Isaiah 47:11-13

11 Disaster will come upon you, and you will not know how to conjure it away. A calamity will fall upon you that you cannot ward off with a ransom; a catastrophe you cannot foresee will suddenly come upon you.

12 “Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror.

13 All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you.

Isaiah 47:11-13 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.

Cross References

• 1. S Isaiah 10:3; S Isaiah 14:15; S Isaiah 21:9; S Isaiah 31:2; Luke 17:27
• 2. S Psalms 55:15; S Isaiah 17:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:3
• 3. S ver 9; S Exodus 7:11
• 4. Isaiah 57:10; Jeremiah 51:58; Habakkuk 2:13
• 5. S Isaiah 19:3; S Isaiah 44:25
• 6. ver 15; S Isaiah 5:29; Isaiah 43:13; Isaiah 46:7