Isaiah 13: Prophecy Against Babylon [1]

• v.1-2 This is a warning against Babylon
• v.3-8 An army will come to bring God’s destruction
• v.9-13 It will be a time of great judgment
• v.14-16 It will be a time of great destruction of people
• v.17,18 It will come at the hands of the Medes
• v.19-22 Babylon will be utterly destroyed and cleared out

[Chapter Comment: The timing of this prophecy is interesting – see Notes at end of Chapter 5 – for Isaiah prophesied between 760-690BC but Babylon didn’t arise to ascendancy until about 609, only to fall to Cyrus the Persian in 539 and later to Darius the Mede in 522. In the same way that Cyrus is mentioned later in Isaiah [44:28, 45:1,3] – and quite probably is motivated or directed by the Lord through reading Isaiah’s prophecy, Isaiah is speaking into events that will not occur for somewhere between 150 to 200 years ahead. Sceptics of prophecy should remember there are many prophecies in the Old Testament that speak to the ‘end times’ or ‘last days’, so whether it is 200 years or 2000 years (or more!) we should accept that God can speak His plans through His prophets.

Using a wider perspective, we know that Babylon existed as a city as early as 2000BC, had a number of kings in the following centuries, was sacked by the Hittites in 1595, was under Assyrian control by 1220, was captured by the Chaldeans in 734, was occupied by the Assyrians by 729 and Nebuchadnezzar became king as noted above. However, apart from Babylon, it is only the Medes [v.17] who are mentioned and so Isaiah could not have been referring to any other part of history than that noted in the first paragraph above.

The prophecy in this chapter calls down through history to Babylon [v.1,2], warning them that God will bring a conqueror against them [as they have conquered others] from other lands [v.3-5] to execute God’s judgment on Babylon [v.6-16] at the hands of the Medes [v.17,18] who will utterly destroy Babylon and its lands [v.19-22] It thus looks down on the scope of history to warn what will be the eventual downfall of the people that God will use to discipline His people.]

v.1-2 This is a warning against Babylon

v.1 A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:

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

[Notes: The focus turns on Babylon with a call to get their attention.]

v.3-8 An army will come to bring God’s destruction

v.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.

v.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.

v.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.

v.6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.

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

v.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.

[Notes: God has called for a people to bring His judgement; His army is coming together from the nations. They come from far and wide to destroy so weep for this is God’s judgment and a fear that causes weakness is coming and terror will encompass all.]

v.9-13 It will be a time of great judgment

v.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.

v.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.

v.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.

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

v.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.

[Notes: It’s God’s day of wrath coming, when darkness will come, a day of punishment on all evil and wickedness and arrogance, and humanity will disappear as the heavens and earth shake.]

v.14-16 It will be a time of great destruction of people

v.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.

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

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

[Notes: The remnant will flee to their people but those who are caught will die including children and homes looted, women raped.]

v.17,18 It will come at the hands of the Medes

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

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

[Notes: God will use the Medes who care nothing for riches but will mercilessly destroy.]

v.19-22 Babylon will be utterly destroyed and cleared out

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

v.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.

v.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.

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

[Notes: This will be Babylon’s destruction, utterly desolate and empty so only the wild desert animals will inhabit her and will settle in its emptiness; it’s coming soon

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: