Isaiah 23 13

Isaiah 23:13 kjv

Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.

Isaiah 23:13 nkjv

Behold, the land of the Chaldeans, This people which was not; Assyria founded it for wild beasts of the desert. They set up its towers, They raised up its palaces, And brought it to ruin.

Isaiah 23:13 niv

Look at the land of the Babylonians, this people that is now of no account! The Assyrians have made it a place for desert creatures; they raised up their siege towers, they stripped its fortresses bare and turned it into a ruin.

Isaiah 23:13 esv

Behold the land of the Chaldeans! This is the people that was not; Assyria destined it for wild beasts. They erected their siege towers, they stripped her palaces bare, they made her a ruin.

Isaiah 23:13 nlt

Look at the land of Babylonia ?
the people of that land are gone!
The Assyrians have handed Babylon over
to the wild animals of the desert.
They have built siege ramps against its walls,
torn down its palaces,
and turned it to a heap of rubble.

Isaiah 23 verses

Isaiah 23 13 Meaning

Isaiah 23:13 serves as an illustrative warning to Tyre, likening its impending judgment to the historical fate or inherent vulnerability of the Chaldeans. It reveals the origins of the Chaldean land/people – how they arose from nothing, settled by the Assyrians from a wilderness existence, subsequently built powerful cities, but were ultimately destined for ruin. The verse underscores divine sovereignty over the rise and fall of nations, demonstrating that even mighty, human-founded powers are subject to ultimate collapse, implying that Tyre's perceived invincibility is equally futile against God's decree.

Isaiah 23 13 Context

Isaiah chapter 23 contains a prophetic burden against Tyre, a prominent Phoenician city renowned for its wealth, maritime trade, and seemingly impregnable fortresses. The chapter details Tyre's downfall and subsequent desolation, portraying it as a lament from the perspective of shocked mariners and merchants. Verse 13 specifically introduces an historical illustration – the rise and fall of the Chaldeans/Babylonians – to underscore the transience of all earthly power and security, even that which seems to be established and mighty. This historical example serves as a potent warning and an object lesson for Tyre: just as the Assyrians orchestrated the rise of a people from nothing to power only for that power (Chaldea/Babylon) itself to be destined for ruin, so too Tyre, despite its splendor and perceived strength, is subject to God's dismantling decree. It places Tyre's future within the larger divine pattern of judgment against prideful nations.

Isaiah 23 13 Word analysis

• Behold: Hinneh (הִנֵּה). An interjection calling for immediate attention, signaling the introduction of an important and illustrative point. It compels the hearer to consider deeply the following example.
• the land of the Chaldeans; eretz Kasdim (אֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים). This refers to Babylonia. The Chaldeans were a Semitic people inhabiting southern Mesopotamia, later rising to form the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Isaiah specifically highlights this land/people as an example.
• this people was not, zeh 'am lo' hayah (זֶה עַם לֹא הָיָה). Emphasizes their humble, even non-existent, beginnings. They were not an established, ancient, or powerful nation in their own right until their genesis under Assyrian influence. It contrasts sharply with Tyre's ancient lineage and long-standing prosperity.
• till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: 'ad 'Ashur yesadah lahem yoshevei tziyyim.
  • Assyrian: Ashur (אַשּׁוּר). The mighty empire of Mesopotamia, a dominant force in Isaiah's era. Here, they are depicted as the architects of Babylonia's early development. This points to the ironic truth that empires often sow the seeds of their own destruction by building up future rivals.
  • founded it: yesadah (יְסָדָהּ). To lay a foundation, establish, settle. The Assyrians settled formerly nomadic, wilderness-dwelling tribes (Chaldeans) in Mesopotamia to stabilize the region or create a buffer state, inadvertently facilitating their rise.
  • for them that dwell in the wilderness: lahem yoshevei tziyyim (לָהֶם יֹשְׁבֵי צִיִּים). Refers to the nomadic or semi-nomadic desert tribes who populated the region, including the Chaldeans. They were not urbanized or sophisticated until settled and organized.
• they set up the towers thereof, migdalav hekimu (מִגְדָּלָיו הֵקִימוּ).
  • they: Refers to the inhabitants of the land, i.e., the Chaldeans, once established by Assyria.
  • towers: migdalav (מִגְדָּלָיו). Could refer to fortifications, watchtowers, or impressive city structures (like ziggurats) indicative of urban power and defense.
• they raised up the palaces thereof; 'arm'noteyha 'oreru (אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ עֹרֵרוּ).
  • palaces: 'arm'noteyha (אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ). Royal residences, monumental buildings signifying imperial wealth, power, and stability. Both "towers" and "palaces" underscore their built-up, formidable nature.
• and he brought it to ruin. w'shamah yeda (וּשְׂמָהּ).
  • he: This pronoun can be interpreted in several ways:
    • Most directly, referring back to the "Assyrian," implying that after founding, they also brought some level of destruction or desolation to parts of Chaldea in their campaigns, even if not its ultimate fall. This makes Assyria a paradox – founder and destroyer.
    • More commonly in the prophetic context, it refers to a divine agent, implicitly God. God orchestrates the rise and fall of nations. He, through subsequent agents (like the Medes and Persians for Babylon's ultimate fall), brings to ruin even that which was founded and built up by humans.
    • Some interpretations suggest it could implicitly refer to Tyre's destroyers (the Chaldeans themselves under Nebuchadnezzar) and paradoxically, this "builder of palaces" entity (Chaldea) will itself be ruined. This fits the illustrative purpose: those who build can also be destroyed, or those destined for ruin (Tyre) should observe this historical cycle.
  • brought it to ruin: samah or śāmāh. To make it desolate, destroy it, make it a wasteland. Despite its founding and building up, this land/people was destined for devastation. This direct declaration of ruin serves as the core warning.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Behold, the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness:" This segment establishes the dramatic origin story of Babylonia. It highlights how a powerful future empire, the Chaldean/Babylonian, had no inherent beginning of its own greatness but was a creation of the Assyrian superpower. This undercuts any perceived permanence of empires and speaks to God's underlying control over their initial rise from obscurity, even through human agents. It directly counters any self-congratulatory pride in national origins or perceived strength.
• "they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof;" This portion describes the rapid and impressive development of the Chaldeans once established. From nomadic desert dwellers, they became master builders of formidable fortifications and opulent structures, symbols of their accumulating wealth, power, and civilization. This showcases their mighty ascent, making their eventual ruin all the more striking.
• "and he brought it to ruin." This concise final statement delivers the prophetic punch. Despite its impressive origins, its founding by a powerful empire, and its own magnificent achievements in building, the land of the Chaldeans ultimately succumbs to devastation. This serves as the direct object lesson for Tyre: no amount of human endeavor, imperial backing, or physical grandeur can exempt a nation from divine judgment and ultimate desolation when pride and sin lead to God's decree.

Isaiah 23 13 Bonus section

The Hebrew phrase "lo' hayah" (לֹא הָיָה), "was not" or "did not exist," applied to the "people," signifies a profound theological and historical statement about national identity and formation. Unlike nations tracing their lineage back to ancient patriarchal blessings (like Israel from Abraham), the Chaldeans, from this biblical perspective, had no intrinsic claim to power or settled land; their very existence as an organized "people" in a developed land was an outcome of external (Assyrian) strategic initiatives. This highlights God's sovereignty, who can raise a nation from "nothing" and use them as instruments (as He did with the Chaldeans against Judah, Hab 1:6) only to judge them later for their pride (Jer 50-51). Thus, all human empires, no matter their foundation, are provisional under God's ultimate dominion.

Isaiah 23 13 Commentary

Isaiah 23:13 serves as a pivotal aside in the prophecy against Tyre, providing a historical parable of the fleeting nature of human power and ambition. The prophet interrupts the direct lament over Tyre's downfall to redirect attention to Babylonia, a nascent but rising power in Isaiah's time, whose trajectory would paradoxically illustrate the same truth. The Assyrians, the dominant power, ironically fostered the very Chaldean tribes from a "nothing people" in the wilderness into an established entity, leading to their subsequent grandeur (towers and palaces). However, despite this impressive ascent and building prowess, that very entity (Chaldea/Babylon) was subject to "ruin."

The crucial point for Tyre, and indeed for all nations and individuals, is that what humans build can be brought down. Whether "he" refers to the Assyrian as the agent of partial ruin, or more likely, to God as the ultimate orchestrator of destruction through other nations (like the Medes and Persians against Babylon itself), the lesson is clear: no empire, no city, no individual endeavor, however magnificent or seemingly invincible, is beyond God's reach and ultimate judgment. Tyre, in its self-assured glory and maritime strength, believed itself impregnable, much like the builders of Babel's tower (Gen 11) or the seemingly indestructible Assyrian Nineveh (Nahum). This verse shatters that illusion, holding up Babylonia's origin and destiny as a mirror.

Practical Examples:

• A prosperous business, built from humble beginnings and achieving great renown, can face unforeseen collapse if founded on corrupt practices or disregarding ethical principles.
• An individual who gains power and influence, rising from obscurity, might find their achievements crumble if their heart becomes proud and fails to acknowledge the source of all blessing.