Isaiah 13
13
Babylon.#Although attributed to Isaiah (v. 1), this oracle does not reflect conditions of Isaiah’s time. Babylon did not achieve imperial status until a century later, after its victory over Assyria in 609 B.C. The mention of the Medes (v. 17) rather than Persia suggests a date prior to 550 B.C., when the Median empire of Astyages fell to Cyrus the Persian. Tension is created in that the attackers are not named until v. 17 and the foe to be attacked until v. 19. 1An oracle#Oracle: Heb. massa’; used eight more times in this collection. concerning Babylon; a vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz.
2Upon the bare mountains set up a signal;
cry out to them,#To them: the Medes (v. 17), who are being summoned to destroy Babylon. Gates of the nobles: the reference is apparently to the gates of Babylon and involves a wordplay on the city name (Babylon = bab ilani, “gate of the gods”).
Beckon for them to enter
the gates of the nobles.#Is 5:26; Jer 50:2.
3I have commanded my consecrated ones,#Consecrated ones: in the sense that they will wage a “holy war” and carry out God’s plan.
I have summoned my warriors,
eager and bold to carry out my anger.#Jl 4:9.
4Listen! the rumble on the mountains:
that of an immense throng!
Listen! the noise of kingdoms, nations assembled!
The Lord of hosts is mustering
an army for battle.#Jer 50:9.
5They come from a far-off country,
and from the end of the heavens,
The Lord and the instruments of his wrath,
to destroy all the land.
6Howl, for the day of the Lord#Day of the Lord: described often in prophetic writings, it generally signified the coming of the Lord in power and majesty to destroy his enemies. The figures used convey the idea of horror and destruction (Am 5:18–20). The Almighty: Heb. shaddai; there is a play on words between destruction (shod) and Shaddai, a title for God traditionally rendered as “the Almighty” (cf. Gn 17:1; Ex 6:3). is near;
as destruction from the Almighty it comes.#Is 2:12–21; Jer 46:10; Am 5:18–20; Jl 1:15; Zep 1:7; Rev 6:17.
7Therefore all hands fall helpless,#Jer 6:24; Ez 7:17.
every human heart melts,
8and they are terrified,
Pangs and sorrows take hold of them,
like a woman in labor they writhe;
They look aghast at each other,
their faces aflame.#Is 21:3; Ps 48:7; Mi 4:9.
9Indeed, the day of the Lord comes,
cruel, with wrath and burning anger;
To lay waste the land
and destroy the sinners within it!#Jer 4:7; 18:16; Mal 3:19.
10The stars of the heavens and their constellations
will send forth no light;
The sun will be dark at its rising,
and the moon will not give its light.#Is 24:23; Jer 4:23; Zep 1:15; Mt 24:29.
11Thus 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,
the insolence of tyrants I will humble.#Is 2:17; Jer 50:32.
12I will make mortals more rare than pure gold,
human beings, than the gold of Ophir.#Ophir: cf. note on Ps 45:10. #1 Kgs 9:28; Jb 22:24.
13For this I will make the heavens tremble
and the earth shall be shaken from its place,
At the wrath of the Lord of hosts
on the day of his burning anger.#Hg 2:6; Lam 1:12.
14Like a hunted gazelle,
or a flock that no one gathers,
They shall turn each to their own people
and flee each to their own land.#1 Kgs 22:17; Jer 50:16; 51:9.
15Everyone who is taken shall be run through;
and everyone who is caught shall fall by the sword.
16Their infants shall be dashed to pieces in their sight;
their houses shall be plundered
and their wives ravished.#2 Kgs 8:12; Ps 137:9; Na 3:10.
17I am stirring up against them the Medes,
who think nothing of silver
and take no delight in gold.#Is 21:2; Jer 51:11, 28.
18With their bows they shall shatter the young men,
And the fruit of the womb they shall not spare,
nor shall their eye take pity on children.
19And Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms,
the glory and pride of the Chaldeans,
Shall become like Sodom and Gomorrah,
overthrown by God.#Dt 29:22; Is 1:7; Jer 49:18; 50:40; Am 4:11.
20It shall never be inhabited,
nor dwelt in, from age to age;
Arabians shall not pitch their tents there,
nor shepherds rest their flocks there.#Jer 51:62.
21But desert demons shall rest there
and owls shall fill the houses;
There ostriches shall dwell,
and satyrs#Satyrs: in the popular mind, demons of goatlike form dwelling in ruins, symbols of immorality; cf. Lv 17:7; Is 34:14. shall dance.#Is 34:13–14; 35:7.
22Wild dogs shall dwell in its castles,
and jackals in its luxurious palaces.
Its time is near at hand
and its days shall not be prolonged.#Ez 32:23.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Isaiah 13
13
1 #
Is 47; Jer 50—51; Hab 1—2. The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.
2On a bare hill raise a signal,
cry aloud to them;
wave the hand for them to enter
the gates of the nobles.
3I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,
have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,
my proudly exulting ones.
4Hark, a tumult on the mountains
as of a great multitude!
Hark, an uproar of kingdoms,
of nations gathering together!
The Lord of hosts is mustering
a host for battle.
5They come from a distant land,
from the end of the heavens,
the Lord and the weapons of his indignation,
to destroy the whole earth.
6Wail, for the day of the Lord is near;
as destruction from the Almighty it will come!
7Therefore all hands will be feeble,
and every man's heart will melt,
8and they will be dismayed.
Pangs and agony will seize them;
they will be in anguish like a woman in travail.
They will look aghast at one another;
their faces will be aflame.
9Behold, the day of the Lord comes,
cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,
to make the earth a desolation
and to destroy its sinners from it.
10 #
Mt 24.29; Mk 13.24; Rev 6.12; 8.12. 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.
11I will punish the world for its evil,
and the wicked for their iniquity;
I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant,
and lay low the haughtiness of the ruthless.
12I will make men more rare than fine gold,
and mankind than the gold of Ophir.
13Therefore 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.
14And like a hunted gazelle,
or like sheep with none to gather them,
every man will turn to his own people,
and every man will flee to his own land.
15Whoever is found will be thrust through,
and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.
16Their infants will be dashed in pieces
before their eyes;
their houses will be plundered
and their wives ravished.
17Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,
who have no regard for silver
and do not delight in gold.
18Their bows will slaughter the young men;
they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;
their eyes will not pity children.
19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
the splendor and pride of the Chaldeans,
will be like Sodom and Gomorrah
when God overthrew them.
20It will never be inhabited
or dwelt in for all generations;
no Arab will pitch his tent there,
no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.
21 #
Rev 18.2. But wild beasts will lie down there,
and its houses will be full of howling creatures;
there ostriches will dwell,
and there satyrs will dance.
22Hyenas will cry in its towers,
and jackals in the pleasant palaces;
its time is close at hand
and its days will not be prolonged.
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America