Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 47 is the EXTENDED-BABYLON-LAMENT — Babylon-as-virgin-daughter humbled-and-deposed (vv. 1–4), her-self-deification mocked (vv. 7–10), and her-end (vv. 11–15). The chapter parallels-Revelation 18's-Babylon-fallen-lament. Verse 8's 'I am, and there is no one besides me' is the climactic-Babylonian-pretension to-divine-self-sufficiency.
Notable Variants
47:5 'sit in silence, daughter of Babylon' — silenced-after-arrogance; 47:8 'I am, and there is no one besides me' — Babylonian-divine-pretension that-Rev 18:7 echoes ('I sit as a queen, I am no widow'); 47:14 'they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame.'
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 47 = LXX Isaiah 47. 15 verses. EXTENDED-BABYLON-LAMENT.
Come down and sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter Babylon! Sit on the ground without a throne, Daughter of the Chaldeans! For you will no longer be called tender and delicate.
'Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called tender and delicate' tracks MT. BABYLON-IN-DUST. Revelation 18:7 ('she has glorified herself … I sit as a queen … I am no widow') extends.
Take the millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil, strip off your skirt, bare your legs, wade through rivers.
'Take the millstones and grind flour, put off your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers' tracks MT.
Your nakedness will be exposed, your shame will be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one.
'Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your disgrace shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one' tracks MT.
Our Redeemer — the LORD of Hosts is His name — the Holy One of Israel.
'Our Redeemer — the LORD of hosts is his name — is the Holy One of Israel' tracks MT.
Sit in silence and go into darkness, Daughter of the Chaldeans, for you will no longer be called mistress of kingdoms.
'Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shall no more be called the mistress of kingdoms' tracks MT. MISTRESS-OF-KINGDOMS dethroned.
I was angry with my people; I profaned my inheritance and gave them into your hand. You showed them no mercy; on the elderly you made your yoke very heavy.
'I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy' tracks MT.
You said, 'I will be mistress forever' — you did not take these things to heart or consider how it would end.
'You said: I shall be mistress forever, so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end' tracks MT. I-SHALL-BE-MISTRESS-FOREVER — Babylonian-self-conception. Revelation 18:7 echoes.
Now hear this, you lover of pleasure, who sits securely, who says in her heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me. I will never sit as a widow or know the loss of children.'
'Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart: I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children' tracks MT. I-AM-AND-THERE-IS-NO-ONE-BESIDES-ME. Babylonian-divine-pretension — directly-echoes the divine-self-claim of-Isa 45:21. Babylon-claims-divinity-for-herself. The blasphemy-pattern Rev 13:8, 17:18 develop.
Both of these will come upon you in a moment, in a single day: bereavement and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, despite your many sorceries and the great power of your spells.
'These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments' tracks MT. IN-ONE-DAY. Revelation 18:8 ('in a single day her plagues will come') verbatim-echoes.
You trusted in your wickedness; you said, 'No one sees me.' Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me.'
'You felt secure in your wickedness; you said: No one sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart: I am, and there is no one besides me' tracks MT.
But disaster will come upon you, and you will not know how to charm it away. Calamity will fall on you, and you will not be able to atone for it. Devastation will come upon you suddenly, before you know it.
'But evil shall come upon you, which you will not know how to charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, for which you will not be able to atone; and ruin shall come upon you suddenly, of which you know nothing' tracks MT.
Stand now with your spells and your many sorceries, at which you have labored from your youth. Perhaps you can succeed; perhaps you can inspire terror.
'Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire terror' tracks MT.
You are wearied by your many counselors. Let them stand up now and save you — those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at each new moon predict what will come upon you.
'You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you' tracks MT. ANTI-ASTROLOGY. Babylonian-divination-experts mocked.
Look — they are like stubble; fire burns them up. They cannot save themselves from the power of the flame. This is no coal for warming, no fire to sit before.
'Behold, they are like stubble; the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. No coal for warming oneself is this, no fire to sit before!' tracks MT.
Such are those you have labored with — your traders from your youth. Each wanders off in his own direction; there is no one to save you.
'Such to you are those with whom you have labored, who have done business with you from your youth; they wander about, each in his own direction; there is no one to save you' tracks MT. NO-ONE-TO-SAVE-YOU. Babylon-without-help.