Isaiah 13:1

The Lord Will Judge Babylon

13:1 ¹ This is a message about Babylon that God revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz: ² 

Isaiah 13:19

13:19 Babylon, the most admired ³  of kingdoms,

the Chaldeans’ source of honor and pride, ⁴ 

will be destroyed by God

just as Sodom and Gomorrah were. ⁵ 

Isaiah 14:4

14:4 you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: ⁶ 

“Look how the oppressor has met his end!

Hostility ⁷  has ceased!

Isaiah 23:13

23:13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans,

these people who have lost their identity! ⁸ 

The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals.

They erected their siege towers, ⁹ 

demolished ¹⁰  its fortresses,

and turned it into a heap of ruins. ¹¹ 

[13:1]  ¹ sn Isa 13-23 contains a series of judgment oracles against various nations. It is likely that Israel, not the nations mentioned, actually heard these oracles. The oracles probably had a twofold purpose. For those leaders who insisted on getting embroiled in international politics, these oracles were a reminder that Judah need not fear foreign nations or seek international alliances for security reasons. For the righteous remnant within the nation, these oracles were a reminder that Israel’s God was indeed the sovereign ruler of the earth, worthy of his people’s trust.

[13:1]  ² tn Heb “The message [traditionally, “burden”] [about] Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw.”

[13:19]  ³ tn Or “most beautiful” (NCV, TEV).

[13:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “the beauty of the pride of the Chaldeans.”

[13:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “and Babylon…will be like the overthrow by God of Sodom and Gomorrah.” On מַהְפֵּכַת (mahpekhat, “overthrow”) see the note on the word “destruction” in 1:7.

[14:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”

[14:4]  ⁷ tc The word in the Hebrew text (מַדְהֵבָה, madhevah) is unattested elsewhere and of uncertain meaning. Many (following the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a) assume a dalet-resh (ד-ר) confusion and emend the form to מַרְהֵבָה (marhevah, “onslaught”). See HALOT 548 s.v. II *מִדָּה and HALOT 633 s.v. *מַרְהֵבָה.

[23:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “this people [that] is not.”

[23:13]  ⁹ tn For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 118 s.v. *בַּחוּן.

[23:13]  ¹⁰ tn Or “laid bare.” For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 889 s.v. ערר.

[23:13]  ¹¹ sn This verse probably refers to the Assyrian destruction of Babylon.