Isaiah 13:20

Isaiah 13:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.
• New International Version (NIV)She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks.
• English Standard Version (ESV)It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.
• New King James Version (NKJV)It will never be inhabited, Nor will it be settled from generation to generation; Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.

Context of Isaiah 13:20

18Their bows will cut down the young men [of Babylon]; They will take no pity on the fruit of the womb, Their eyes will not look with compassion on the children. 19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. Babylon will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will the shepherds let their sheep lie down there. 21But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and wild goats will dance there. 22Hyenas will howl in their castles, And jackals in their luxurious palaces. Babylon’s time has nearly come, And her days will not be prolonged.

Isaiah 13:20 word by word

לֹֽא־תֵשֵׁ֣ב לָנֶ֔צַח וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁכֹּ֖ן עַד־דּ֣וֹר וָד֑וֹר וְלֹֽא־יַהֵ֥ל שָׁם֙ עֲרָבִ֔י וְרֹעִ֖ים לֹא־יַרְבִּ֥צוּ שָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• It shall neverנֵ֫צַחnetsach nêtsach · perpetuityH5331
• be inhabitedיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• neither shall it be dweltשָׁכַןshâkan · to dwellH7931
• in from generationדּוֹרdôr dôr · generationH1755
• neither shall the Arabianעֲרָבִי‛ărâbîy ‛arbîy · ArabH6163
• pitch tentאָהַל'âhal · to pitchH167
• there; neither shall the shepherdsרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• make their foldרָבַץrâbats · to stretchH7257

Cross-references for Isaiah 13:20

• Isaiah 14:23“I will also make Babylon a possession of the hedgehog and of swamps of water, and I will sweep it away with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of hosts.
• Jeremiah 50:3For out of the north a nation (Media) has come against her which will make her land desolate, and no one will live there. They have fled, they have gone away—both man and animal.
• Jeremiah 51:25“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain [conqueror of nations], Who destroys the whole earth,” declares the Lord, “I will stretch out My hand against you, And roll you down from the [rugged] cliffs, And will make you a burnt mountain (extinct volcano).
• Revelation 18:21Then a single powerful angel picked up a boulder like a great millstone and flung it into the sea, saying, “With such violence will Babylon the great city be hurled down [by the sudden, spectacular judgment of God], and will never again be found.

Commentaries on Isaiah 13:20

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20It shall never be inhabited - This has been completely fulfilled. It is now, and has been for centuries, a scene of wide desolation, and is a heap of ruins, and there is every indication that it will continue so to be. From Rauwolff‘s testimony it appears, that in the sixteenth century there was not a house to be seen;‘ and now the eye wanders over a barren desert, in which the ruins are nearly the only indication that it had ever been inhabited. It is…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-22Verses 19-22 Babylon was a noble city; yet it should be wholly destroyed. None shall dwell there. It shall be a haunt for wild beasts. All this is fulfilled. The fate of this proud city is a proof of the truth of the Bible, and an emblem of the approaching ruin of the New Testament Babylon; a warning to sinners to flee from the wrath to come, and it encourages believers to expect victory over every enemy of their souls, and of the church of God. The whole…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20She will never be inhabited … from generation to generation: In Scripture, Babylon often represents idolatry (worship of false gods), immorality, imperial power, and oppression. It stands for human pride and rebellion against God. One day, it will come to a complete end (see Revelation 18:2; 19:2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Literally fulfilled. neither ... Arabian pitch tent--Not only shall it not be a permanent residence, but not even a temporary resting-place. The Arabs, through dread of evil spirits, and believing the ghost of Nimrod to haunt it, will not pass the night there (compare Is 13:21). neither ... shepherds--The region was once most fertile; but owing to the Euphrates being now no longer kept within its former channels, it has become a stagnant marsh, unfit…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 13:20

• Cyrus
• Tent

In the dictionaries

• Arabian
• Arabia, Arabian
• Babylon
• Fold
• Glory
• Haughtiness
• Howl
• Astronomy
• Canon of the Old Testament
• Demon; Demoniac; Demonology

Commentaries on Isaiah 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings