Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

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THE PROPHET ISAIAH

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
THE FALL OF BABYLON

Isaiah 13:1-5 – The Message to Babylon

IS13:1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, a heavy message against Babylon: 518
518 Babylon: The first occurrence of “Babylon” in the Jewish Greek Bible [LXX] is Genesis 10:10 in the context of Babel. The name means “Confusion.” This is the first of 15 occurrences in Isaiah. The name occurs most often in Jeremiah with 165 occurrences. See “Babylon” in Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21. Like other world powers Babylon was a strong mix of religion and government.
IS13:2 “Raise a signal 519 upon a barren mountain-top! Scream it to them! 520 Wave your hands that they may enter the gates of royalty. 521
519 Signal: Or, standard, banner.
520 Scream it to them: Or, KJV: exalt the voice; JPS: cry aloud; RHM: raise high the voice; NJB: shout.
521 Gates of royalty: That is, referring to Babylon. Or, KJV: gates of nobles; RHM: doors; NJB: Nobles’ Gate; LXX: open the gates, you rulers.
IS13:3 I Myself given the command to the sanctified ones! 522 Yes, I have called My valiant men 523 – those who proudly triumph 524 – to demonstrate my wrath!
522 Command to the sanctified ones: That is, a call to those God has separated to destroy Babylon. Or, NJB: issue orders to my sacred warriors; RHM: given charge to my hallowed ones; JPS: summon My purified guests.
523 Called My valiant men: That is, Persia warriors. Or, LXX: giants are coming; NJB: summoned my heroes; JPS: My stalwarts; KJV: mighty ones.
524 Those who proudly triumph: That is, as triumphant soldiers. Or, KJV: rejoice in my highness; JPS: proudly exultant ones; NJB: my proud champions; LXX: rejoicing at the same time and insulting.
IS13:4 Hear – the sound of a multitude in the mountains, something like a roaring crowd! The sound of kingdoms in great agitation, whole nations gathering at once! Y^eH^oW^aH of [angelic] armies is mustering a horde to battle! IS13:5 They are coming from a distant land, 525 from the farthest boundaries of the horizon. 526 Y^eH^oW^aH [comes] with His weapons of indignation, to annihilate the land!
525 Distant land: That is, Persia.
526 Farthest boundaries of the horizon: Or, LXX: utmost foundation of heaven; NJB: far horizons; RHM: utmost bounds of the heavens; JPS: end of the sky; KJV: end of heaven.

Isaiah 13:6-8 – Approach of YHWH’s Day

IS13:6 All of you howl! for the Day of Y^eH^oW^aH [2 Thessalonians 2:2] approaches. 527 It will come as certain annihilation from the Almighty! 528
527 Day of YeHoWaH approaches: Or, KJV: is at hand; JPS: near. The “phrase “day of Jehovah” first occurs at Deuteronomy 4:15 and two more times in Isaiah 13:9; 58:13. It is possible the phrase also occurs at 2 Thessalonians 2:2 and 2 Peter 3:12]
528 Certain annihilation from the Almighty: Or, LXX: destruction from God; NJB: coming like devastation from Shaddai; RHM: a veritable destruction; JPS: havoc from Shaddai.
IS13:7 For this reason all hands will droop, 529 and every human heart will faint!
529 All hands will droop: That is, of Babylonian defenders. Or, KJV: hands be faint; JPS: hands shall grow limp; RHM: hand down; NJB: fall limp; LXX: powerless.
IS13:8 Then they will all be in agony, seized by contortion and pain. Just like a woman in childbirth they will be racked with pangs. Everyone will stare in amazement at a neighbor, 530 faces inflamed with shock! 531
530 Stare in amazement at a neighbor: That is, shocked in disbelief. Or, LXX: every soul [PYSKHE] of man shall be dismayed; NJB: look at one another appalled; RHM: look in amazement; JPS: gaze at each other in horror.
531 Faces inflamed with shock: Or, JPS: faces livid with fright; RHM: faces of flame their faces; NJB: look at one another appalled with feverish faces; LXX: shall change their countenance as a flame.

Isaiah 13:9-16 – Darkness on YHWH’s Day

IS13:9 “Behold! The day of Y^eH^oW^aH approaches – a cataclysm of ferocity 532 – burning with rage – to assign the land to devastation, annihilating the land’s sinners out of it.
532 A cataclysm of ferocity: Or, LXX: cannot be escaped; NJB: merciless; RHM: fierce and overflowing; JPS: pitiless fury.
IS13:10 The stars of the heavens with their galaxies 533 will not twinkle in their light. 534 The sun will be enshrouded upon its rising, and the moon will not reflect its light. [Matthew 24:29]
533 The stars of the heavens with their galaxies: Or, KJV: stars of heaven and the constellations; JPS: stars and constellations of heaven; RHM: stars of heaven and their constellations; NJB: in the sky the stars and Orion. Literal Hebrew is KESIL [or, their Kesils; Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #3685]. See Job 9:9; 38:31; Amos 5:8. He language may the source of the Nazarene’s words at Matthew 24:29. [Mark 13:24, 25; Amos 8:9]
534 Will not twinkle in their light: Or, LXX: not give their light; NJB: shed their light no longer; RHM: not flash forth; JPS: not give off.
IS13:11 I will send adversity on the land’s inhabitants, 535 and punishment on the lawless. 536 I will silence the arrogance of the proud, 537 and I will humiliate the presumptuousness of the tyrants. 538
535 I will send adversity on the land’s inhabitants: Or, LXX: I will command evils for the whole world; NJB: I am going to punish the world for its wickedness; RHM: I will visit upon the inhabited earth calamity; JPS: requite to the world its evil.
536 Punishment on the lawless: Or, JPS: the wicked their iniquity; RHM: upon the lawless their punishment; LXX: will visit their sins on the ungodly.
537 Arrogance of the proud: Or, JPS: pride of the arrogant; NJB: pride of the arrogant.
538 Humiliate the presumptuousness of the tyrants: Or, LXX: bring low the pride of the haughty; NJB: humble the haughtiness of despots; RHM: the loftiness of tyrants will I lay low; JPS: humble the haughtiness of tyrants; KJV: lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. [Jeremiah 50:29; Daniel 5:23]
IS13:12 I will make a human being rarer than gold, 539 an earthling as scarce as the finest gold of Ophir. 540
539 Make a human being rarer than gold: Or, JPS: make people scarcer than fine gold; RHM: more precious than. [Jeremiah 50:30]
540 Gold of Ophir: See Job 22:24; 28:15, 16; 1 Chronicles 29:1, 2, 4; Psalm 45:9.
IS13:13 For this reason I will cause the heavens to tremble, 541 and the earth will shake 542 [Luke 21:25-27] from her position. [All this] during the rage of Y^eH^oW^aH of [angelic] armies, and during the day of His burning wrath.
541 The heavens to tremble: Or, LXX: heaven shall be enraged; NJB: shake the heavens; RHM: heavens will I disturb; JPS: shall heaven be shaken. Possibly the source of Luke 21:25-27. Compare Haggai 2:6, 21 and Hebrews 12:26. The language can be a figure of speech or metaphor, though something literal cannot be ruled out.
542 Earth will shake: Or, KJV: earth shall remove out of her place; JPS: leap out of her place; RHM: earth shall tremble out of her place; NJB: earth will reel on its foundations. [Jeremiah 51:29; 2 Peter 3:10]
IS13:14 It will be just like an antelope 543 being chased, like sheep with no one to rescue. Each human will return to their own people, 544 and each person will flee to their own land.
543 Antelope: Or, gazelle.
544 Each human will return to their own people: As refugees and displaced persons. [Jeremiah 50:16]
IS13:15 Every one caught will be pierced through, and everyone captured will be thrust through. IS13:16 Their little babies will be smashed 545 on the ground right in front of them. [Luke 19:43] Their homes will be plundered and their wives raped.
545 Babies will be smashed: Or, LXX: they will dash their children before their eyes. The treatment by invading armies throughout history has been brutal. This has been so right into modern times. The language of the verses is likely the source of Jesus’ words to the women of Jerusalem at Luke 19:43. [Psalm 137:9]

Isaiah 13:17-22 – Persia to Overthrow Babylon

IS13:17 “Watch Me! I stir up the Medes 546 against them! They value silver as nothing, and they take no pleasure in gold.
546 Medes: That is, Medes in alliance with Persia. [Isaiah 21:2; Jeremiah 50:9; 51:11; Daniel 5:31] The Medes were descendants of Noah’s son Japheth, Aryans. [Genesis 10:2]
IS13:18 Their bows will shatter young men to pieces. They will have no pity for the fruitage of the womb, and they will not hide their eyes from helpless children. IS13:19 Just so will Babylon – the most beautiful of kingdoms, 547 the magnificent pride 548 of the Chaldeans – become exactly like The God’s 549 overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.
547 The most beautiful of kingdoms: Or, LXX: us called glorious by the Chaldeans; NJB: pearl of kingdoms; RHM: most lovely; JPS: glory of kingdoms. Babylon is found in modern Iraq. [Isaiah 47:5; Daniel 4:30]
548 Magnificent pride: Or, JPS: proud splendor; RHM: majestic beauty; NJB: splendid jewel. Chaldea is another name for Babylon.
549 The God’s: Or, RHM: divine overthrow. The LXX Greek is HO THEOS. Some have “Jehovah.”
IS13:20 It will be without inhabitants for periods of time, 550 nor will it be inhabited for generations to come. A nomadic Arab will never spread tents there, nor will shepherds tend their flocks there.
550 For periods of time: Or, LXX: never be inhabited; NJB: never again; RHM: for ever; JPS: nevermore. The Hebrew is NETSACH [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #5331] and the LXX Greek is AIONA CHRONON.
IS13:21 Jackals will burrow there, and their homes will house desert owls. There ostriches will make their homes, and ghostly shapes will dance about. 551
551 Ghostly shapes will dance about: Or, LXX: devils [DAIMONIA]; RHM: shaggy creatures shall dace there; NJB: goats; JPS: satyrs. The Hebrew is SA’IYR [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #8163, hairy… demon possessed goats like the swine of Matthew 8:30-32].
IS13:22 The howl of jackals will be heard in [Babylon’s] royal palaces, and wild dogs in their opulent castles. Her time is near at hand, and her [final] days will not delay. 552
552 Her [final] days will not delay: Babylon was destroyed near the end of the 5^th Century BC. Though attempts were made to rebuild her, the ancient city is but a whistle stop for tourists in modern times. Some of the ruins figured in a war with Iraq in the early 1990s.

Mark Heber Miller