Focused Passage

Isaiah 13:9-16

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

9 Behold, the Day of the LORD is coming—cruel, with fury and burning anger—to make the earth a desolation and to destroy the sinners within it.

10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.

11 I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant and lay low the pride of the ruthless.

12 I will make man scarcer than pure gold, and mankind rarer than the gold of Ophir.

13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the wrath of the LORD of Hosts on the day of His burning anger.

14 Like a hunted gazelle, like a sheep without a shepherd, each will return to his own people, each will flee to his native land.

15 Whoever is caught will be stabbed, and whoever is captured will die by the sword.

16 Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 9

Original words

Behold הִנֵּ֤ה H2009 Interjection the Day יוֹם־ H3117 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular is coming בָּ֔א H935 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular cruel אַכְזָרִ֥י H394 Adjective - masculine singular with fury וְעֶבְרָ֖ה H5678 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular and burning anger וַחֲר֣וֹן H2740 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct . . . אָ֑ף H639 Noun - masculine singular to make לָשׂ֤וּם H7760 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct the earth הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular a desolation לְשַׁמָּ֔ה H8047 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular and to destroy יַשְׁמִ֥יד H8045 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the sinners וְחַטָּאֶ֖יהָ H2400 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular within it מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ H4480 Preposition | third person feminine singular
Verse 10

Original words

For כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction the stars כוֹכְבֵ֤י H3556 Noun - masculine plural construct of heaven הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ H8064 Article | Noun - masculine plural and their constellations וּכְסִ֣ילֵיהֶ֔ם H3685 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural will not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle give יָהֵ֖לּוּ H1984 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural their light אוֹרָ֑ם H216 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural The rising בְּצֵאת֔וֹ H3318 Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular sun הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ H8121 Article | Noun - common singular will be darkened חָשַׁ֤ךְ H2821 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular and the moon וְיָרֵ֖חַ H3394 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular will not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle give יַגִּ֥יהַ H5050 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular its light אוֹרֽוֹ׃ H216 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 11

Original words

I will punish וּפָקַדְתִּ֤י H6485 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular - עַל־ H5921 Preposition the world תֵּבֵל֙ H8398 Noun - feminine singular [for its] evil רָעָ֔ה H7451 Adjective - feminine singular and וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the wicked רְשָׁעִ֖ים H7563 Adjective - masculine plural for their iniquity עֲוֺנָ֑ם H5771 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural I will end וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ H7673 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular the haughtiness גְּא֣וֹן H1347 Noun - masculine singular construct of the arrogant זֵדִ֔ים H2086 Adjective - masculine plural and lay low אַשְׁפִּֽיל׃ H8213 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular the pride וְגַאֲוַ֥ת H1346 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct of the ruthless עָרִיצִ֖ים H6184 Adjective - masculine plural
Verse 12

Original words

{I will make} man אֱנ֖וֹשׁ H582 Noun - masculine singular scarcer אוֹקִ֥יר H3365 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular than pure gold מִפָּ֑ז H6337 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular and mankind וְאָדָ֖ם H120 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular rarer than the gold מִכֶּ֥תֶם H3800 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of Ophir אוֹפִֽיר׃ H211 Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 13

Original words

Therefore עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . כֵּן֙ H3651 Adverb I will make the heavens שָׁמַ֣יִם H8064 Noun - masculine plural tremble אַרְגִּ֔יז H7264 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular and the earth הָאָ֖רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular will be shaken וְתִרְעַ֥שׁ H7493 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular from its place מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ H4725 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular at the wrath בְּעֶבְרַת֙ H5678 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָא֔וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural on the day וּבְי֖וֹם H3117 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of His burning anger חֲר֥וֹן H2740 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . אַפּֽוֹ׃ H639 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

- וְהָיָה֙ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Like a hunted מֻדָּ֔ח H5080 Verb - Hofal - Participle - masculine singular gazelle כִּצְבִ֣י H6643 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular like a sheep וּכְצֹ֖אן H6629 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - common singular without וְאֵ֣ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb a shepherd מְקַבֵּ֑ץ H6908 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular each אִ֤ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular will return יִפְנ֔וּ H6437 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition his own people עַמּוֹ֙ H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular each וְאִ֥ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular will flee יָנֽוּסוּ׃ H5127 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition his native land אַרְצ֖וֹ H776 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 15

Original words

Whoever כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct is caught הַנִּמְצָ֖א H4672 Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular will be stabbed יִדָּקֵ֑ר H1856 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular and whoever וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct is captured הַנִּסְפֶּ֖ה H5595 Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular will die יִפּ֥וֹל H5307 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular by the sword בֶּחָֽרֶב׃ H2719 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 16

Original words

Their infants וְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֥ם H5768 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural will be dashed to pieces יְרֻטְּשׁ֖וּ H7376 Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine plural before their eyes לְעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑ם H5869 Preposition-l | Noun - cdc | third person masculine plural their houses בָּֽתֵּיהֶ֔ם H1004 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural will be looted יִשַּׁ֙סּוּ֙ H8155 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural and their wives וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֖ם H802 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural will be ravished תִּשָּׁגַלְנָה׃ H7693 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine 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.