Isaiah 5 13

Isaiah 5:13 kjv

Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

Isaiah 5:13 nkjv

Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge; Their honorable men are famished, And their multitude dried up with thirst.

Isaiah 5:13 niv

Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst.

Isaiah 5:13 esv

Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst.

Isaiah 5:13 nlt

So my people will go into exile far away
because they do not know me.
Those who are great and honored will starve,
and the common people will die of thirst.

Isaiah 5 verses

Isaiah 5 13 meaning

Isaiah 5:13 proclaims the inescapable consequence of Judah's spiritual and moral degradation, previously outlined in the "woes" (Isaiah 5:8-12). Because God's own people have failed to possess true knowledge of Him—a profound, covenantal understanding and obedience—they are destined for captivity and extreme suffering. This divine judgment will permeate all societal levels: the esteemed leaders will be depleted and spiritually starved, and the common populace will be consumed by physical and spiritual thirst, symbolizing a complete national collapse and utter deprivation.

Isaiah 5 13 Context

Isaiah 5:13 forms a pivotal link in the "Song of the Vineyard" (Isaiah 5:1-7) and the subsequent "Six Woes" (Isaiah 5:8-25). The preceding verses vividly portray Judah's systemic sins: rampant greed, perverted justice, indulgent revelry, open defiance of God's work, and the morally destructive inversion of good and evil. This verse acts as the divine explanation and justification for the impending catastrophe, stating that their profound failure to truly know God—not merely as an intellectual concept, but through covenantal loyalty and ethical obedience—is the root cause of the imminent exile. The historical backdrop is 8th-century BCE Judah, a society plagued by apostasy, social stratification, and impending threats from the Assyrian and Babylonian empires. Their covenant with God demanded intimate knowledge and faithful adherence; the nation's consistent violation of this relational commitment led to the application of covenant curses, with exile being the ultimate judgment. This pronouncement is a direct indictment against the superficial wisdom and self-assuredness of the ruling elite, declaring that genuine societal well-being hinges entirely upon a foundational knowledge and submission to the LORD's divine statutes.

Isaiah 5 13 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן - lakhen): This assertive adverb functions as a conclusion marker, emphatically signifying that what follows is a direct, logical, and inevitable consequence of the deep-seated sins and failures detailed in the preceding woes of Isaiah 5. It solidifies the link between transgression and judgment.
• my people (עַמִּי - ‘ammi): God's direct reference to "My people" highlights the specific relationship established through the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants. This judgment is therefore not arbitrary, but a righteous and disciplinary act toward His chosen, yet rebellious, covenant partner, emphasizing the unique gravity of their sin.
• are gone into captivity (גָּלָה - gālāh): This verb means "to expose" or "to uncover," but in this context, it unequivocally refers to forced exile or deportation. Captivity was the quintessential covenant curse (Deut 28:36) and signified the loss of land, identity, and divine presence, representing the gravest form of national punishment.
• because (מִבְּלִי - mibbeli): This preposition, meaning "without" or "for lack of," precisely articulates the primary cause of the impending calamity. It underscores that the suffering is not random but a direct result of a specific deficiency within the people.
• they have no knowledge (דַּעַת - da‘at): This is a pivotal term. Da‘at in a biblical context extends far beyond mere intellectual apprehension. It denotes a deep, relational, and transformative knowledge of God that results in obedient action, moral discernment, and covenant faithfulness. Its absence implies a profound spiritual blindness, a rejection of God's character and commands (cf. Hos 4:6), leading to societal collapse.
• and their honourable men (וּכְבוֹדוֹ - u'k vōdō): Kāvod primarily translates to "glory" or "honor." Here, u'k vōdō ("and its glory") collectively refers to the most esteemed, respected, and influential individuals in Judah—the nobility, leaders, and those holding positions of prestige. Their suffering indicates a comprehensive degradation affecting the societal elite, not just the commoners.
• are famished (רָעֵב - rā‘ev): This describes severe hunger, starvation. While literally denoting the physical privation associated with siege and exile, prophetically it also alludes to a deep spiritual famine for the truth and Word of God (cf. Amos 8:11-12) that was spurned.
• and their multitude (וַהֲמוֹנָם - va hamōnām): This refers to the vast body of the common people, the masses. Its inclusion ensures that the scope of judgment is understood to be comprehensive, encompassing all segments of society without exception.
• dried up with thirst (צָמֵא - tzāmē): This signifies extreme dehydration, a parching thirst. Similar to famine, this denotes physical suffering during hardship. Spiritually, it symbolizes a desperate longing for the life-giving presence and refreshing wisdom of God, a thirst left agonizingly unquenched in their state of judgment due to their earlier rejection.

Words-Group Analysis

• "Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge": This phrase precisely states the divine verdict and its rationale. "My people" emphasizes the covenant relationship broken, while "no knowledge" pinpoints the spiritual and moral bankruptcy that severed that relationship and invited the most severe consequence: national displacement.
• "and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst": This pair vividly portrays the total, pervasive impact of God's judgment across all levels of society. From the leadership (honorable men) to the general populace (multitude), suffering will be universal. The metaphors of "famished" and "dried up with thirst" encompass not just physical suffering but a profound spiritual desolation and a painful yearning for the divine nourishment and life they rejected.

Isaiah 5 13 Bonus section

The concept of "knowledge" (da‘at) here is rich, extending beyond simple intellectual assent to encompass experiential, ethical, and relational understanding that should translate into faithful living. It is the core of their covenant relationship (cf. Jer 22:16, "He judged the cause of the poor and needy... Is not this to know Me?"). The judgment described—famine and thirst—also carries profound prophetic resonance beyond mere physical hardship. It directly points to a spiritual deprivation, an aching for the true Word and spiritual sustenance of God, which they had previously ignored (Amos 8:11-12). The suffering of the "honourable men" specifically targets the leadership class whom Isaiah frequently rebukes for their corruption, injustice, and spiritual apathy. Their degradation represents a reversal of the honor that comes from God, emphasizing that true glory resides only in Him and adherence to His ways. This coming judgment, however devastating, implicitly carries a glimmer of future hope. A true return from exile and restoration would ultimately depend on a renewed, deep, and sincere "knowledge" of God, as articulated by later prophets (Jer 31:34).

Isaiah 5 13 Commentary

Isaiah 5:13 functions as a sharp, theological interpretation of Judah's impending doom, clarifying the profound reason for their impending exile and suffering. The verse directly attributes the catastrophe to the nation's "lack of knowledge" (da‘at). This isn't mere intellectual ignorance but a deep, willful rejection of a relational, covenantal knowing of God that leads to obedience. Their spiritual blindness resulted in moral chaos and defiance against divine instruction, thus incurring God's righteous judgment. The use of "my people" accentuates the tragedy, indicating that even His chosen people, due to persistent rebellion, would face the disciplinary consequences outlined in their covenant. The dual image of "honourable men" famished and the "multitude" dried up powerfully conveys that the spiritual decay had permeated every layer of society, leaving no one exempt from the crushing physical and spiritual deprivation that accompanies separation from God. This timeless message underscores that genuine, transformative knowledge of God, expressed in devoted living, is the bedrock of well-being, both individually and corporately, and its absence inevitably precipitates profound decay and divine correction.