Isaiah 13 14

Isaiah 13:14 kjv

And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.

Isaiah 13:14 nkjv

It shall be as the hunted gazelle, And as a sheep that no man takes up; Every man will turn to his own people, And everyone will flee to his own land.

Isaiah 13:14 niv

Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, they will all return to their own people, they will flee to their native land.

Isaiah 13:14 esv

And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land.

Isaiah 13:14 nlt

Everyone in Babylon will run about like a hunted gazelle,
like sheep without a shepherd.
They will try to find their own people
and flee to their own land.

Isaiah 13 verses

Isaiah 13 14 meaning

Isaiah 13:14 vividly portrays the panicked and chaotic dispersion of the inhabitants of Babylon during its foretold destruction. Overwhelmed by divine judgment, the diverse populations within the city will scatter in terror, likening them to defenseless animals seeking refuge. They will abandon the fallen empire and flee back to their original nations and homelands, prioritizing self-preservation over allegiance to the defeated power.

Isaiah 13 14 Context

Isaiah chapter 13 is "The Burden of Babylon" (Isa 13:1), marking the beginning of a series of prophecies against various nations. This chapter foretells the utter destruction of Babylon, depicted as a divine judgment upon its pride and idolatry. The prophecy was given at a time when Babylon was not yet the dominant world power but was poised to become one after the decline of Assyria. The Medes, who are specifically mentioned (Isa 13:17) as God's instrument, were not yet fully formed as a united force to challenge such an empire. Verse 14 specifically describes the consequence of this catastrophic judgment: the foreign inhabitants of Babylon, and likely Babylonians themselves, will experience an immediate, terror-stricken dispersion, fleeing for their lives in the aftermath of the city's overthrow. It highlights the reversal of power where the once-gatherer of nations would now be a disperser.

Isaiah 13 14 Word analysis

• And like a hunted gazelle (וְכִצְבִי מֻדָּח, v'khitzvi mudakh)
  • וְכִצְבִי (v'khitzvi): "And like a gazelle." The Hebrew word tzvi (צְבִי) refers to a gazelle, an animal known for its grace, speed, and beauty. However, here the emphasis is on its inherent timidity and vulnerability when pursued, becoming a symbol of helplessness.
  • מֻדָּח (mudakh): "hunted" or "driven away." This is a participle, indicating an ongoing state of being pursued or forced out. It signifies an involuntary, terror-filled flight, reinforcing the animal's defenselessness and the overwhelming force chasing it. This imagery strips Babylon's once-proud inhabitants of any dignity, reducing them to desperate prey.
• or like sheep without a shepherd (וּכְצֹאן וְאֵין קֹבֵץ, u'kh'tzon v'ein koveitz)
  • וּכְצֹאן (u'kh'tzon): "Or like sheep." Sheep (צֹאן, tzon) are widely recognized in biblical culture as creatures that are entirely dependent, prone to wandering, and utterly vulnerable without proper leadership and protection. They represent a community in a state of helplessness and disorder.
  • וְאֵין קֹבֵץ (v'ein koveitz): "And there is no gatherer" or "no shepherd." Koveitz (קֹבֵץ) literally means one who gathers, signifying a leader or protector (a shepherd) who collects and cares for the flock. The absence of a "gatherer" underlines the complete lack of leadership, direction, or any protective authority. This further intensifies the imagery of aimless wandering and extreme exposure to danger.
• each will turn to his own people (אִישׁ אֶל־עַמּוֹ יִפְנֶה, ish el-ammo yifneh)
  • אִישׁ אֶל־עַמּוֹ (ish el-ammo): "Each man to his people." This emphasizes the individual, self-preservation instinct taking over amidst chaos. "His own people" refers to their ethnic, national, or familial group, indicating a flight back to their ancestral communities and away from the multi-ethnic imperial city.
  • יִפְנֶה (yifneh): "He will turn." The verb denotes a decisive turning, indicating a change of direction and allegiance. It is a desperate turning away from the immediate danger towards perceived safety rooted in origin.
• and each will flee to his own land (וְאִישׁ אֶל־אַרְצוֹ יָנוּס, v'ish el-artzo yanus)
  • וְאִישׁ אֶל־אַרְצוֹ (v'ish el-artzo): "And each man to his land." Reinforces the concept of returning to their original territory or homeland. This suggests that a significant portion of Babylon's population comprised foreign exiles, merchants, or subject peoples who would seek escape.
  • יָנוּס (yanus): "He will flee." This strong verb signifies urgent, hurried flight driven by fear and panic, emphasizing the immediate danger and desperate need for escape.

Words-group analysis

• "And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep without a shepherd": This pairing of similes creates a potent image of terror and utter vulnerability. The gazelle highlights the frantic, swift escape from direct pursuit, while the sheep emphasizes the leaderless confusion and aimless scattering when the established order collapses. Together, they paint a picture of comprehensive disintegration and despair, underscoring the completeness of the judgment against Babylon.
• "each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land": The repetition of "each" highlights the individualism and atomization within the former empire. Loyalty to Babylon vanishes, replaced by a desperate yearning for one's true origins and family. This reflects the multi-ethnic nature of Babylon, where many subjugated peoples or foreign residents would seize the opportunity of its downfall to return home, undoing the forced "gathering" effected by the empire.

Isaiah 13 14 Bonus section

The portrayal of the diverse inhabitants of Babylon fleeing to their "own people" and "own land" highlights an aspect often overlooked: the composite nature of ancient empires. Babylon was not solely populated by native Babylonians but by numerous captive nations, mercenaries, and merchants. For these foreign residents, Babylon's fall would represent an opportunity for release from oppression or a swift exit from impending danger, rather than loyalty to the failing empire. This prophesied scattering is therefore a symbolic undoing of imperial might—the "gathering" of nations by force or economic attraction is reversed into a disaggregation. It underscores a pattern often seen in the collapse of powerful states, where former subjugated or diverse populations seize the moment to return to their distinct identities and homelands.

Isaiah 13 14 Commentary

Isaiah 13:14 delivers a stark prophecy of Babylon's downfall, focusing on the immediate psychological and social impact on its populace. The vivid animal metaphors of a "hunted gazelle" and "sheep without a shepherd" profoundly illustrate the panic, leaderlessness, and vulnerability that will engulf the city's inhabitants. This imagery conveys a sense of desperate, chaotic flight rather than organized retreat. The "hunted gazelle" speaks to the swift and terrified flight from an overwhelming, unseen force, while the "sheep without a shepherd" signifies utter disorientation, loss of protection, and directionless wandering.

This scattering is not merely a consequence of military defeat but a divine act. The foreign elements, which Babylon had accumulated through conquest or commerce, will abandon the doomed city, reversing the forced gatherings that characterized its imperial might. The impulse for "each to his own people" and "each to his own land" speaks to a fundamental human desire for ancestral roots and perceived safety in times of existential threat, directly contrasting Babylon's imperial ambition to consolidate power and peoples under its own banner. The prophecy serves as a powerful testament to the transient nature of even the most powerful human empires in the face of God's ultimate sovereignty and judgment.