall against-stand me.
4 Our again-buyer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy of Israel. (Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.)
5 Daughter of Chaldees, sit thou, be thou still, and enter into darknesses, for thou shalt no more be called the lady of realms. (Daughter of the Chaldeans, sit thou, be thou silent, and enter into the darkness, or into the shadows, for thou shalt no more be called the lady, or the queen, of many kingdoms.)
6 I was wroth on my people, I defouled mine heritage, and I gave them in thine hand, and thou settedest not mercies to them; thou madest grievous the yoke greatly on an eld man, (I was angry with my people, I defiled my inheritance, and I gave them into thy hands, or into thy power, and thou gavest no mercy to them; thou madest the yoke greatly grievous upon an old man,)
7 and thou saidest, Without end I shall be [a] lady (and thou saidest, I shall be a lady forever); thou puttedest not these things on thine heart, neither thou bethoughtest on thy last thing.
8 And now, thou delicate, and dwelling trustily, hear these things, which sayest in thine heart, I am, and besides me there is no more; I shall not sit [a] widow, and I shall not know barrenness. (And now, O delicate one, and trustily dwelling, hear ye these things, thou who sayest in thy heart, Here I am, and there is no other besides me; I shall never be a widow, and I shall never know barrenness.)
9 These two things, barrenness and widowhood, shall come to thee suddenly in one day; all things came on thee for the multitude of thy witchcrafts, and for the great hardness of thine enchanters, either tregetours. (But these two things, barrenness and widowhood, shall suddenly come upon thee in a single day; they shall come upon thee for the multitude of thy witchcrafts, and for the great willfulness of thy enchanters, or of thy conjurers.)
10 And (for) thou haddest trust in thy malice, and saidest, None is that seeth me; this, thy wisdom and thy knowing, (hath) deceived thee; and thou saidest in thine heart, I am, and besides me there is none other (I am, and there is no one else besides me).
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.)

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Isaiah 47 Commentary

Chapter 47

God's judgments on Babylon. (1-6) Carelessness and confidence shall not prevent the evil. (7-15)

Verses 1-6 Babylon is represented under the emblem of a female in deep distress. She was to be degraded and endure sufferings; and is represented sitting on the ground, grinding at the handmill, the lowest and most laborious service. God was righteous in his vengeance, and none should interpose. The prophet exults in the Lord of hosts, as the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel. God often permits wicked men to prevail against his people; but those who cruelly oppress them will be punished.

Verses 7-15 Let us beware of acting and speaking as Babylon did; of trusting in tyranny and oppression; of boasting as to our abilities, relying on ourselves, and ascribing success to our own prudence and wisdom; lest we partake of her plagues. Those in the height of prosperity, are apt to fancy themselves out of the reach of adversity. It is also common for sinners to think they shall be safe, because they think to be secret in wicked ways. But their security shall be their ruin. Let us draw from such passages as the foregoing, those lessons of humility and trust in God which they convey. If we believe the word of God, we may know how it will be with the righteous and the wicked to all eternity. We may learn how to escape the wrath to come, to glorify God, to have peace through life, hope in death, and everlasting happiness. Let us then stand aloof from all delusions.

Chapter Summary

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.

Isaiah 47 Commentaries

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.