Isaiah 47 15

Isaiah 47:15 kjv

Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.

Isaiah 47:15 nkjv

Thus shall they be to you With whom you have labored, Your merchants from your youth; They shall wander each one to his quarter. No one shall save you.

Isaiah 47:15 niv

That is all they are to you? these you have dealt with and labored with since childhood. All of them go on in their error; there is not one that can save you.

Isaiah 47:15 esv

Such to you are those with whom you have labored, who have done business with you from your youth; they wander about, each in his own direction; there is no one to save you.

Isaiah 47:15 nlt

And all your friends,
those with whom you've done business since childhood,
will go their own ways,
turning a deaf ear to your cries.

Isaiah 47 verses

Isaiah 47 15 Meaning

Isaiah 47:15 concludes a section of divine judgment against Babylon, revealing the utter futility of her trusted advisors and the comprehensive nature of her downfall. It signifies that those who were supposed to bring Babylon power, wisdom, and protection—specifically her astrologers, sorcerers, and enchanters—will ultimately abandon her in her time of crisis. These lifelong allies, representing her deeply ingrained occult practices, will scatter aimlessly, unable to save either themselves or the city they served. The verse culminates in the pronouncement that Babylon will find no savior, sealing her fate under God's righteous judgment.

Isaiah 47 15 Context

Isaiah chapter 47 is a "taunt song" or oracle of judgment specifically directed against Babylon (often personified as "the virgin daughter of Babylon" or "Daughter Chaldea"). This chapter falls within the second major section of Isaiah (chapters 40-66), known as the Book of Comfort, which primarily addresses the Judean exiles and promises their future return and restoration. However, chapters 47 and 48 form a crucial interlude, elaborating on the fall of Babylon as the prerequisite for Israel's liberation.

The verses preceding 47:15 (vv. 12-14) explicitly mock Babylon's reliance on her vast number of astrologers, enchanters, and sorcerers. Despite her immense power and deep-rooted magical traditions, the prophet declares that none of these practices, pursued "from your youth," will save her from the impending divine judgment. Babylon is portrayed as a proud, luxurious, and cruel empire that enslaved God's people, believing herself eternal and inviolable ("I am, and there is no one else besides me," v. 8, 10). Verse 15 serves as the climactic and crushing conclusion to this specific charge, showing the utter bankruptcy of Babylon's trust in occult sciences. The historical context for the original audience, the Judean exiles, would have involved Babylon's future fall to Cyrus the Great in 539 BC, confirming God's sovereignty over mighty empires and the reliability of His word.

Isaiah 47 15 Word analysis

• Thus (כֵּן - kēn): This conjunction links the fate of Babylon to the preceding declaration regarding her astrologers and diviners. It emphasizes that what follows is the logical and inevitable outcome of her choices and trust in false power.
• they shall be to you (הָיוּ לָךְ - hāyû lākh): "They will become for you." This denotes a state of being or destiny. "To you" (לָךְ) directly addresses personified Babylon. The declaration carries the weight of divine certainty, a prophetic decree rather than a mere prediction.
• those with whom you have toiled (שֶׁעָמַלְתְּ אִתָּךְ - sheʿāmált tinnaẖ): Literally, "who have labored with you." Refers specifically to the "enchanters," "astrologers," and "those who prophesy by the stars" mentioned in verses 12-14. "Toiled" suggests a diligent, strenuous, and long-term joint effort, highlighting Babylon's profound investment in these occult practices.
• who have trafficked with you (סֹחֲרָיו - sokhárû): Derived from a root meaning "to trade" or "to go about for business." This suggests not just companionship but also economic, social, or spiritual transactions—Babylon actively "bought into" and employed these mystical arts, treating them as valuable commodities for her security and power. This underscores a long-standing, habitual reliance.
• from your youth (מִנְּעוּרַיִךְ - minneʿūráyiḵ): A significant phrase indicating a deep-rooted, long-established tradition. It implies that from the very beginnings of her existence or ascendancy as a great power, Babylon was characterized by and reliant upon these sorceries and false prophecies. This long duration only makes their failure more poignant and complete.
• they shall wander (נָעוּ - nāʿū): "They will stagger," "be agitated," "flee aimlessly." This word depicts confusion, disorientation, and uncontrolled movement. Instead of guiding or strengthening Babylon, these former allies will become lost and helpless themselves, abandoning any pretense of power or stability.
• each one to his quarter (אִישׁ לְאֹרְבּוֹ - ʾîš leʾōrbô): Literally, "each man to his own place" or "to his own lair/path." This conveys utter disarray and a fragmented flight. There is no unity, no shared purpose, just individuals seeking their own escape, devoid of loyalty. This image contrasts starkly with the organized counsel one would expect from a trusted advisory body.
• no one shall save you (אֵין מוֹשִׁיעַ - ʾên môshîaʿ): This is the decisive and crushing conclusion. "There is no savior." It's an absolute declaration, shattering any lingering hope Babylon might have in human or supernatural aid apart from the true God. This is a stark polemic against Babylon's false gods and self-reliance, proclaiming divine judgment without recourse.

Isaiah 47 15 Bonus section

The repeated motif in Isaiah, especially in chapters 40-48, of "besides me there is no other" (e.g., 45:5-6, 45:21, 46:9) forms a powerful backdrop to verse 47:15's declaration of "no one shall save you." This consistent affirmation of YHWH's exclusive deity and role as Savior amplifies the meaning of Babylon's final desolate state. Her spiritual "traffic" "from youth" can be understood as spiritual prostitution, engaging with multiple spiritual forces outside of the one true God, much like the idolatry condemned throughout the Old Testament. The prophecy of these trusted advisors scattering highlights the fundamental disunity and self-serving nature of rebellion against God, where even strong alliances ultimately fail to withstand divine judgment. This prefigures the spiritual judgment seen in the New Testament against "Babylon the Great," where her former allies also abandon her (Revelation 18).

Isaiah 47 15 Commentary

Isaiah 47:15 serves as a potent theological declaration, laying bare the utter futility of placing trust in human-derived wisdom and occult practices in opposition to God's sovereign power. Babylon, in her arrogant self-sufficiency and reliance on astrologers and enchanters—whom she cultivated "from her youth"—believed herself invulnerable. The verse, however, exposes the catastrophic flaw in this worldview. Her most trusted advisors, those with whom she "toiled" and "trafficked" in spiritual darkness, will not only prove powerless to help her but will also abandon her, fleeing "each one to his quarter" in aimless despair.

The profound irony is that those who claimed to see the future and guide destinies cannot even secure their own, nor provide rescue for their long-term patron. This scattering of advisors underscores the breakdown of the very system Babylon relied upon, showing an internal collapse orchestrated by divine judgment. The culminating statement, "no one shall save you," is a direct challenge to any rival deity or human capability, powerfully asserting God's unique identity as the sole, true Savior. This message would have offered immense comfort and reassurance to the exiled Israelites: their formidable oppressor's might was merely an illusion before the reality of God's unchanging word and power. It highlights that false security, no matter how deeply rooted or meticulously cultivated, always leads to desolation in the face of God's truth.

• Example for practical usage: Like Babylon, if we put our ultimate trust in our career achievements, financial security, or social influence, when these pillars eventually crumble, we find ourselves as bewildered and unsaved as Babylon, unless our trust is truly in God alone.