New Living Translation
Isaiah 13:2
2“Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop. Call up an army against Babylon. Wave your hand to encourage them as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty.
Isaiah 13:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
- New International Version (NIV)Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.
- English Standard Version (ESV)On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Lift up a banner on the high mountain, Raise your voice to them; Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.
Context of Isaiah 13:2
1Isaiah son of Amoz received this message concerning the destruction of Babylon: “Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop. Call up an army against Babylon. Wave your hand to encourage them as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty. 3I, the Lord, have dedicated these soldiers for this task. Yes, I have called mighty warriors to express my anger, and they will rejoice when I am exalted.” 4Hear the noise on the mountains! Listen, as the vast armies march! It is the noise and shouting of many nations. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has called this army together.
Read all of Isaiah 13Isaiah 13:2 word by word
עַ֤ל הַר־נִשְׁפֶּה֙ שְֽׂאוּ־נֵ֔ס הָרִ֥ימוּ ק֖וֹל לָהֶ֑ם הָנִ֣יפוּ יָ֔ד וְיָבֹ֖אוּ פִּתְחֵ֥י נְדִיבִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Lift ye upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
- a bannerנֵסnês · ensignH5251
- upon the highשָׁפָהshâphâh · be bareH8192
- mountainהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- exaltרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
- the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- unto them, shakeנוּףnûph · to waveH5130
- the handיָדyâd · handH3027
- that they may goבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- into the gatesפֶּ֫תַחpethach · entranceH6607
- of the noblesנָדִיבnâdîyb · nobleH5081
Cross-references for Isaiah 13:2
- Isaiah 5:26He will send a signal to distant nations far away and whistle to those at the ends of the earth. They will come racing toward Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 11:12He will raise a flag among the nations and assemble the exiles of Israel. He will gather the scattered people of Judah from the ends of the earth.
- Isaiah 18:3All you people of the world, everyone who lives on the earth— when I raise my battle flag on the mountain, look! When I blow the ram’s horn, listen!
- Jeremiah 50:2This is what the Lord says: “Tell the whole world, and keep nothing back. Raise a signal flag to tell everyone that Babylon will fall! Her images and idols will be shattered. Her gods Bel and Marduk will be utterly disgraced.
- Jeremiah 51:27Raise a signal flag to the nations. Sound the battle cry! Mobilize them all against Babylon. Prepare them to fight against her! Bring out the armies of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander, and bring a multitude of horses like swarming locusts!
- Jeremiah 51:25“Look, O mighty mountain, destroyer of the earth! I am your enemy,” says the Lord. “I will raise my fist against you, to knock you down from the heights. When I am finished, you will be nothing but a heap of burnt rubble.
- Isaiah 10:32The enemy stops at Nob for the rest of that day. He shakes his fist at beautiful Mount Zion, the mountain of Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 11:15The Lord will make a dry path through the gulf of the Red Sea. He will wave his hand over the Euphrates River, sending a mighty wind to divide it into seven streams so it can easily be crossed on foot.
- Isaiah 45:1This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again.
- Jeremiah 51:58This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “The thick walls of Babylon will be leveled to the ground, and her massive gates will be burned. The builders from many lands have worked in vain, for their work will be destroyed by fire!”
Commentaries on Isaiah 13:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Exalt the voice - The word להם lahem, "to them," which is of no use, and rather weakens the sentence, is omitted by an ancient MS., and the Vulgate.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Lift ye up a banner - A military ensign or standard. The vision opens here; and the first thing which the prophet hears, is the solemn command of God addressed to the nations as subject to him, to rear the standard of war, and to gather around it the mighty armies which were to be employed in the destruction of the city. This command, Lift ye up a banner,‘ is addressed to the leaders of those armies to assemble them, and to prepare them for war. Upon the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2A signal flag or banner, visible from far away, was often placed on a bare hilltop as a call to battle. God opposes Babylon as the symbolic representative of all evil kingdoms.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Lift ... banner--(Is 5:26; 11:10). the high mountain--rather, "a bare (literally, "bald," that is, without trees) mountain"; from it the banner could be seen afar off, so as to rally together the peoples against Babylon. unto them--unto the Medes (Is 13:17), the assailants of Babylon. It is remarkable that Isaiah does not foretell here the Jews' captivity in Babylon, but presupposes that event, and throws himself beyond, predicting another event still…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 13:2
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
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