Isaiah 13:19

Isaiah 13:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
• New International Version (NIV)Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

Context of Isaiah 13:19

17I’m going to stir up the Medes against them. They don’t care for silver and aren’t happy with gold. 18But their bows will smash the youth. They’ll have no compassion for babies, nor will they look with pity on children. Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the proud beauty of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed them. 20It will never be inhabited again, and no one will live in it for generations. Arabs won’t pitch their tents there. Shepherds won’t let their flocks rest there. 21Desert animals will lie down there. Their homes will be full of owls. Ostriches will live there, and wild goats will skip about.

Isaiah 13:19 word by word

וְהָיְתָ֤ה בָבֶל֙ צְבִ֣י מַמְלָכ֔וֹת תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת גְּא֣וֹן כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֣ת אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־סְדֹ֖ם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
• the gloryצְבִיtsebîy · beautyH6643
• of kingdomsמַמְלָכָהmamlâkâh · kingdomH4467
• the beautyתִּפְאָרָהtiph'ârâh tiph'ereth · beautyH8597
• of the Chaldees’כַּשְׂדִּיםkaώdîy kaώdîymâh · ChaldeaH3778
• excellencyגָּאוֹןgâ'ôn · prideH1347
• shall be as when Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• overthrewמַהְפֵּכָהmahpêkâh · overthrowH4114
• Sodomסְדֹםsedôm · SodomH5467
• and Gomorrahעֲמֹרָה‛ămôrâh · GomorrahH6017

Cross-references for Isaiah 13:19

• Isaiah 14:4Then you will mock the king of Babylon with this saying, “How the tyrant has come to an end! How his attacks have come to an end!”
• Jeremiah 51:41“Sheshach has been captured. Babylon, the city that the whole world praised, has been taken captive.
• Daniel 2:37“Your Majesty, you are the greatest king. The God of heaven has given you a kingdom. He has given you power, strength, and honor.
• Daniel 4:30The king thought, “Look how great Babylon is! I built the royal palace by my own impressive power and for my glorious honor.”
• Genesis 19:24Then the Lord made burning sulfur and fire rain out of heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah.
• Deuteronomy 29:23They will see all the soil poisoned with sulfur and salt. Nothing will be planted. Nothing will be growing. There will be no plants in sight. It will be as desolate as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, cities the Lord destroyed in fierce anger.
• Jeremiah 49:18Edom will be like Sodom, Gomorrah, and their neighboring cities when they were destroyed. No one will live there. No human will stay there,” says the Lord.
• Jeremiah 50:40Babylon will be like Sodom, Gomorrah, and their neighboring cities when I, God, destroyed them. No one will live there. No human will stay there,” declares the Lord.
• Zephaniah 2:9Therefore, I solemnly swear, as I live,” declares the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, “Moab will become like Sodom, and Ammon will become like Gomorrah: a place of weeds, salt pits, and ruins forever. The faithful few of my people will loot them, and those who are left in my nation will take possession of them.”

Commentaries on Isaiah 13:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19And Babylon - The great city of Babylon was at this time rising to its height of glory, while the Prophet Isaiah was repeatedly denouncing its utter destruction. From the first of Hezekiah to the first of Nebuchadnezzar, under whom it was brought to the highest degree of strength and splendor, are about one hundred and twenty years. I will here very briefly mention some particulars of the greatness of the place, and note the several steps by which this…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms - That is, the capital or chief ornament of many nations. Appellations of this kind, applied to Babylon, abound in the Scriptures. In Daniel 4:30, it is called great Babylon;‘ in Isaiah 14:4, it is called the golden city;‘ in Isaiah 47:5, the lady of kingdoms;‘ in Jeremiah 51:13, it is, spoken of as abundant in treasures;‘ and, in Jeremiah 51:41, as the praise of the whole earth.‘ All these expressions are designed to…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. 19-22This image of Babylon as a forever haunted ruin contrasts with its greatness at its height (see Daniel 4:29–30).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. glory of kingdoms--(Is 14:4; 47:5; Jr 51:41). beauty of ... excellency--Hebrew, "the glory of the pride" of the Chaldees; it was their glory and boast. as ... Gomorrah--as utterly (Jr 49:18; 50:40; Am 4:11). Taken by Cyrus, by clearing out the canal made for emptying the superfluous waters of the Euphrates, and directing the river into this new channel, so that he was able to enter the city by the old bed in the night.Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 13:19

• Cyrus
• Gomorrah
• Sodom

In the dictionaries

• Babylon
• God
• Gomorrah
• Sodom
• Babylon, Babylonia, Babylonian
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Chaldees
• Glory
• Haughtiness
• Howl

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