Isaiah 13 - Printer Friendly

Chapter 13 begins a new section of Isaiah's book that continues through chapter 23. This segment contains oracles or prophecies about and against other nations. These are revelations from the Lord, through Isaiah, about events and judgments to come against the enemies of and around Israel. These prophecies are repeated or echoed by other Old Testament prophets as well. These oracles were not written for the nations which they condemn. They were written for Israel. Their purpose was to urge God's people to continue to put their trust in Him alone and not in other kings, kingdoms, or their gods. The Lord God of Israel was the God of all nations. These oracles show that He would do with, and to, each of them as He chose.

Isaiah begins with an oracle against Babylon. The ruins of this ancient city-state of Babylon are currently being excavated about 50 miles south of Baghdad in modern Iraq. This city, built up on both sides of the Euphrates River, was thought to be the pinnacle of beauty, culture, and human achievement in the ancient Near East (Isaiah 13:1).

Babylon, along with the Medes, helped put an end to the Assyrian Empire and became the primary world power for a time. It is Babylon, led by King Nebuchadnezzar, that finally destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BC after a long siege of the city (2 Kings 25). Isaiah writes in this chapter about the destruction of Babylon. This event did not take place until after Isaiah's lifetime. Scholars disagree about whether the destruction described by Isaiah happened in 539 BC or at some other time. In any case, this prophecy was fulfilled: Babylon was destroyed.

The oracle begins with the Lord describing how He has gathered a multi-nation army to attack Babylon. He poetically signals to begin an attack against the important people of the city. The Lord reveals that He is the one who has summoned and consecrated this massive army to execute His angry judgment against Babylon. Regardless of the reasons the leaders of the assembled kingdoms may think they have for joining in this battle, it is the Lord who has called them (Isaiah 13:2–3).

The armies the Lord has called from near and far are gathered in the hills around the city. They are creating an uproar that can be heard in Babylon as they prepare for battle. God will wield these armies as His personal weapons for destroying the entire region (Isaiah 13:4–5).

The Lord tells the people of Babylon to wail or "howl" about the destruction that is coming. He says their hands will go limp and their hearts will melt. They will look at each other in dismay, seized by agony. There will be no escape from the horrors that are to come (Isaiah 13:6–8).

The phrase "the day of the Lord" is often used to describe the moment of God's judgment on sinful people. His fierce wrath and anger will fall on Babylon. All light from the stars, sun, and moon will be blotted out. He will bring an end to the arrogance and the pride of the ruthless of the nation (Isaiah 13:9–11).

The Lord's destruction will be absolute, making living people rarer in Babylon than the purest gold. Storms and earthquakes will come. Those who flee will be hunted down and run through. The human armies who attack, based on their own motivations, will bring immense human suffering. The people of Babylon will experience terrible atrocities at the hands of these invaders (Isaiah 13:12–16).

The Medes will lead the attack, and they will be merciless. Not even pregnant women and children will be spared. The once glorious city of Babylon will be as thoroughly destroyed as Sodom and Gomorrah. This city that was once the height of human achievement reduced to essentially ashes. The city will be unoccupied for generations, at least, except for the wild animals that haunt the once-luxurious homes, towers, and public spaces (Isaiah 13:17–22).