New King James Version
Isaiah 13:19
19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
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 Living Translation (NLT)Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms, the flower of Chaldean pride, will be devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed them.
Context of Isaiah 13:19
17“Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. 18Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20It 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. 21But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches will dwell there, And wild goats will caper there.
Read all of Isaiah 13Isaiah 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 14:4that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased!
- Jeremiah 51:41“Oh, how Sheshach is taken! Oh, how the praise of the whole earth is seized! How Babylon has become desolate among the nations!
- Daniel 2:37You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory;
- Daniel 4:30The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”
- Genesis 19:24Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.
- Deuteronomy 29:23‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’
- Jeremiah 49:18As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah And their neighbors,” says the Lord, “No one shall remain there, Nor shall a son of man dwell in it.
- Jeremiah 50:40As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah And their neighbors,” says the Lord, “So no one shall reside there, Nor son of man dwell in it.
- Zephaniah 2:9Therefore, as I live,” Says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, And the people of Ammon like Gomorrah— Overrun with weeds and saltpits, And a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them, And the remnant of My people shall possess 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
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries