Revised Literal Translation
Isaiah 13:20
20It 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.
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 also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children. 19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 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. 21But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. 22And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.
Read all of Isaiah 13Isaiah 13:20 word by word
לֹֽא־תֵשֵׁ֣ב לָנֶ֔צַח וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁכֹּ֖ן עַד־דּ֣וֹר וָד֑וֹר וְלֹֽא־יַהֵ֥ל שָׁם֙ עֲרָבִ֔י וְרֹעִ֖ים לֹא־יַרְבִּ֥צוּ שָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear
- 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 14:23I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith Yhwh of Armies.
- Jeremiah 50:3For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
- Jeremiah 51:25Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith Yhwh, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.
- Revelation 18:21And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
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
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries