New King James Version
Isaiah 47:1
1“Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; Sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called Tender and delicate.
Isaiah 47:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.
- New International Version (NIV)“Go down, sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, queen city of the Babylonians. No more will you be called tender or delicate.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called tender and delicate.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Come down, virgin daughter of Babylon, and sit in the dust. For your days of sitting on a throne have ended. O daughter of Babylonia, never again will you be the lovely princess, tender and delicate.
Context of Isaiah 47:1
“Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; Sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called Tender and delicate. 2Take the millstones and grind meal. Remove your veil, Take off the skirt, Uncover the thigh, Pass through the rivers. 3Your nakedness shall be uncovered, Yes, your shame will be seen; I will take vengeance, And I will not arbitrate with a man.”
Read all of Isaiah 47Isaiah 47:1 word by word
רְדִ֣י׀ וּשְׁבִ֣י עַל־עָפָ֗ר בְּתוּלַת֙ בַּת־בָּבֶ֔ל שְׁבִי־לָאָ֥רֶץ אֵין־כִּסֵּ֖א בַּת־כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כִּ֣י לֹ֤א תוֹסִ֙יפִי֙ יִקְרְאוּ־לָ֔ךְ רַכָּ֖ה וַעֲנֻגָּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Come downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- and sitיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- in the dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
- O virginבְּתוּלָהbethûlâh · virginH1330
- daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- of Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- on the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
- no throneכִּסֵּאkissê' kissêh · throneH3678
- of the Chaldeansכַּשְׂדִּיםkaώdîy kaώdîymâh · ChaldeaH3778
- for thou shalt no moreיָסַףyâsaph · to add: againH3254
- be calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
- tenderרַךְrak · tenderH7390
- and delicateעָנֹג‛ânôg · daintyH6028
Cross-references for Isaiah 47:1
- Isaiah 3:26Her gates shall lament and mourn, And she being desolate shall sit on the ground.
- Isaiah 26:5For He brings down those who dwell on high, The lofty city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He brings it down to the dust.
- Isaiah 52:2Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion!
- Job 2:8And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.
- Psalms 18:27For You will save the humble people, But will bring down haughty looks.
- Jeremiah 13:18Say to the king and to the queen mother, “Humble yourselves; Sit down, For your rule shall collapse, the crown of your glory.”
- Jeremiah 48:18“O daughter inhabiting Dibon, Come down from your glory, And sit in thirst; For the plunderer of Moab has come against you, He has destroyed your strongholds.
- Lamentations 2:10The elders of the daughter of Zion Sit on the ground and keep silence; They throw dust on their heads And gird themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem Bow their heads to the ground.
- Ezekiel 26:16Then all the princes of the sea will come down from their thrones, lay aside their robes, and take off their embroidered garments; they will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble every moment, and be astonished at you.
- Ezekiel 28:17“Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.
- Jonah 3:6Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.
- Isaiah 37:22this is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him: “The virgin, the daughter of Zion, Has despised you, laughed you to scorn; The daughter of Jerusalem Has shaken her head behind your back!
- Jeremiah 46:11“Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt; In vain you will use many medicines; You shall not be cured.
- Psalms 137:8O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, Happy the one who repays you as you have served us!
- Jeremiah 50:42They shall hold the bow and the lance; They are cruel and shall not show mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea; They shall ride on horses, Set in array, like a man for the battle, Against you, O daughter of Babylon.
- Jeremiah 51:33For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor When it is time to thresh her; Yet a little while And the time of her harvest will come.”
Commentaries on Isaiah 47:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Come down, and set in the dust "Descend, and sit on the dust" - See note on Isaiah 3:26, and on Isaiah 52:2; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Come down - Descend from the throne; or from the seat of magnificence and power. The design of this verse has already been stated in the analysis. It is to foretell that Babylon would be humbled, and that she would be reduced from her magnificence and pride to a condition of abject wretchedness. She is therefore represented as a proud female accustomed to luxury and ease, suddenly brought to the lowest condition, and compelled to perform the most menial…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1God's judgments on Babylon. (Is. 47:1-6) Carelessness and confidence shall not prevent the evil. (Is. 47:7-15) Verses 1-6 Babylon is represented under the emblem of a female in deep distress. She was to be degraded and endure sufferings; and is represented sitting on the ground, grinding at the handmill, the lowest and most laborious service. God was righteous in his vengeance, and none should interpose. The prophet exults in the Lord of hosts, as the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1To sit in the dust was a way of expressing humiliation.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-151. in the dust--(See on Is 3:26; Job 2:13; La 2:10). virgin--that is, heretofore uncaptured [Herodotus, 1.191]. daughter of Babylon--Babylon and its inhabitants (see on Is 1:8; Is 37:22). no throne--The seat of empire was transferred to Shushan. Alexander intended to have made Babylon his seat of empire, but Providence defeated his design. He soon died; and Seleucia, being built near, robbed it of its inhabitants, and even of its name, which was applied…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 47
- 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