Isaiah 13:17 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Isaiah 13:17 kjv
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
Isaiah 13:17 nkjv
"Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it.
Isaiah 13:17 niv
See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold.
Isaiah 13:17 esv
Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold.
Isaiah 13:17 nlt
"Look, I will stir up the Medes against Babylon.
They cannot be tempted by silver
or bribed with gold.
Isaiah 13 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 13:11 | "I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity…" | God's direct role in judgment. |
| Isa 13:16 | "Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes..." | Severity of the judgment, complete devastation. |
| Isa 45:1 | "Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped..." | God names Cyrus, the Persian king allied with Medes, as His instrument. |
| Jer 25:9 | "Behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant..." | God uses pagan nations as His instruments of judgment. |
| Jer 50:3 | "For a nation has come up against her from the north; it shall make her land a desolation..." | General prophecy of Babylon's destruction by a northern force. |
| Jer 51:11 | "...for the LORD has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes..." | Explicit mention of God stirring Medes against Babylon, direct parallel. |
| Jer 51:28 | "Prepare nations for war against her, the kings of Media, with their governors and all their deputies..." | Direct prophecy of Medes leading the attack on Babylon. |
| Dan 2:39 | "...then another kingdom inferior to you will arise, and yet another, a third kingdom of bronze..." | Prophecy of Medo-Persian empire succeeding Babylon. |
| Zech 1:15 | "and with great wrath I am angry with the nations that are at ease..." | God's anger as motive for using nations as judgment. |
| Zeph 1:18 | "Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them..." | Riches are useless on the day of divine wrath. |
| Ezek 7:19 | "They cast their silver into the streets... their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them..." | In a time of judgment, wealth loses all value and saving power. |
| Prov 11:4 | "Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death." | Material wealth cannot save from God's judgment. |
| Matt 16:26 | "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" | Eternal value transcends worldly possessions. |
| 1 Pet 1:18 | "...you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold..." | Spiritual salvation is not bought with material wealth. |
| Rev 18:11-16 | "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her... because no one buys their cargo any more..." | Lament over the fallen Babylon, its former riches now useless. |
| Rev 18:17 | "...In a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste." | Swiftness and totality of judgment upon a rich entity. |
| Rom 9:17 | "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up...' " | God raises up specific figures for His divine purpose. |
| Ps 75:6-7 | "For not from the east or from the west... comes honor, but it is God who executes judgment..." | God is sovereign over exalting and bringing low nations. |
| Job 12:23 | "He makes nations great, and he destroys them..." | God's absolute sovereignty over nations' fates. |
| Amos 1:3-2:3 | Prophecies against various nations like Damascus, Philistia, Tyre... | God's judgments extend to all nations, not just Israel. |
| Isa 14:21 | "Prepare slaughter for his children because of the iniquity of their fathers..." | Prophecy of complete generational destruction for the wicked. |
| Nah 3:1 | "Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder..." | Nations guilty of plunder are subject to judgment. |
Isaiah 13 verses
Isaiah 13 17 meaning
Isaiah 13:17 pronounces God's deliberate action to incite the Medes against Babylon. The core significance lies in the unique characteristic attributed to these Medean conquerors: their utter disinterest in plunder, neither valuing silver nor desiring gold. This indicates that their conquest would not be motivated by typical spoils of war or ransom, but rather by a deeper, divinely orchestrated purpose of complete and merciless destruction and desolation, surpassing normal human greed for riches.
Isaiah 13 17 Context
Isaiah 13 opens a series of prophecies (chapters 13-23) known as "Oracles Against the Nations," beginning with a pronouncement against Babylon, specifically called "the burden of Babylon." This chapter vividly describes the LORD's assembly of an army from distant lands, a powerful instrument for divine judgment against a proud and rebellious Babylon. The prophecy paints a picture of a devastating, ruthless, and complete overthrow of the empire that would one day lead Judah into captivity. Historically, this prophecy was made long before Babylon became the dominant world power that destroyed Jerusalem and led Israel into exile, and even longer before its own fall. The "them" in verse 17 refers directly to Babylon, which symbolizes worldly power and idolatry in contrast to God's ultimate sovereignty.
Isaiah 13 17 Word analysis
- Behold, I will stir up (`הִנְנִי מֵעִיר`, `hineni me'ir`): `הִנְנִי` (`hineni` - "Behold me" or "Here I am") emphasizes God's direct, personal, and immediate involvement. It highlights His active initiative. `מֵעִיר` (`me'ir`) from `עוּר` (`'ur`) means "to rouse," "awaken," or "incite." It denotes deliberate and powerful divine orchestration, not mere allowance or prediction. God is the active agent in setting these events in motion. This demonstrates divine sovereignty over human history and national affairs.
- the Medes (`מָדַי`, `Maday`): The Medes were an ancient Indo-European people, neighbors and eventually overlords of the Persians, located east of Mesopotamia. At the time of Isaiah's prophecy (8th century BC), the Medes were not a dominant world power nor a direct threat to Babylon. This specific naming, centuries before their decisive rise, underlines the prophetic foresight and divine authorship of Isaiah's words. Later, the Medes, in alliance with the Persians under Cyrus (whose mother was Mede), would indeed conquer Babylon in 539 BC.
- against them, (`עֲלֵיהֶם`, `'alehem`): "Them" clearly refers to Babylon, the subject of the entire oracle in Isaiah 13. This specifies the target of God's divinely orchestrated wrath.
- who will not regard silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it. (`אֲשֶׁר כֶּסֶף לֹא יַחְשֹׁבוּ וְזָהָב לֹא יַחְפְּצוּ`, `asher kesef lo' yachshovu ve'zahav lo' yachpetzu`): `כֶּסֶף לֹא יַחְשֹׁבוּ` (`kesef lo' yachshovu`) - "silver they will not value/consider." `יַחְשֹׁבוּ` (`yachshovu`) comes from `חָשַׁב` (`hashav`), meaning to count, compute, reckon, esteem. Thus, they will not account silver as valuable. `וְזָהָב לֹא יַחְפְּצוּ` (`ve'zahav lo' yachpetzu`) - "and gold they will not desire/delight in." `יַחְפְּצוּ` (`yachpetzu`) from `חָפֵץ` (`chaphets`), meaning to desire, take pleasure in, be pleased with. This phrase is pivotal. Unlike typical ancient conquerors who sought tribute, loot, and treasure, the Medes' motivation would transcend such material gains. It indicates a merciless, thorough, and divinely charged mission of utter devastation, for which no ransom or valuable possession could avert their onslaught or appease them. This detachment from typical spoils makes them instruments of absolute judgment, signifying that God's purpose for Babylon was complete destruction, not merely subjugation for wealth.
- "I will stir up the Medes against them": This phrase highlights God's absolute sovereignty, orchestrating events and nations to fulfill His purposes. It portrays God not as a passive observer, but as the active initiator and director of historical forces, shaping the destinies of empires according to His righteous judgment.
- "who will not regard silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.": This grouping emphasizes the unique and terrifying nature of the Medean invasion. It describes an army unswayed by typical human avarice, suggesting a force driven by a destructive impulse far beyond material gain. This characteristic signals that Babylon's downfall will be absolute, its wealth providing no protection or means of appeasement. It paints them as perfect tools for divine wrath, uncompromising and unpurchasable.
Isaiah 13 17 Bonus section
The remarkable specificity of this prophecy, naming the Medes long before their geopolitical significance, highlights the predictive power of biblical prophecy and points to God's extra-temporal knowledge. This precision supports the view of Isaiah as a divinely inspired message, demonstrating that the future of nations is not random but under God's ultimate governance. The Medes' lack of interest in plunder further suggests that the driving force behind this historical event was not merely human ambition but a higher, divine agenda for justice and a restoration of His chosen people. The fall of Babylon, as orchestrated by God through the Medes, represents a type of ultimate triumph over oppressive worldly power and serves as a preview of God's final judgment over all systems that stand against Him.
Isaiah 13 17 Commentary
Isaiah 13:17 delivers a profound statement on divine judgment against Babylon, executed through an unexpected agent, the Medes. God, with purposeful intent, raises up this formidable nation not for economic gain, but as a vessel of uncompromising destruction. Their declared disinterest in silver and gold sets them apart from conventional plunderers and signifies that their mission is one of complete desolation rather than mere subjugation for profit. This illustrates that Babylon's wealth, pride, and material might were ultimately futile against God's decree. The verse thus underscores God's supreme sovereignty over all nations, using even distant, pagan peoples to exact justice and demonstrate His control over world history. It warns that no earthly treasure can protect a nation or individual from divine judgment when its measure of iniquity is full.