Isaiah 47 13

Isaiah 47:13 kjv

Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

Isaiah 47:13 nkjv

You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, And the monthly prognosticators Stand up and save you From what shall come upon you.

Isaiah 47:13 niv

All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you.

Isaiah 47:13 esv

You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you.

Isaiah 47:13 nlt

All the advice you receive has made you tired.
Where are all your astrologers,
those stargazers who make predictions each month?
Let them stand up and save you from what the future holds.

Isaiah 47 verses

Isaiah 47 13 Meaning

Isaiah 47:13 delivers a powerful pronouncement against Babylon, asserting the utter futility and weariness brought about by its excessive reliance on pagan counsel and astrological divination. The verse highlights Babylon's exhaustion from endlessly seeking guidance from its soothsayers, stargazers, and those who attempt to predict the future based on celestial phenomena like new moons. It then issues a sarcastic challenge for these very spiritual guides and their practices to stand up and deliver salvation or genuine foreknowledge against the imminent destruction ordained by the Lord, underscoring their impotence and the delusion of those who trust in them.

Isaiah 47 13 Context

Isaiah chapter 47 is a "taunt song" or oracle of judgment against Babylon, which stands in stark contrast to the messages of comfort for Israel in preceding chapters. Babylon, often depicted as a proud, cruel oppressor (especially towards Israel), believed itself invincible due to its military might, vast empire, and deep-seated religious practices, particularly its sophisticated system of astrology and divination. This chapter metaphorically portrays Babylon as a virgin daughter reduced to a slave girl, stripped of her glory and subjected to humiliation. Verse 13 specifically mocks Babylon's profound reliance on a myriad of so-called wise men and their occult practices – "counsels," stargazing, and prognostication based on the new moons – which were central to Mesopotamian religion and governance. The Lord, through Isaiah, challenges these practices as utterly powerless to prevent Babylon's downfall, asserting His singular sovereignty over history and destiny, unlike the false gods and futile rituals of the nations.

Isaiah 47 13 Word analysis

• You are wearied (לָאִית, la'ît): From the root לאה (la'ah), meaning "to be weary, to be tired." The form indicates a completed action in the past, suggesting that Babylon has already exhausted itself in the endless and fruitless pursuit of these various 'counsels.' It signifies futility and fatigue from relentless but unproductive effort.
• with your many counsels (בְּרֹב עֲצָתַיִךְ, b’rov atzôtayik): רֹב (rov) means "multitude, abundance," emphasizing the sheer number. עֲצָתַיִךְ (atzôtayik) from עֵצָה (etzah) refers to "counsels, plans, advice." This highlights the extensive consultations Babylon engaged in, yet implies their quantity never compensated for their quality or effectiveness. These were the political, military, and especially occult strategies devised and sought.
• let them stand forth (יַעַמְדוּ נָא, ya’amdu na): A challenging imperative, full of irony. עמד (amad) means "to stand, to remain." The particle נָא (na) can add a sense of urgency or entreaty, but here it amplifies the sarcastic dare. It's a mocking invitation for these impotent practices to assert themselves.
• and save you (וְיוֹשִׁיעוּךְ, v’yoshi’ûkh): From ישׁע (yasha), "to save, deliver." The challenge is for these methods and their practitioners to provide deliverance from the impending judgment, a task only the true God can perform. This underscores their inherent inability.
• those who divide the heavens (הֹבְרֵי שָׁמַיִם, hovrê shamayim): הוֹבְרֵי (hovrê) comes from הבר (habar), which literally means "to cut, to divide, to portion out." In this context, it refers to astrologers who map and divide the celestial sphere into constellations and segments to make predictions or determine destinies, meticulously charting the sky.
• who gaze at the stars (הַחֹזִים בַּכּוֹכָבִים, haḥozim bakokhavim): חֹזִים (ḥozim) from חזה (ḥazah) means "to see, to gaze, to behold." It implies deep, focused observation. כּוֹכָבִים (kokhavim) refers to "stars." This phrase explicitly identifies stargazing and astronomical observation for the purpose of divination.
• who at the new moons make known (מוֹדִיעִים לֶחֳדָשִׁים, modi'îm leḥodashim): מוֹדִיעִים (modi'îm) from ידע (yada') meaning "to know," in the Hiphil form means "to make known, to inform, to reveal." לֶחֳדָשִׁים (leḥodashim) refers to "at the new moons." In ancient Near Eastern cultures, new moons were crucial calendrical and religious markers, often associated with special omens, rituals, and prognostications.
• what shall come upon you (מֵאֲשֶׁר יָבֹאוּ עָלָיִךְ, me'asher yavo'û alayik): This phrase describes the object of their prediction—the future events and consequences destined for Babylon, particularly the judgment the Lord is bringing. The diviners claimed to foretell such things, but without true insight or power.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "You are wearied with your many counsels": This phrase captures Babylon's spiritual and intellectual exhaustion. Its tireless efforts to seek guidance through numerous self-devised or occult means have led only to weariness, emphasizing the ultimate futility and lack of lasting help these practices offer. It reflects a dependency on human ingenuity and forbidden arts rather than divine truth.
• "let them stand forth and save you": This is a direct, cutting taunt. It's an ironic command, challenging the very sources of Babylon's trust – its accumulated advice and pagan wisdom – to prove their worth in the face of imminent destruction. The implicit message is that they cannot save.
• "those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known": This powerful descriptive trilogy pinpoints the specific types of astrological and divinatory practices prevalent in Babylon. It highlights their methodical approach—charting, observing, and interpreting celestial movements (heavens, stars, new moons)—all done with the claim of revealing the future, yet utterly against the Lord's clear prohibitions. This also shows Babylon's deep immersion in cosmic worship and belief that heavenly bodies control human fate.
• "what shall come upon you": This final clause defines the objective of all their laborious efforts: to discern the future. However, the irony lies in their utter failure to either genuinely predict or, more importantly, avert the very destruction God had determined for Babylon. It is the very judgment decreed by the Creator of the heavens which they claim to interpret.

Isaiah 47 13 Bonus section

Ancient Mesopotamian society, particularly Babylon, was renowned for its highly developed and systematized astrology. Priests meticulously observed celestial phenomena, believing the movements of stars and planets held omens and messages from the gods about future events, especially regarding the fate of the king and the nation. Astronomical texts, horoscopes, and records of omens have been recovered, showing how central these practices were to their religious and political life. The mention of "dividing the heavens" speaks to the precise mapping and categorization of celestial bodies and zones, akin to modern astronomical charting, but applied for divination. "New moons" were often seen as critical periods for omens and decision-making due to their cyclical nature and connection to calendrical systems. Isaiah's prophetic message stands in direct polemical contrast to this worldview, asserting that these very heavens and the 'gods' associated with them are mere creations of the true God of Israel, who sovereignly controls destiny, not some impersonal cosmic force. Therefore, relying on such practices is a grave spiritual misstep, diverting trust from the all-powerful Creator to His powerless creation. The divine challenge isn't just about failed prediction; it's about exposing the vanity of a worldview that elevates human-interpreted natural signs above divine revelation and purpose.

Isaiah 47 13 Commentary

Isaiah 47:13 is a searing indictment of Babylon's arrogant self-reliance and deep immersion in idolatrous and occult practices. The verse mocks the elaborate, yet utterly futile, attempts of Babylon's "wise men"—astrologers and diviners—to understand and control their destiny apart from the Creator. Babylon's weariness highlights the exhausting and empty nature of a life divorced from divine truth, chasing after a multitude of ineffective human or demonic 'counsels.' The sarcastic challenge, "let them stand forth and save you," exposes the utter powerlessness of these pagan deities and practices in the face of the Lord's sovereign decree. It underscores the profound theological truth that only the Lord of Hosts truly divides the heavens (by creation), ordains the stars, and knows the future, being able to both declare it and bring it to pass. Babylon's trust in celestial omens is revealed as a vain diversion, utterly incapable of providing salvation or even accurate foreknowledge of its own downfall. This verse therefore powerfully contrasts human wisdom, which leads to weariness and delusion, with divine wisdom and sovereignty, which alone offers true deliverance and insight. It also implicitly condemns any form of divination, reminding believers that the Lord alone holds the future.