Focused Passage

Isaiah 13:17-22

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

17 Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold.

18 Their bows will dash young men to pieces; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; they will not look with pity on the children.

19 And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.

20 She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation; no nomad will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flock there.

21 But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about.

22 Hyenas will howl in her fortresses and jackals in her luxurious palaces. Babylon’s time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 17

Original words

Behold הִנְנִ֛י H2005 Interjection | first person common singular I will stir up מֵעִ֥יר H5782 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular against them עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם H5921 Preposition | third person masculine plural the Medes מָדָ֑י H4074 Noun - proper - feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker who אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative have no לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle regard יַחְשֹׁ֔בוּ H2803 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural for silver כֶּ֙סֶף֙ H3701 Noun - masculine singular and no לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle desire יַחְפְּצוּ־ H2654 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural for gold וְזָהָ֖ב H2091 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 18

Original words

Their bows וּקְשָׁת֖וֹת H7198 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural {will dash} young men נְעָרִ֣ים H5288 Noun - masculine plural to pieces תְּרַטַּ֑שְׁנָה H7376 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine plural they will have no לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle mercy יְרַחֵ֔מוּ H7355 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural on the fruit וּפְרִי־ H6529 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct of the womb בֶ֙טֶן֙ H990 Noun - feminine singular they will not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle look with pity תָח֥וּס H2347 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular . . . עֵינָֽם׃ H5869 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural on עַל־ H5921 Preposition the children בָּנִ֖ים H1121 Noun - masculine plural
Verse 19

Original words

And Babylon בָבֶל֙ H894 Noun - proper - feminine singular the jewel צְבִ֣י H6643 Noun - masculine singular construct of the kingdoms מַמְלָכ֔וֹת H4467 Noun - feminine plural the glory תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת H8597 Noun - feminine singular construct of the pride גְּא֣וֹן H1347 Noun - masculine singular construct of the Chaldeans כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים H3778 Noun - proper - masculine plural will be וְהָיְתָ֤ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular overthrown כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֣ת H4114 Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct by God אֱלֹהִ֔ים H430 Noun - masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker like Sodom סְדֹ֖ם H5467 Noun - proper - feminine singular - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and Gomorrah עֲמֹרָֽה׃ H6017 Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 20

Original words

She will never לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle . . . לָנֶ֔צַח H5331 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular be inhabited תֵשֵׁ֣ב H3427 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular or וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle settled תִשְׁכֹּ֖ן H7931 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular from עַד־ H5704 Preposition generation דּ֣וֹר H1755 Noun - masculine singular to generation וָד֑וֹר H1755 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular no וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle nomad עֲרָבִ֔י H6163 Noun - proper - masculine singular will pitch his tent יַהֵ֥ל H167 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular there שָׁם֙ H8033 Adverb no לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle shepherd וְרֹעִ֖ים H7462 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural will rest his flock יַרְבִּ֥צוּ H7257 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural there שָֽׁם׃ H8033 Adverb
Verse 21

Original words

But desert creatures צִיִּ֔ים H6728 Noun - masculine plural will lie down וְרָבְצוּ־ H7257 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural there שָׁ֣ם H8033 Adverb and howling creatures אֹחִ֑ים H255 Noun - masculine plural will fill וּמָלְא֥וּ H4390 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural her houses בָתֵּיהֶ֖ם H1004 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural vvv בְּנ֣וֹת H1323 Noun - feminine plural construct Ostriches יַֽעֲנָ֔ה H3284 Noun - feminine singular will dwell וְשָׁ֤כְנוּ H7931 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural there שָׁם֙ H8033 Adverb and wild goats וּשְׂעִירִ֖ים H8163 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural will leap about יְרַקְּדוּ־ H7540 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . שָֽׁם׃ H8033 Adverb

BSB notes

  • Literally Daughters of an ostrich or Daughters of an owl
Verse 22

Original words

Hyenas אִיִּים֙ H338 Noun - masculine plural will howl וְעָנָ֤ה H6030 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular in her fortresses בְּאַלְמנוֹתָ֔יו H490 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular and jackals וְתַנִּ֖ים H8577 Conjunctive waw | Noun - common plural in her luxurious עֹ֑נֶג H6027 Noun - masculine singular palaces בְּהֵ֣יכְלֵי H1964 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct [Babylon’s] time עִתָּ֔הּ H6256 Noun - common singular construct | third person feminine singular is at hand וְקָר֤וֹב H7138 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular . . . לָבוֹא֙ H935 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct and her days וְיָמֶ֖יהָ H3117 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular will not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle be prolonged יִמָּשֵֽׁכוּ׃ H4900 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Or serpents or dragons

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.