Isaiah Chapter 13 Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Isaiah 13:1
This is a prophecy about Bavel, which Yesha'yahu the son of Amotz saw:
The Hebrew word translated as prophecy means burden or judgment and we see, here, that God is going to use the prophet to proclaim judgment on the Babylonian kingdom. This kingdom was based in what is the country of Iraq today.
Isaiah 13:2–3
Hoist a banner on a high mountain, shout to [the invaders]; beckon them to enter the Nobles' Gate. "I have ordered my holy ones, summoned my heroes, eager and bold, to execute my anger."
We have seen where the Assyrians were used to judge Israel and Babylon was used to judge Assyria. Now, we see that God is calling an army to overthrow the kingdom of Babylon. We must remember that the word "Holy" refers to something or someone that is set apart for God's service and not necessarily His people. We must also remember that Isaiah was sent to comfort God's people and we saw them rejoicing in this promise (chapter 12). Daniel shared this same prophecy with the Babylonian king (see Daniel 2).
Isaiah 13:4–5
Listen! A tumult on the mountains - it sounds like a vast multitude! Listen! The uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathering together! ADONAI-Tzva'ot is mustering an army for war. They come from a distant land, from beyond the horizon. It's ADONAI, with the weapons of his rage, to lay waste to all the earth.
The prophet assures God's people that He is assembling a coalition of nations (speaking of the Media-Persian empire) to bring down Babylon. This prophecy has both happened and yet is to happen again. The Babylon of Isaiah's day was defeated by the Medes and the Persians. The new Babylon will be dealt with in the future as described by John in Revelation 17.
Isaiah 13:6
Howl! for the Day of ADONAI is at hand, destruction coming from Shaddai.
The "day of the Lord" refers to the return of Yeshua and so we see that the focus has shifted to the Babylon that is to come.
Isaiah 13:7–8
This is why every arm will hang limp and everyone's courage melt away. They will be gripped by panic, seized with pain and agony, writhing like a woman in labor, looking aghast at each other, faces aflame.
The supernatural events described here are much like the things described in Revelation chapters 6 & 9.
Isaiah 13:9–10
Here comes the Day of ADONAI, full of cruelty, rage and hot fury, to desolate the earth and destroy the sinners in it. For the stars, the constellations in the sky, will no longer give their light; the sun will be dark when it rises; and the moon will no longer shine.
These same events are described by John with the sounding of the fourth trumpet. (see Revelation 8)
Isaiah 13:11
"I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will end the arrogance of the proud and humble the insolence of tyrants.
As we see, this day is a day of judgment. It is interesting to note that, out of all the evil that is going on, God speaks here of the arrogance. That arrogance is man insisting that they do not need the Creator of the universe.
Isaiah 13:12
I will make humans rarer than gold, scarcer than Ofir's pure gold.
Ophir is probably located in the country that is known today as Yemen. This is the place where King Solomon sent ships to get gold (see 1 Kings 9:28). This verse speaks to the fact that there are billions of people on the earth but comparatively few will escape the coming judgment. The Babylon system described in Revelation becomes worldwide but, at the judgment, its followers are removed.
Isaiah 13:13
This is why I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the wrath of ADONAI-Tzva'ot on the day of his fierce anger.
Even the earth itself will fear the Lord and be judged on this day. Everything that has been touched by sin will be removed to prepare for the new heaven and the new earth.
Isaiah 13:14
Then, like a hunted gazelle, like sheep with no one to gather them, everyone will head back to his own people; everyone will flee to his own land.
Now, the focus shifts back to the Babylon of Isaiah's day as we see that they will flee to their own land after they have been defeated.
Isaiah 13:15–16
Anyone found will be pierced through; anyone caught will fall by the sword, their babies dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses looted, their wives raped.
This passage describes the destruction of everything that the men hold dear as the entire family will be judged. Sometimes, it is hard for us to accept the fact that God's judgment is so total but we have to accept the fact that God is just and he knows all things.
Isaiah 13:17–18
I will stir up against them the Medes, who cannot be tempted by silver or bought off with gold. Their bows will tear young men to pieces, they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb, their eye will not spare children."
Babylon was a commercial center but, here, we see that God is going to judge this commercial system by bringing against it a nation that does not care about commercial wealth. This has happened but is also going to happen again as we see in Revelation 18 where the commercial system of the entire earth is judged.
Isaiah 13:19–20
Thus Bavel, that jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Kasdim, will be like S'dom and 'Amora when overthrown by God. It will never again be inhabited, never lived in through all generations. Arabs will not pitch tents there nor shepherds bring their flocks.
This has already happened as the city of Isaiah's day is not inhabited anymore. It was left in ruins never to be rebuilt again.
Isaiah 13:21–22
But wildcats will lie there, their houses will be full of owls, ostriches will live there, and wild goats will dance there. Jackals will howl in their palaces and wild dogs in their temples of delight. Its time is close at hand, its days will not last long.
This passage has been fulfilled in that the ancient city of Babylon is not inhabited by men but by the desert animals. There is an effort underway to rebuild the city but it is in a slightly different location.