Isaiah 13:2-22

2 Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.

3 I have commanded those I prepared for battle; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath— those who rejoice in my triumph.

4 Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The LORD Almighty is mustering an army for war.

5 They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens— the LORD and the weapons of his wrath— to destroy the whole country.

6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.^[a]

7 Because of this, all hands will go limp, every heart will melt with fear.

8 Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame.

9 See, the day of the LORD is coming —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger— to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.

10 The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.

11 I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.

12 I will make people scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir.

13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.

14 Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, they will all return to their own people, they will flee to their native land.

15 Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword.

16 Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives violated.

17 See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold.

18 Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children.

19 Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians,^[b]will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.

20 She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks.

21 But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about.

22 Hyenas will inhabit her strongholds, jackals her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.

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Isaiah 13:2-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 13

This chapter contains a prophecy of the destruction of Babylon, literally understood as a type and exemplar of the destruction of the mystical Babylon, so often spoken of in the book of the Revelation: an account is given of the persons that should be the instruments of it, and of the desolation they should make; which would issue in the utter ruin of that once famous city. The title of the prophecy, and the person that had it, and brought it, are expressed, Isa 13:1 orders are given to the Medes and Persians to prepare for war, Isa 13:2 and are described as the Lord's sanctified ones, his mighty ones, and who rejoiced in his highness, Isa 13:3 by the multitude of them, by the length of the way they came, and the end of their coming, by divine direction, and as the instruments of God's wrath, to destroy the land of the Chaldeans, Isa 13:4,5 wherefore the inhabitants of it are called to howling, because that destruction from the Lord was at hand, Isa 13:6,9 the effects of which were fainting, fear, consternation, pain, and sorrow, without the least relief and comfort, Isa 13:7,8,10 the causes of which were their sin and iniquity, particularly their arrogance, pride, and haughtiness, Isa 13:11 which destruction is further described by the fewness of men that should be left in the land, Isa 13:12 by the strange revolution made in it, and the confusion it should be in, Isa 13:13 by the fear and flight of men, both of their own and other nations, that should be among them, Isa 13:14 by the slaughter of men and children, the plunder of their houses, and the ravishing of their wives, Isa 13:15,16 the persons that should be employed as instruments are mentioned by name, and represented as not to be bribed with gold and silver; and as merciless and uncompassionate, that should spare neither young men nor children, Isa 13:17,18 and the chapter is concluded with a particular account of the destruction of Babylon; which is aggravated, by observing its former glory; by comparing its ruin to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah; by its being no more to be inhabited by men within, nor to have Arabian shepherds pitching their tents without it; and by being the habitation of wild beasts, satyrs, dragons, and doleful creatures, Isa 13:19-22.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 73

1. S Psalms 20:5; Jeremiah 50:2; Jeremiah 51:27
2. Isaiah 24:12; Isaiah 45:2; Jeremiah 51:58
3. ver 17; Isaiah 21:2; Jeremiah 51:11; Daniel 5:28,31; Joel 3:11
4. S Job 40:11; S Isaiah 10:5
5. S Psalms 149:2
6. Joel 3:14
7. S Psalms 46:6
8. Isaiah 47:4; Isaiah 51:15
9. Isaiah 42:13; Jeremiah 50:41
10. S Isaiah 5:26
11. Isaiah 45:1; Isaiah 54:16; Jeremiah 50:25
12. S Isaiah 10:25
13. S Joshua 6:17; Isaiah 24:1; Isaiah 30:25; Isaiah 34:2
14. Isaiah 14:31; Isaiah 15:2; Isaiah 16:7; Isaiah 23:1; Ezekiel 30:2; James 5:1
15. S Isaiah 2:12; Joel 1:15
16. S Isaiah 10:3; S Isaiah 14:15
17. S Genesis 17:1
18. S 2 Kings 19:26; S Job 4:3; S Jeremiah 47:3
19. S Joshua 2:11; Ezekiel 21:7
20. S Psalms 31:13; S Psalms 48:5; S Isaiah 21:4
21. Exodus 15:14
22. S Genesis 3:16; S John 16:21
23. Joel 2:6; Nahum 2:10
24. S Isaiah 2:12; Jeremiah 51:2
25. Jeremiah 6:23
26. S Isaiah 9:19
27. Isaiah 26:21; Isaiah 66:16; Jeremiah 25:31; Joel 3:2
28. S Job 9:7
29. Isaiah 24:23; Zechariah 14:7
30. S Exodus 10:22; S Isaiah 5:30; Revelation 8:12
31. Ezekiel 32:7; Amos 5:20; Amos 8:9; S Matthew 24:29*; Mark 13:24*
32. Isaiah 3:11; Isaiah 11:4; Isaiah 26:21; Isaiah 65:6-7; Isaiah 66:16
33. S Psalms 125:3
34. S Psalms 10:5; S Proverbs 16:18; Daniel 5:23
35. S Isaiah 2:9; Isaiah 23:9; Ezekiel 28:2; Daniel 4:37
36. Isaiah 25:3,5; Isaiah 29:5,20; Isaiah 49:25,26
37. S Isaiah 4:1
38. S Genesis 10:29
39. S Psalms 102:26; Isaiah 34:4; Isaiah 51:6; Haggai 2:6
40. S Job 9:6; S Isaiah 14:16; Matthew 24:7; Mark 13:8
41. S Isaiah 9:19
42. S Job 9:5
43. Proverbs 6:5
44. S 1 Kings 22:17; S Matthew 9:36; S John 10:11
45. S Genesis 11:9; Isaiah 17:13; Isaiah 21:15; Isaiah 22:3; Isaiah 33:3; Jeremiah 4:9
46. Jeremiah 46:16; Jeremiah 50:16; Jeremiah 51:9; Nahum 3:7
47. Jeremiah 51:4
48. Isaiah 14:19; Jeremiah 50:25
49. ver 18; S Numbers 16:27; S 2 Kings 8:12; Psalms 137:9
50. S Genesis 34:29; S Hosea 13:16
51. Jeremiah 50:9,41; Jeremiah 51:1
52. S ver 3
53. 2 Kings 18:14-16; Proverbs 6:34-35
54. S Psalms 7:12; Isaiah 41:2; Jer 50:9,14,29
55. S Deuteronomy 32:25; Jeremiah 49:26; Jeremiah 50:30; Jeremiah 51:4
56. Isaiah 47:6; Jeremiah 6:23; Jeremiah 50:42
57. S ver 16; Isaiah 14:22; Isaiah 47:9
58. S ver 1
59. Isaiah 47:5; Daniel 2:37-38
60. Daniel 4:30
61. S Psalms 137:8; S Revelation 14:8
62. S Genesis 19:25; Isaiah 1:9-10; Romans 9:29; Genesis 19:24
63. Isaiah 14:23; Isaiah 34:10-15; Jer 51:29,37-43,62
64. 2 Chronicles 17:11
65. S Psalms 74:14; Revelation 18:2
66. Jeremiah 14:6
67. S Leviticus 11:16-18; S Deuteronomy 14:15-17
68. Leviticus 17:7; 2 Chronicles 11:15
69. Isaiah 34:14
70. Isaiah 25:2; Isaiah 32:14
71. Isaiah 34:13; Isaiah 35:7; Isaiah 43:20; Jeremiah 9:11; Jeremiah 49:33; Jeremiah 51:37; Malachi 1:3
72. Deuteronomy 32:35; Jeremiah 48:16; Jeremiah 51:33
73. Jeremiah 50:39

Footnotes 2

[a]. Hebrew "Shaddai"
[b]. Or "Chaldeans"

Isaiah 13:2-22

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Isaiah 13:2-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 13

Cross References 73

Footnotes 2