Isaiah 13:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

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

NASB: Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their luxurious palaces. Her fateful time also will soon come, And her days will not be prolonged.

CSB: Hyenas will howl in the fortresses, and jackals, in the luxurious palaces. Babylon’s time is almost up; her days are almost over.

NLT: Hyenas will howl in its fortresses, and jackals will make dens in its luxurious palaces. Babylon’s days are numbered; its time of destruction will soon arrive.

KJV: And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

NKJV: The hyenas will howl in their citadels, And jackals in their pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, And her days will not be prolonged.”

Looking ahead to what was then the future, Isaiah describes the end state of Babylon once the judgment of God has fallen. This sight is not pretty. The people of this once powerful and beautiful city will have been killed (Isaiah 13:12). The city itself will be destroyed. The once-glorious, luxurious city will be empty of people. Nobody will occupy it for generations, at the very least (Isaiah 13:20).

Instead of the glory of man, the city will become home to wild beasts. Hyenas will make their laughing cry from the ruins of Babylon's once-great towers. Jackals will call out in public spaces. This is in addition to the goats, ostriches, and other howling creatures (Isaiah 13:21). It's an eerie, haunting scene of a once-urban place that has become inhospitable to people.

Isaiah concludes the prophecy by declaring that its fulfillment is not far off. The days of Babylon are numbered. This destruction did not take place during Isaiah's lifetime. Judah was still occupied with the Assyrian threat while the prophet lived. The Lord revealed through Isaiah what would eventually become of the powerful nation. Those that conquer will always be conquered. Empires rise and fall (Daniel 2:39–43), but the glory of the Lord is forever (Psalm 9:5–8).

The message to Israel in this oracle is clear: do not trust in kings and kingdoms or in the false gods of the nations. Trust in the Lord God. His might is absolute. And He is the only safe refuge (Isaiah 40:6–8).

Isaiah 13:1–22 contains Isaiah's prophecy from the Lord. This is against the dominant power of Babylon, which would arise after the defeat of the Assyrians. The Lord will assemble and consecrate an international army to attack and obliterate the powerful city-state of Babylon. The people will tremble in fear as the Lord executes His judgment out of His great wrath toward the arrogant and ruthless Babylonians. The population will be slaughtered without mercy and the land left desolate. When it's over, only wild animals will walk the streets of the once-splendid city.

Chapter 13 begins a new section in the book of Isaiah, which focuses on prophecies against other nations besides Israel. It begins by describing the Lord's destruction of the city-state of Babylon. This will come after it has become a dominating power in the world. The Lord will assemble a multi-nation army to attack the city and leave the land completely desolate. All who flee will be hunted and killed. The Medes will slaughter even pregnant women and children without mercy. When it is all over, only wild animals will occupy the once luxurious center of human achievement and sophistication.

Isaiah has been discussing the eventual rescue and restoration of Israel (Isaiah 10–12). Chapter 13 introduces an entirely new section in Isaiah's book: prophecies from the Lord against Gentile nations. First is a prediction of the utter destruction of Babylon. That nation had been the dominant power in the world. The Lord will assemble a multi-nation army from near and far to destroy the luxurious and powerful city-state on the Euphrates. This is followed by reassurances and further details of God's vengeance on Israel's other oppressors.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).