Isaiah 47:3 kjv
Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.
Isaiah 47:3 nkjv
Your nakedness shall be uncovered, Yes, your shame will be seen; I will take vengeance, And I will not arbitrate with a man."
Isaiah 47:3 niv
Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one."
Isaiah 47:3 esv
Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your disgrace shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one.
Isaiah 47:3 nlt
You will be naked and burdened with shame.
I will take vengeance against you without pity."
Isaiah 47 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 47:2 | "Take the millstones and grind meal; remove your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass over rivers." | Isa 47:2 |
| Isa 47:3 | "Your nakedness shall be uncovered, yes, your shame shall be seen. I will execute vengeance, and will not strike a blow in mercy." | Isa 47:3 |
| Isa 47:11 | "Calamity shall come upon you; you shall not know how to appease it; disaster shall fall upon you; you shall not be able to ward it off." | Isa 47:11 |
| Isa 48:20 | "Go out from Babylon; flee from the Chaldeans. With a voice of singing declare this, tell this; utter it to the end of the earth; say, 'The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!'" | Isa 48:20 |
| Jer 50:34 | "Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name. He will thoroughly plead their cause, that He may bring rest to the earth and terror to the inhabitants of Babylon." | Jer 50:34 |
| Jer 51:3 | "Let not the archer bend his bow, nor let him array himself in his armor. And do not spare her young men; devote her whole army to destruction." | Jer 51:3 |
| Nahum 3:5 | "'Behold, I am against you,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'and I will burn her chariots in smoke, and the lion's share shall be yours. And the voice of the lions shall no more be heard.'" | Nahum 3:5 |
| Nahum 3:6 | "I will prepare you for bloodshed, because of all the violence of your house,' declares the LORD of hosts." | Nahum 3:6 |
| Ezek 28:17 | "Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your radiance. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to be a spectacle to them." | Ezek 28:17 |
| Ezek 31:10 | "'Because of its towering height it became proud, and its lofty top pushed itself into the clouds, and its heart rose in pride.'" | Ezek 31:10 |
| Ezek 32:11 | "For thus says the Lord GOD: I will bring the sword of the most powerful of nations against you, the terror of the nations, and they shall draw their swords against the pride of Egypt and cast her down." | Ezek 32:11 |
| Mic 7:9 | "I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he takes up my cause and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look at his vindication." | Mic 7:9 |
| Rev 18:7 | "As much as she glorified herself and lived sensuously, so much torment and mourning give her. For she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’" | Rev 18:7 |
| Rev 18:8 | "Therefore her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine. And she will be burned up with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her." | Rev 18:8 |
| Gen 3:7 | "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." | Gen 3:7 |
| Psa 9:4 | "You have vindicated me and pleaded my cause; you have sat on your throne judging justly." | Psa 9:4 |
| Psa 149:7 | "To execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples," | Psa 149:7 |
| Jer 46:11 | "Go up to Gilead and get balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you multiply remedies; there is no healing for you." | Jer 46:11 |
| Hosea 2:3 | "and lest I strip her naked and expose her as on the day she was born, and make her like a desert, and set her like a parched land, and kill her with thirst." | Hosea 2:3 |
| Zech 11:8 | "I will put aside the three shepherds in a single month, for I am impatient with them, and they also are weary of me." | Zech 11:8 |
| Jer 13:22 | "If you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things come upon me?’ it is for the greatness of your iniquity that your skirts are lifted up, and you are stripped bare." | Jer 13:22 |
Isaiah 47 verses
Isaiah 47 3 Meaning
The Lord declares His judgment on Babylon, stripping away its shame and revealing its nakedness. This imagery signifies complete defeat and humiliation, leaving the city exposed and vulnerable before its conquerors and the nations. It's a stark depiction of God's power to humble even the proudest and most powerful entities.
Isaiah 47 3 Context
Isaiah 47 is a prophetic oracle specifically targeting Babylon, referred to as "daughter of Babylon." The chapter stands as a declaration of divine judgment against this powerful empire. Babylon had been a long-standing oppressor of God's people, particularly during the Babylonian Exile. In this specific verse, God contrasts Babylon's former pride and perceived invincibility with its impending humiliation. The chapter is part of a larger prophetic message where Isaiah pronounces judgment on various nations, demonstrating God's sovereignty over all the earth and His commitment to His covenant people. The historical context is crucial: Babylon, a dominant world power, had conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and carried many Israelites into exile. This oracle serves as both a comfort to the exiled people and a warning to oppressive nations.
Isaiah 47 3 Word Analysis
- "Your": Possessive pronoun referring back to Babylon.
- "nakedness": Hebrew: tseluláh (צְלוּלָה). This word is not common and can have different interpretations, but in this context, it implies exposure, vulnerability, and disgrace. It speaks to a state of being uncovered, both physically and metaphorically.
- "shall be uncovered": Hebrew: thinnāṭhel (תִּנָּתֵל). This is a Piel infinitive from nāṭhal (נָתַל), meaning to be made bare, stripped. It emphasizes a forceful and complete removal of covering, leading to exposure.
- "yea,": Conjunction emphasizing the following statement.
- "your": Possessive pronoun.
- "shame": Hebrew: bosh'thēk (בָּשְׂתֵּךְ). This refers to disgrace, humiliation, confusion, and ignominy. It's a deeper sense of exposure beyond mere physical nakedness.
- "shall be seen": Hebrew: tirā’eh (תֵּרָאֶה). From rā’ah (רָאָה), meaning to see, behold, look at. It implies visibility, that this shame will be undeniable and witnessed by all.
- "I": Pronoun representing the LORD.
- "will execute": Hebrew: e‘ēśeh (אֶעֱשֶׂה). From ‘āśah (עָשָׂה), meaning to do, make, accomplish. Here, it signifies the deliberate and active carrying out of judgment.
- "vengeance": Hebrew: neqāmáh (נְקָמָה). This word signifies vengeance, recompense, or retribution. It points to God's active intervention to correct wrong and bring justice against His adversaries.
- "and will not": Negative conjunction.
- "strike": Hebrew: yikkreh (יִכְרֶה). From karah (כָּרָה), which can mean to strike, fell, or attack. The niphal stem suggests "be met" or "strike oneself." However, in the context of "striking without mercy," it implies that God's action will be decisive and not softened by any restraint.
- "a blow": Hebrew: gēb (גֵּב). This term can mean a hostile attack or a sudden misfortune. It emphasizes a decisive action.
- "in mercy": Hebrew: beṟachēm (בְּרַחֵם). From racham (רַחַם), meaning mercy, compassion, or pity. It signifies that God’s judgment will be without any mitigation or leniency.
Words Group Analysis
The phrase "Your nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, your shame shall be seen" paints a vivid picture of utter disgrace. The repetition and reinforcement ("uncovered," "shame," "seen") highlight the totality of Babylon's exposure. This is not just a defeat; it's a public stripping away of all pretense and perceived power. The imagery is particularly potent given the cultural context where modesty and covering were highly valued. God’s declaration, "I will execute vengeance, and will not strike in mercy," underscores the severity and finality of the judgment. There will be no pity, no second chances; Babylon will face the full brunt of divine retribution for its transgressions against God and His people. This concept of God's justice being unyielding in the face of defiance is a recurring theme throughout Scripture.
Isaiah 47 3 Bonus Section
The concept of "nakedness" as a metaphor for shame and vulnerability is a consistent theme in the Bible, dating back to the fall of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:7). In this context, Babylon’s exposure is a consequence of its pride and defiance against God, much like Adam and Eve’s shame stemmed from their disobedience. The refusal of mercy in judgment here also echoes the consequences of persistent sin described in other prophetic books. Scholars often interpret this verse in light of future prophetic pronouncements against Babylon in Jeremiah and Revelation, seeing it as a foundational prophecy against a spirit of anti-God empire. The judgment of God, when it comes without mercy, is described as thorough and absolute.
Isaiah 47 3 Commentary
Isaiah 47:3 powerfully conveys God's unmitigated judgment against Babylon. The imagery of exposed nakedness and visible shame signifies the complete demolition of Babylon's pride and authority. This is not a judgment tempered with leniency; God states He will take vengeance without showing mercy. This reflects divine justice that does not overlook or forgive sin when defiant and oppressive. The verse highlights that God’s power is sovereign over even the mightiest earthly empires, capable of bringing them to utter ruin. The shame described is both political and moral, exposing Babylon's hidden corruption and evil deeds to the entire world.