Isaiah 13:16 kjv
Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
Isaiah 13:16 nkjv
Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished.
Isaiah 13:16 niv
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives violated.
Isaiah 13:16 esv
Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished.
Isaiah 13:16 nlt
Their little children will be dashed to death before their eyes.
Their homes will be sacked, and their wives will be raped.
Isaiah 13 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 13:16 | Their little ones also shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished. | Isaiah 13:16 (This verse) |
| Jeremiah 50:16 | I also give you in captivity into the hand of the haters of them, that hate you, and deal with you without pity. | Jeremiah 50:16 (Babylon's fall) |
| Jeremiah 51:30 | And the mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken. | Jeremiah 51:30 (Babylon's weakness) |
| Nahum 3:10 | Yet she was carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains. | Nahum 3:10 (Nineveh's fall parallel) |
| Psalms 137:9 | Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. | Psalms 137:9 (Judgment on enemies) |
| Deuteronomy 32:25 | Without the sword and from within terror, to destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling with the old man. | Deuteronomy 32:25 (God's judgment) |
| Lamentations 2:11 | Mine eyes fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the sucking child and the nurse at whose breast he has nursed perish in the streets of the cities. | Lamentations 2:11 (Jerusalem's fall) |
| Hosea 14:1 | O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen for thine iniquity. | Hosea 14:1 (Call to repentance) |
| Joel 1:3 | Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. | Joel 1:3 (Mourning over disaster) |
| Matthew 24:29 | Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: | Matthew 24:29 (Signs of the end) |
| Luke 1:51 | He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. | Luke 1:51 (Mary's Magnificat) |
| Revelation 18:17 | For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in the ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, | Revelation 18:17 (Fall of Babylon) |
| Revelation 18:19 | And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were all that have ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her | Revelation 18:19 (Mourning for Babylon) |
| Habakkuk 2:8 | Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. | Habakkuk 2:8 (Judgment on spoiler) |
| Proverbs 6:32 | Whosoever committeth adultery with a woman lacketh heart: he that doth it destroyeth his own soul. | Proverbs 6:32 (Consequences of sin) |
| Deuteronomy 28:30 | Thou shalt espouse a wife, but another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, but thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, but shalt not gather the grapes thereof. | Deuteronomy 28:30 (Curses of disobedience) |
| 2 Kings 10:10 | Know therefore that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah. | 2 Kings 10:10 (Fulfillment of prophecy) |
| Isaiah 47:3 | Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man. | Isaiah 47:3 (Babylon's humiliation) |
| Isaiah 13:3 | I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. | Isaiah 13:3 (God's instruments) |
| Isaiah 45:1-4 | Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will gird kings with their loins; to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine inheritance, even I have called thee by thy name: I have named thee, though thou hast not known me. | Isaiah 45:1-4 (Cyrus's commission) |
Isaiah 13 verses
Isaiah 13 16 Meaning
The verse describes the devastating and comprehensive destruction that will come upon Babylon. Their children will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses plundered, and their wives violated. It emphasizes the utter ruin and hopelessness of the city's fate, highlighting the severe consequences of its pride and defiance against God.
Isaiah 13 16 Context
Isaiah chapter 13 is a prophecy against Babylon. It foretells its impending destruction by the Medes. The chapter describes a mighty army mobilized by God to enact His judgment on Babylon's pride and wickedness. The context is God's sovereign hand in history, using nations as instruments of His wrath against defiant peoples. This prophecy would have been significant for the original audience, the people of Judah, as it spoke of the downfall of their powerful oppressor, offering a sense of future vindication. The specific verse 16 details the brutal and comprehensive nature of the destruction that awaits Babylon.
Isaiah 13 16 Word Analysis
- Their (Hebrew: hemmah) - Possessive pronoun, referring to the people of Babylon.
- little ones (Hebrew:
eliy`ownim) - This word signifies those who are highest or supreme, but in this context, it refers to the young, the most vulnerable, the tender ones. The plural suggests infants and very young children. - also (Hebrew: gam) - Adds emphasis, indicating that this further horror is included in the overall judgment.
- shall be dashed (Hebrew:
yərûu ornātû(roots suggesting to strike, dash, cast)) - This denotes violent impact, a brutal smashing. It emphasizes the cruel and destructive nature of the act. - in pieces (Hebrew: pərîy-/ or _pērûw-/) - Indicates fragmentation, complete shattering, indicating total destruction.
- before their eyes (Hebrew: `phênê-yêhen or
bə-erebh `êynêhem ) - This phrase heightens the psychological torment. The parents are forced to witness the horrific violence inflicted upon their children, intensifying their suffering and grief. - their houses (Hebrew: bayti-yêhen) - Refers to their dwellings, their homes, their places of security and comfort.
- shall be spoiled (Hebrew: yi-gāzûl or yi-šôsû (roots suggesting to plunder, to despoil)) - Implies thorough looting and ruin. Everything of value will be taken.
- and their wives (Hebrew: wə-nāšê-yêhen) - The female members of their households.
- ravished (Hebrew: yəšūwāl-| or yi-šû`ūl (root suggesting to defile, to take away)) - Signifies sexual violation, rape, a deep personal shame and desecration.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- Their little ones also shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes: This group emphasizes the extreme cruelty and emotional devastation of the conquest, focusing on the violent demise of the most innocent, witnessed by their parents.
- their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished: This group describes the total destruction of property and the deepest violation of personal dignity and family honor. It encompasses both material loss and profound societal humiliation.
Isaiah 13 16 Bonus Section
The language used in this verse, particularly the violent imagery of dashing infants, echoes similar pronouncements of judgment against other oppressive nations in Scripture, such as the prophecy against Nineveh in Nahum 3:10. This consistent portrayal of judgment serves to underscore God's unwavering justice and His displeasure with extreme cruelty and the oppression of the weak. It also aligns with the curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28 for disobedience, which include the possibility of enemies conquering and seizing one's family and possessions. The prophet Isaiah often employs such vivid and visceral language to convey the severity of God's judgment and to impress upon his audience the reality of the coming consequences.
Isaiah 13 16 Commentary
This verse paints a grim picture of judgment, illustrating the total devastation that falls upon a city that has incurred God's wrath. The brutal treatment of children underscores the extreme nature of the violence, while the plundering of homes and violation of wives signifies the complete stripping away of security, possessions, and dignity. It serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of rebellion against God and His covenant. This passage highlights the thoroughness of divine judgment, leaving nothing intact and bringing immense sorrow and shame.