Isaiah 13 6

Isaiah 13:6 kjv

Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

Isaiah 13:6 nkjv

Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.

Isaiah 13:6 niv

Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.

Isaiah 13:6 esv

Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!

Isaiah 13:6 nlt

Scream in terror, for the day of the LORD has arrived ?
the time for the Almighty to destroy.

Isaiah 13 verses

Isaiah 13 6 meaning

The verse serves as an urgent call to lament and wail, articulating that the reason for such profound sorrow is the imminent arrival of "the day of the LORD." This impending divine intervention is explicitly characterized as an overwhelming and devastating event, whose origin and force emanate directly from God, here identified as "the Almighty." It signals a time of decisive and inescapable judgment.

Isaiah 13 6 Context

Isaiah 13:6 is part of "The Burden of Babylon" (Isa 13:1), the first of a series of prophecies (Isa 13-23) against various nations. While these prophecies are typically historical judgments, they often serve as archetypes for ultimate divine judgment. Historically, Babylon had not yet risen to full prominence during Isaiah’s time, suggesting the highly predictive nature of this oracle. The chapter portrays the utter devastation of Babylon, comparing it to the ultimate "Day of the LORD," an eschatological concept applied to this specific historical event. The context anticipates a chaotic reversal of creation, leading to cosmic distress and the annihilation of human pride and might, specifically focused on Babylon as a symbol of defiance against God.

Isaiah 13 6 Word analysis

• Wail (הֵילִ֙ילוּ֙ - Heylilu):
  • An imperative verb, meaning "cry aloud," "howl," or "lament." It conveys extreme, public anguish and deep distress, typically in the face of death or calamity.
  • Signifies a visceral, unavoidable reaction to an overwhelming and terrifying event.
  • It's a summons to participate in an act of communal mourning for something inevitable and dreadful.
• for (כִּ֣י - ki):
  • A conjunction meaning "because" or "for." It introduces the direct cause and justification for the preceding imperative to "wail."
  • It highlights the reason's certainty and gravity: the Day of the LORD.
• the day of the LORD (י֣וֹם יְהוָ֑ה - yom YHWH):
  • A critical prophetic phrase signifying a specific, divinely appointed time of God's intervention in history.
  • It is not a literal 24-hour period but an era or event where God's sovereign power, judgment, and sometimes salvation, are unequivocally displayed.
  • In this context, it unequivocally denotes a period of fierce judgment and devastation.
  • "YHWH" (the Tetragrammaton) emphasizes the covenant God of Israel as the agent behind this day, underscoring His sovereignty over all nations, including powerful Babylon.
• is near (קָר֔וֹב - qarov):
  • An adjective meaning "close," "at hand," or "imminent."
  • It accentuates the urgency and inescapability of the prophesied judgment.
  • It reinforces the call to wail; the event is not a distant threat but a present danger.
• and as destruction (וּכְשֹׁ֖ד - ucheshod):
  • Composed of "וּ" (u, "and"), "כְּ" (ke, "as" or "like"), and "שֹׁד" (shod, "destruction," "devastation," "plundering," "ruin").
  • Graphically describes the nature of the Day of the LORD: not merely difficult, but utterly devastating and ruinous, like a violent plunder.
  • The particle "as" indicates comparison, highlighting the absolute nature of the desolation.
• from the Almighty (מִשַּׁדַּ֥י - mishadday):
  • Composed of "מִן" (min, "from") and "שַׁדַּי" (Shaddai, "Almighty").
  • "El Shaddai" is one of the most ancient and potent names of God in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing His omnipotence, power, and sufficiency, often linked with judgment and the ability to fulfill His promises, even through seemingly impossible acts of power.
  • It decisively identifies the source and ultimate power of the impending destruction, underscoring that this judgment is not arbitrary or by chance, but a deliberate act of the all-powerful, sovereign God.
• it will come (יָבֹֽא - yavo):
  • A Qal imperfect verb, meaning "it will come" or "it will arrive."
  • Its placement at the end, along with the future tense, reinforces the absolute certainty and inevitability of the Day of the LORD and its accompanying destruction.

Words-group analysis:

• "Wail, for the day of the LORD is near": This phrase combines an urgent command to express intense grief with the specific theological reason for that grief: the imminent manifestation of God's righteous judgment. The imminence ('near') demands an immediate and profound emotional response.
• "it will come as destruction from the Almighty": This segment explicitly details the character and origin of the imminent "Day." It highlights the unparalleled destructive force that will emanate directly from the omnipotent God. This confirms that the day is not just "near," but its manifestation is a certain and devastating act of divine power, leaving no room for escape or resistance.

Isaiah 13 6 Bonus section

The concept of "the Day of the LORD" evolves throughout scripture. While initially linked to specific historical judgments against nations (like Babylon in this chapter), it also possesses an ultimate, eschatological dimension, pointing to the final judgment of all humanity and the consummation of God's plan for the cosmos, as extensively described in New Testament books like Revelation. The imminence of the Day in prophecy often serves not merely as a temporal marker but also as a rhetorical device to underscore its certainty and call for immediate spiritual response. The judgment predicted here is against human pride and self-sufficiency, exemplified by mighty Babylon. This "destruction from the Almighty" reaffirms that ultimate power resides not in human empires but in the sovereign God, whose justice ultimately prevails over all forms of human arrogance and sin.

Isaiah 13 6 Commentary

Isaiah 13:6 functions as a prophetic warning, summoning humanity to an intense, guttural lament because of the swiftly approaching Day of the LORD. This phrase, central to Old Testament prophecy, signifies a time when God intervenes decisively in human history to judge sin and establish His righteousness. In this immediate context, it foretells the horrific judgment awaiting Babylon. The devastation is depicted not as a natural disaster or military defeat alone, but as "destruction from the Almighty," underscoring its divine authorship and the unstoppable, overwhelming power of El Shaddai behind it. This declaration establishes God's ultimate sovereignty even over the greatest empires, confirming that no power can stand against His determined wrath. It’s a sobering reminder that God’s justice is both inevitable and absolute when His day of reckoning arrives.