Read & explore together
The Burden against Babylon
Isaiah 13 is a burden against Babylon that Isaiah saw. The prophecy moves from a summons to battle, to the terror of Yahweh’s day, to the naming of the Medes, and ends with Babylon emptied and ruined.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
The passage itself presents Yahweh gathering an army from far away and calling this coming attack his indignation. It warns that the day of Yahweh is near, describes judgement on evil and pride, names the Medes as the attackers, and closes with Babylon becoming an uninhabited place of wild animals.
Isaiah 13:1–22Main takeaway
Isaiah 13 teaches that Yahweh’s judgement reaches human evil and arrogance, and Babylon’s splendour will not prevent its fall.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A banner raised and armies gatheredThe message begins with a signal on a bare mountain and a call for entry through the gates.
Explanation
The message begins with a signal on a bare mountain and a call for entry through the gates. Yahweh says he has commanded his consecrated ones and called mighty men. The noise grows into many kingdoms gathered together. These forces come from a far country as Yahweh’s weapons of indignation to destroy the land.
02The day of Yahweh brings terrorPeople are told to wail because Yahweh’s day is near, and it comes as destruction from the Almighty.
Explanation
People are told to wail because Yahweh’s day is near, and it comes as destruction from the Almighty. The result is fear and weakness: hands become feeble, hearts melt, and people are seized with pain. The labour image shows anguish, not safety, as they stare at one another in alarm.
03Judgement against evil and prideThe prophecy describes Yahweh’s day as wrath that makes the land desolate and destroys sinners from it.
Explanation
The prophecy describes Yahweh’s day as wrath that makes the land desolate and destroys sinners from it. The darkened sun, moon and stars heighten the scale of judgement. Yahweh says he will punish evil and humble arrogance. People become rare like fine gold, and heaven and earth are pictured as shaken.
04Babylon’s splendour ends in ruinThose caught in the attack face ruthless violence, and families are not spared. The prophecy explicitly includes violence against children and sexual violence against women.
Explanation
Those caught in the attack face ruthless violence, and families are not spared. The prophecy explicitly includes violence against children and sexual violence against women. Yahweh names the Medes as the attackers, people not moved by silver or gold. Babylon, once glorious, will become like Sodom and Gomorrah, empty of human life and filled with wild animals.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01How does the opening show that Yahweh is directing the coming attack?
Look for the signal, Yahweh’s own words about commanding and calling, and the statement that the army comes as his indignation.
02Which phrases describe the effect of Yahweh’s day on people’s bodies and emotions?
List the words about feeble hands, melting hearts, pangs, sorrows, pain and amazement.
03What reasons for judgement are stated, and what final picture answers Babylon’s former glory?
Compare the mention of evil, iniquity and arrogance with the closing picture of an uninhabited place occupied by wild animals.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Isaiah 13:1–22
1The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.
2Set up a banner on the bare mountain! Lift up your voice to them! Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
3I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
4The noise of a multitude is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Yahweh of Armies is mustering the army for the battle.
5They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Yahweh, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
6Wail, for Yahweh’s day is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
7Therefore all hands will be feeble, and everyone’s heart will melt.
8They will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labor. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame.
9Behold, the day of Yahweh comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy its sinners out of it.
10For the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going out, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.
11I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the arrogance of the terrible.
12I will make people more rare than fine gold, even a person than the pure gold of Ophir.
13Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place in Yahweh of Armies’ wrath, and in the day of his fierce anger.
14It will happen that like a hunted gazelle and like sheep that no one gathers, they will each turn to their own people, and will each flee to their own land.
15Everyone who is found will be thrust through. Everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
16Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be ransacked, and their wives raped.
17Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.
18Their bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare children.
19Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
20It will never be inhabited, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.
21But wild animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will frolic there.
22Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.