Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 13 opens the ORACLES-AGAINST-THE-NATIONS section (chapters 13–23) — beginning with BABYLON (chapters 13–14). The chapter develops the DAY-OF-THE-LORD theology with cosmic-disaster imagery (sun-darkened, moon-not-shining, heavens-shaken — vv. 9–13) that the NT-apocalypse heavily-redeploys (Matt 24:29, Mark 13:24, Rev 6:12–14).
Notable Variants
13:6 'day of the LORD' apocalyptic-day vocabulary; 13:9–10 cosmic-disasters → Matt 24:29 / Rev 6:12 the apocalyptic-tradition's foundation; 13:21 'satyrs / wild goats' demonological imagery → Rev 18:2.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 13 = LXX Isaiah 13. 22 verses. Opens ORACLES-AGAINST-NATIONS section (chs. 13–23). BABYLON oracle (chs. 13–14).
The oracle concerning Babylon, which Isaiah son of Amoz saw.
'The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw' tracks MT. BABYLON-ORACLE — anticipating the 6th-century-BCE Babylonian-empire from-Isaiah's-8th-century vantage.
On a bare hilltop raise a banner! Lift your voice to them! Wave your hand so they enter the gates of the nobles.
'On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles' tracks MT.
I have given orders to my consecrated ones; I have summoned my warriors for my anger — my proudly exulting ones.
'I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones' tracks MT. CONSECRATED-WARRIORS — Persia-and-Media as divine-instruments-of-Babylon's-fall.
The sound of a multitude in the mountains — like a vast people! The roar of kingdoms, nations assembling! The LORD of Hosts is mustering an army for war.
'The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The LORD of hosts is mustering a host for battle' tracks MT.
They come from a distant land, from the edge of the heavens — the LORD and the weapons of his fury — to devastate the whole earth.
'They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the LORD and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land' tracks MT.
Wail! For the day of the LORD is near — it comes as devastation from the Almighty.
'Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!' tracks MT. DAY-OF-THE-LORD apocalyptic-vocabulary. Joel 1:15, 2:1, Zephaniah 1:7, 14, Malachi 4:5, 1 Thess 5:2, 2 Pet 3:10 — extending the Day-of-the-LORD eschatological-tradition. The Hebrew shod ('destruction') from the Hebrew Shaddai ('Almighty') — wordplay between-the-name-and-the-judgment.
Therefore every hand will go limp, and every human heart will melt.
'Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt' tracks MT.
They are terrified — pangs and agony seize them; they writhe like a woman in labor. They stare at one another in horror, their faces ablaze.
'They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor; they will look aghast at one another, their faces aflame' tracks MT. PANGS-LIKE-LABOR — Day-of-the-LORD birth-pangs imagery. Matthew 24:8 ('all these are but the beginning of the birth pains') Christologically-extends. 1 Thess 5:3's 'sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains.'
Look — the day of the LORD is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the earth a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.
'Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it' tracks MT.
For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not flash their light. The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shed its glow.
'For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light' tracks MT. STARS-DARKENED / SUN-DARK / MOON-NO-LIGHT. APOCALYPTIC-COSMIC-DISASTER. Matthew 24:29 ('the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven') Christologically applies-to-the-parousia. Mark 13:24, Luke 21:25, Acts 2:20 (Peter's Pentecost-citation), Revelation 6:12–13 all extend.
I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their guilt. I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant and bring low the insolence of tyrants.
'I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless' tracks MT.
I will make a mortal rarer than fine gold, a human rarer than the gold of Ophir.
'I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir' tracks MT.
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place in the fury of the LORD of Hosts, on the day of his burning anger.
'Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger' tracks MT. HEAVENS-TREMBLE / EARTH-SHAKEN. Hebrews 12:26–27 ('yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens,' citing Hag 2:6) extends.
Then it will be like a hunted gazelle, like sheep with no one to gather them. Each will turn to his own people; each will flee to his own land.
'And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land' tracks MT.
Everyone who is found will be pierced through; everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
'Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword' tracks MT.
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered, their wives violated.
'Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished' tracks MT.
Look — I am rousing the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and take no delight in gold.
'Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold' tracks MT. THE MEDES — Cyrus's-Persian-Median-coalition predicted as-Babylon's-conqueror (fulfilled 539 BCE). One of-the-most-specific historical-prophecies in-the-OT.
Their bows will cut down the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare children.
'Their bows will slaughter the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children' tracks MT.
And Babylon — the jewel of kingdoms, the splendor of the Chaldeans' pride — will be like God's overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.
'And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them' tracks MT. BABYLON-LIKE-SODOM. Revelation 18:2 ('Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!') extends Christologically. Christianity reads-Babylon as-paradigmatic-eschatological-evil.
It will never be inhabited, nor will anyone dwell there from generation to generation. No nomad will pitch a tent there; no shepherds will rest their flocks there.
'It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there' tracks MT.
But desert creatures will crouch there, and their houses will be filled with howling animals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about.
'But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will dance' tracks MT. WILD-GOATS / SATYRS — demonological-imagery. Revelation 18:2 ('a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit') Christologically-extends Babylon's-demonology.
Jackals will howl in her fortresses, and wild dogs in her luxurious palaces. Her time is close at hand; her days will not be prolonged.
'Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged' tracks MT.