Isaiah 13:19 kjv
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
Isaiah 13:19 nkjv
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
Isaiah 13:19 niv
Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
Isaiah 13:19 esv
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.
Isaiah 13:19 nlt
Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms,
the flower of Chaldean pride,
will be devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah
when God destroyed them.
Isaiah 13 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 13:19 | Babylon…will be ashes | Judgment of proud nations |
| Jeremiah 50:37 | And all their horses and chariots shall be overthrown. | Judgment on Babylon |
| Jeremiah 51:25 | Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain…which destroys the whole earth. | Judgment on Babylon |
| Jeremiah 51:62 | You shall say, 'O Babylon…you have come to your end!' | Judgment on Babylon |
| Daniel 5:30 | That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. | Fall of Babylon |
| Nahum 3:5 | "Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts...I will…make you a burnt heap." | Judgment on Nineveh |
| Revelation 18:8 | For this reason in one day shall her plagues come, death and mourning and famine, and she will be utterly burned with fire, for the Lord God, who judges her, is mighty. | Judgment on Babylon the Great |
| Luke 17:29 | But on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. | Judgment on Sodom |
| 2 Peter 3:10 | But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are on it will be burned up. | Day of the Lord |
| Isaiah 34:9 | And the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and their dust into sulfur; their land shall become burning pitch. | Judgment on Edom |
| Isaiah 1:31 | The mighty shall become like tinder, and his exploit like a spark, and both together shall burn, and there shall be none to quench it. | Judgment on Judah |
| Psalm 1:4 | The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. | Wickedness vs righteousness |
| Isaiah 5:24 | Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will become rotten, and their blossom blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts… | Judgment on Israel |
| 2 Kings 25:9 | And he burned the house of the LORD and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem... | Destruction of Jerusalem |
| Ezekiel 26:12 | They will…make you a level place for the spreading of nets. | Judgment on Tyre |
| Revelation 17:16 | And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire. | Judgment on Babylon the Great |
| Isaiah 47:14 | Behold, they are now like stubble; fire burns them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. | Judgment on Babylon |
| Malachi 4:1 | "For behold, the day is coming, burned as an oven, when the proud and all who do wickedly will be stubble. The day that is coming shall burn them up, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. | Day of the Lord |
| Habakkuk 2:7 | Will not your creditors rise up suddenly, and your debtors startle, and you become their plunder? | Judgment on oppressors |
| Revelation 18:17 | For in one hour all this wealth has been laid waste. | Judgment on Babylon the Great |
Isaiah 13 verses
Isaiah 13 19 Meaning
This verse describes the destruction of Babylon, depicting it as a place where the proud would become like stubble, consumed by fire. It emphasizes the complete devastation and obliteration of the city.
Isaiah 13 19 Context
Isaiah 13 is a prophecy against Babylon. The chapter describes the invasion of Babylon by the Medes and Persians, highlighting the fierceness of the invaders and the resulting devastation. The context is God's judgment upon Babylon for its pride and cruelty. This specific verse serves as a graphic depiction of the utter destruction that will befall the city, rendering it uninhabitable and turning its once proud structures into mere ashes. The historical context is around the 8th century BC, during the time of the Assyrian and Babylonian empires.
Isaiah 13 19 Word Analysis
- So (Hebrew: כֵּן - ken): Thus, so, in this way.
- Babylon (Hebrew: בָּבֶל - Bāḇel): The capital city of the Babylonian empire, known for its power, luxury, and idolatry.
- the proud (Hebrew: גֵּאִים - gē'īm): The arrogant, haughty, exalted ones. This refers to the inhabitants of Babylon, particularly its rulers and elite, who trusted in their own might and not in God.
- shall (Hebrew: יִהְיוּ - yihyeh): Future tense verb, indicating what will happen.
- be (Hebrew: יִהְיוּ - yihyeh): To exist, to become.
- like (Hebrew: כְּ - kə): As, similar to.
- stubble (Hebrew: קַשׁ - qaš): Dry stalks of grain left in the field after harvest. It is easily consumed by fire.
- and (Hebrew: וְ - wə): Connects phrases or clauses.
- the sparks (Hebrew: הַשִּׁבֳּלִים - haššibbolîm): The gleanings, remnants. Refers to the small remains that the fire would consume.
- shall (Hebrew: יִשְׂרְפוּ - yiśrəp̄ū): Future tense verb, indicating what will happen.
- they (Hebrew: הֵמָּה - hēmmâ): Pronoun referring to the proud.
- be (Hebrew: יִשְׂרְפוּ - yiśrəp̄ū): To burn.
- in (Hebrew: בְּ - bə): Preposition indicating location or manner.
- that (Hebrew: בַּיּוֹם - bayyōm): In the day.
- day (Hebrew: יוֹם - yōm): Day.
- and (Hebrew: וְ - wə): Connects phrases or clauses.
- none (Hebrew: אֵין - 'ên): Not, no.
- shall (Hebrew: יְבַטֵּל - yəḇaṭṭel): Future tense verb, indicating what will happen.
- leave (Hebrew: יְבַטֵּל - yəḇaṭṭel): To annul, destroy, make null and void. In this context, it implies leaving no remainder or trace.
- them (Hebrew: אוֹתָם - 'ōṯâm): Pronoun referring to the proud.
Word-group Analysis:
- "the proud shall be like stubble": This metaphor vividly portrays the complete vulnerability and powerlessness of the proud nation of Babylon when faced with divine judgment. Just as dry stubble is easily ignited and utterly consumed by fire, so too will Babylon's pride and power be reduced to nothingness.
- "the sparks and all that is in them shall be burned up": This reinforces the thoroughness of the destruction. Not only the main body but also the lingering remnants ("sparks") and everything contained within Babylon will be utterly annihilated.
- "none shall leave them": This phrase emphasizes the totality of the obliteration; there will be no survivors or remains to witness or carry on the legacy of the proud nation. It implies a complete eradication.
Isaiah 13 19 Bonus Section
This prophecy against Babylon is one of several in the Old Testament, highlighting Babylon's role as a powerful oppressor and an adversary to God's people. The imagery of destruction by fire is a common motif in biblical prophecy, often symbolizing purification and judgment. While directly prophesying the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians in 539 BC, the New Testament, particularly Revelation, reinterprets "Babylon the Great" as a symbolic representation of worldly systems opposed to God. Therefore, this passage can be seen as having both a historical fulfillment and a broader, eschatological significance. The mention of "stubble" echoes Malachi's description of the wicked on the Day of the Lord being burned up like stubble (Malachi 4:1).
Isaiah 13 19 Commentary
Isaiah 13:19 vividly describes the judgment of God upon Babylon. The proud, symbolized by Babylon, will be utterly destroyed, akin to dry stubble being consumed by fire. This signifies a complete eradication, leaving no trace of their power or influence. The imagery of fire consuming stubble and sparks conveys the intensity and finality of the judgment. This serves as a warning against pride and self-reliance, emphasizing that ultimate power belongs to God. The prophecy's fulfillment would later serve as a testament to God's sovereign power over nations.