Isaiah 13 Study Notes

13:11 The object of God’s wrath is pride that leads people to trust in themselves rather than in him.

13:12 God’s warring judgment will reduce the population of the earth dramatically.

13:13 When the divine warrior appears, not only will the heavenly bodies convulse (v. 10); so will the earth.

13:14-15 The destroyed city had residents from many different lands. Once destroyed, the people will be leaderless and will quickly run (like wandering gazelles) back to their homeland. However, they may not make it back. The road will be lined with dangers, including robbers and perhaps even an enemy army.

13:16 In ancient times defeated cities endured the horrible atrocities described in this verse. The worst was that their children would be killed.

13:17 At last, the attacking army is described as the implacable Medes, a people known as early as the ninth century BC. They came from the Zagros Mountains east of the Mesopotamian plain. These warlike people are known in history as Babylon’s allies when they defeated Assyria. However, in the sixth century BC they were engulfed by Persia. The combined armies of the Medes and Persians defeated Babylon in 539 BC.

13:18 This largely repeats the message of v. 16.

13:19 For the first time Babylon is named as the object of God’s warring activity. They are described as the jewel of the kingdoms in anticipation of the position they will assume after their defeat of Assyria at the end of the seventh century BC. The Chaldeans were the leading tribe that produced the leaders (Nabopolassar and Nebuchadnezzar) who led the Babylonian resurgence. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is described in Gn 19. This account in Isaiah implies a horrible end. It associates Babylon with the perverse sin that led to the destruction of those cities.

13:20 In 689 BC the Assyrian king Sennacherib “defeated Babylon, tore down its walls, flooded the area, depopulated the city, and made the city into a meadow” (Gary Smith, NAC). The Medes may also have been involved. The Medes and Persians destroyed Babylon again in 539 BC.

13:21-22 These verses describe animals that lived in ruins and desolate places. Ostriches and owls were considered unclean (Lv 11:15-16).