Focused Passage

Isaiah 13:1-8

The Oracle Against Babylon and the Day of the LORD

The chapter moves from the announcement of an oracle against Babylon, to the LORD mustering his consecrated warriors, to the terror of the day of the LORD, to cosmic judgment and human anguish, to the punishment of arrogance, to the Medes being stirred against Babylon, and finally to Babylon’s irreversible desolation.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 This is the burden against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz received:

2 Raise a banner on a barren hilltop; call aloud to them. Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

3 I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph.

4 Listen, a tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations gathered together! The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing an army for war.

5 They are coming from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens—the LORD and the weapons of His wrath—to destroy the whole country.

6 Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

7 Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt.

8 Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

[This is] the burden מַשָּׂ֖א H4853 Noun - masculine singular construct against Babylon בָּבֶ֑ל H894 Noun - proper - feminine singular that אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative Isaiah יְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּ H3470 Noun - proper - masculine singular son בֶּן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct of Amoz אָמֽוֹץ׃ H531 Noun - proper - masculine singular received חָזָ֔ה H2372 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 2

Original words

Raise שְֽׂאוּ־ H5375 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural a banner נֵ֔ס H5251 Noun - masculine singular on עַ֤ל H5921 Preposition a barren נִשְׁפֶּה֙ H8192 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular hilltop הַר־ H2022 Noun - masculine singular call הָרִ֥ימוּ H7311 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural aloud ק֖וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular to them לָהֶ֑ם Preposition | third person masculine plural Wave הָנִ֣יפוּ H5130 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural your hand יָ֔ד H3027 Noun - feminine singular that they may enter וְיָבֹ֖אוּ H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural the gates פִּתְחֵ֥י H6607 Noun - masculine plural construct of the nobles נְדִיבִֽים׃ H5081 Adjective - masculine plural
Verse 3

Original words

I אֲנִ֥י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular have commanded צִוֵּ֖יתִי H6680 Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular My sanctified ones לִמְקֻדָּשָׁ֑י H6942 Preposition-l | Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular I have even גַּ֣ם H1571 Conjunction summoned קָרָ֤אתִי H7121 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular My warriors גִבּוֹרַי֙ H1368 Adjective - masculine plural construct | first person common singular to execute My wrath לְאַפִּ֔י H639 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular [and] exult עַלִּיזֵ֖י H5947 Adjective - masculine plural construct in My triumph גַּאֲוָתִֽי׃ H1346 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Verse 4

Original words

Listen ק֥וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct a tumult הָמ֛וֹן H1995 Noun - masculine singular on the mountains בֶּֽהָרִ֖ים H2022 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural like that דְּמ֣וּת H1823 Noun - feminine singular of a great רָ֑ב H7227 Adjective - masculine singular multitude עַם־ H5971 Noun - masculine singular Listen ק֠וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct an uproar שְׁא֞וֹן H7588 Noun - masculine singular construct among the kingdoms מַמְלְכ֤וֹת H4467 Noun - feminine plural construct like nations גּוֹיִם֙ H1471 Noun - masculine plural gathered together נֶֽאֱסָפִ֔ים H622 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural The LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָא֔וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural is mobilizing מְפַקֵּ֖ד H6485 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular an army צְבָ֥א H6635 Noun - common singular construct for war מִלְחָמָֽה׃ H4421 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 5

Original words

They are coming בָּאִ֛ים H935 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural from faraway מֶרְחָ֖ק H4801 Noun - masculine singular lands מֵאֶ֥רֶץ H776 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct from the ends מִקְצֵ֣ה H7097 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of the heavens הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם H8064 Article | Noun - masculine plural the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular and the weapons וּכְלֵ֣י H3627 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct of His wrath זַעְמ֔וֹ H2195 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular to destroy לְחַבֵּ֖ל H2254 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct the whole כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct country הָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 6

Original words

Wail הֵילִ֕ילוּ H3213 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural for כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction the Day י֣וֹם H3117 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular is near קָר֖וֹב H7138 Adjective - masculine singular it will come יָבֽוֹא׃ H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular as destruction כְּשֹׁ֖ד H7701 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular from the Almighty מִשַּׁדַּ֥י H7706 Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Hebrew Shaddai
Verse 7

Original words

Therefore עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . כֵּ֖ן H3651 Adverb all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct hands יָדַ֣יִם H3027 Noun - fd will fall limp תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה H7503 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural and every וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct man’s אֱנ֖וֹשׁ H582 Noun - masculine singular heart לְבַ֥ב H3824 Noun - masculine singular construct will melt יִמָּס׃ H4549 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 8

Original words

Terror וְֽנִבְהָ֓לוּ׀ H926 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural pain צִירִ֤ים H6735 Noun - masculine plural and anguish וַֽחֲבָלִים֙ H2256 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural will seize them יֹֽאחֵז֔וּן H270 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun they will writhe יְחִיל֑וּן H2342 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun like a woman in labor כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֖ה H3205 Preposition-k, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular They will look at אֶל־ H413 Preposition one אִ֤ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular another רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ H7453 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular their faces פְּנֵ֥י H6440 Noun - common plural construct flushed לְהָבִ֖ים H3851 Noun - masculine plural . . . פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃ H6440 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural with fear יִתְמָ֔הוּ H8539 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.