Isaiah 13:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.

NIV: 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.

NASB: They will be terrified, Pains and anguish will take hold of them; They will writhe like a woman in labor, They will look at one another in astonishment, Their faces aflame.

CSB: They will be horrified; pain and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look at each other, their faces flushed with fear.

NLT: and people are terrified. Pangs of anguish grip them, like those of a woman in labor. They look helplessly at one another, their faces aflame with fear.

KJV: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

NKJV: And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames.

Isaiah is pronouncing a prophecy from the Lord against Babylon (Isaiah 13:1). Although it had not yet happened at the time Isaiah was writing, this nation would soon rise to become the dominant power in the world. This is especially true under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar. Its rulers and people will become proud and arrogant, picturing themselves to be all-powerful in the world. This prophecy describes the moment when the Lord has had enough. He will assemble a massive, multi-nation army to attack Babylon and destroy its land (Isaiah 13:3–5). Isaiah has called it the day of the Lord, the moment when God will wield the armies as His weapons against the city in judgment for their sins (Isaiah 13:6).

Now Isaiah details the response of the people of Babylon. They realize what they had been trusting in to save them, their own power and might, cannot stand against the armies coming for them. The prophet has said their hands will go weak and their hearts will melt.

Scripture describes these people as dismayed. They simply did not imagine this day would ever come. They are seized by pangs and agony. This is perhaps due to regret or trying to figure out where they went wrong. The anticipation of the coming attack brings them anguish. They just keep looking at each other, red-faced, hoping someone will find an answer. No answer will come. Their arrogant trust in themselves has been their undoing.

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).