ISA 13

Isaiah 13:22

WEB

Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.

BSB

Hyenas will howl in her fortresses and jackals in her luxurious palaces. Babylon’s time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.

KJV

And 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.

Matthew Henry

Verses 19–22

Isaiah 13:19–22

The great havoc and destruction which it was foretold should be made by the Medes and Persians in Babylon here end in the final destruction of it. 1. It is allowed that Babylon was a noble city. It was the glory of kingdoms and the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency; it was that head of gold (Dan 2:37, Dan 2:38); it was called the lady of kingdoms (Isa 47:5), the praise of the whole earth (Jer 51:41), like a pleasant roe (so the word signifies); but it shall be as a chased roe, Isa 13:14. The Chaldeans gloried in the beauty and wealth of this their metropolis. 2. It is foretold that it should be wholly destroyed, like Sodom and Gomorrah; not so miraculously, nor so suddenly, but as effectually, though gradually; and the destruction should come upon them as that upon Sodom, when they were secure, eating and drinking, Luk 17:28, Luk 17:29. Babylon was taken when Belshazzar was in his revels; and, though Cyrus and Darius did not demolish it, yet by degrees it wasted away and in process of time it went all to ruin. It is foretold here (Isa 13:20) that it shall never be inhabited; in Adrian's time nothing remained but the wall. And whereas it is prophesied concerning Nineveh, that great city, that when it should be deserted and left desolate yet flocks should lie down in the midst of it, it is here said concerning Babylon that the Arabians, who were shepherds, should not make their folds there; the country about should be so barren that there would be no grazing there; no, not for sheep. Nay, it shall be the receptacle of wild beasts, that affect solitude; the houses of Babylon, where the sons and daughters of pleasure used to rendezvous, shall be full of doleful creatures, owls and satyrs, that are themselves frightened thither, as to a place proper for them, and by whom all others are frightened thence. Historians say that this was fulfilled in the letter. Benjamin Bar-Jona, in his Itinerary, speaking of Babel, has these words: "This is that Babel which was of old thirty miles in breadth; it is now laid waste. There are yet to be seen the ruins of a palace of Nebuchadnezzar, but the sons of men dare not enter in, for fear of serpents and scorpions, which possess the place." Let none be proud of their pompous palaces, for they know not but they may become worse than cottages; nor let any think that their houses shall endure for ever (Psa 49:11), when perhaps nothing may remain but the ruins and reproaches of them. 3. It is intimated that this destruction should come shortly (Isa 13:22): Her time is near to come. This prophecy of the destruction of Babylon was intended for the support and comfort of the people of God when they were captives there and grievously oppressed; and the accomplishment of the prophecy was nearly 200 years after the time when it was delivered; yet it followed soon after the time for which it was calculated. When the people of Israel were groaning under the heavy yoke of Babylonish tyranny, sitting down in tears by the rivers of Babylon and upbraided with the songs of Zion, when their insolent oppressors were most haughty and arrogant (Isa 13:11), then let them know, for their comfort, that Babylon's time, her day to fall, is near to come, and the days of her prosperity shall not be prolonged, as they have been. When God begins with her he will make an end. Thus it is said of the destruction of the New Testament Babylon, whereof the former was a type, In one hour has her judgment come.

Cross-references: Dan 2:37 · Dan 2:38 · Isa 47:5 · Jer 51:41 · Isa 13:14 · Luke 17:28 · Luke 17:29 · Isa 13:20 · Ps 49:11 · Isa 13:22 · Isa 13:11

Hebrew interlinear

H6030

עָנָהʻânâh/aw-naw'/

v — eye, heed, pay attention, respond, begin to speak, sing, shout, testify, announce

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announce

KJV: give account, afflict (by mistake for 6031), (cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for 6031), cry, hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, × scholar, (give a) shout, sing (together by course), speak, testify, utter, (bear) witness. See also 1042, 1043.

עוּן

vb — dwell

[עוּן] vb. dwell

עָנָה

vb — sing

עָנָה vb. sing

Qal sing, utter tunefully

Pi. sing sweetly of it

עָנָה

vb — answer

עָנָה 316 vb. answer, respond

Qal

1. answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied

2.

a. respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances

b. money meets all demands

3.

a. specif. respond as a witness, testify

b. less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)

Niph.

1. make answer

2. be answered

Hiph. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart

H338

אִיʼîy/ee/

n-m — howler

Derivation: probably identical with 337 (through the idea of a doleful sound);

a howler (used only in the plural), i.e. any solitary wild creature

KJV: wild beast of the islands.

אִי

n.m — jackal

[אִי] n.m. jackal (howler)

H490

אַלְמָנָהʼalmânâh/al-maw-naw'/

n-f — widow, desolate place

Derivation: feminine of 488;

a widow; also a desolate place

KJV: desolate house (palace), widow.

אַלְמָנָה

n.f — widow

אַלְמָנָה 61 n.f. widow

H8577

תַּנִּיןtannîyn/tan-neen'/

n-m — monster, sea-serpent, jackal

Derivation: or תַּנִּים; (Ezekiel 29:3), intensive from the same as 8565;

a marine or land monster, i.e. sea-serpent or jackal

KJV: dragon, sea-monster, serpent, whale.

תַּן

n — jackal

[תַּן] n.[m. et] f. jackal

תַּנִּין

n.m — serpent

תַּנִּין (erron. תַּנִּים) n.m. serpent, dragon, sea-monster

H1964

הֵיכָלhêykâl/hay-kawl'/

n-m — palace, temple

Derivation: probably from 3201 (in the sense of capacity);

a large public building, such as a palace or temple

KJV: palace, temple.

הֵיכָל

n.m — palace

הֵיכָל n.m. palace, temple

1. rather seld. (royal) palace

2. of palace of God considered as king, = house of God or of י׳, temple

H6027

עֹנֶגʻôneg/o'-neg/

n-m — luxury

Derivation: from 6026;

luxury

KJV: delight, pleasant.

עֹ֫נֶג

n.[m.] — dantiness

עֹ֫נֶג n.[m.] dantiness, exquisite delight

H7138

קָרוֹבqârôwb/kaw-robe'/

a — near

Derivation: or קָרֹב; from 7126;

near (in place, kindred or time)

KJV: allied, approach, at hand, any of kin, kinsfold(-sman), (that is) near (of kin), neighbour, (that is) next, (them that come) nigh (at hand), more ready, short(-ly).

קָרֹב

adj. — near

קָרֹב, קָרוֹב 78 adj. near;—

1. of city, the nearest

2. of pers.:

a. the nearest to; his neighbour.

b. abs.

c. of near relationship

d. near to י׳

e. near to י׳ in ceremon. function

f. of God (י׳)

g. of word

3. of time

H935

בּוֹאbôwʼ/bo/

v — go, come

Derivation: a primitive root;

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

KJV: abide, apply, attain, × be, befall, besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, × certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, × doubtless again, eat, employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, have, × indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, × (well) stricken (in age), × surely, take (in), way.

בּוֹא

vb — come in

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

1. come in

2. come (approach, arrive)

3. go, i.e. walk, associate with

4. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

1. cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

2. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

a. be brought in (of pers. and things)

b. be brought

c. be introduced, put

H6256

עֵתʻêth/ayth/

n-f — time, now, when

Derivation: from 5703;

time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.

KJV: after, (al-) ways, × certain, continually, evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when.

עֵת

n.f — time

עֵת 297 n.f. time

1. time of an event

2.

a. = usual time

b. proper, suitable time

c. appointed time

d. as uncertain

3. = experience, fortunes

4. occurrence, occasion

H3117

יוֹםyôwm/yome/

n-m — day

Derivation: from an unused root meaning to be hot;

a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)

KJV: age, always, chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), elder, × end, evening, (for) ever(-lasting, -more), × full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, old, outlived, perpetually, presently, remaineth, × required, season, × since, space, then, (process of) time, as at other times, in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), × whole ( age), (full) year(-ly), younger.

יוֹם

n.m — day

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

1. day, opp. night

2. Day as division of time

3. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

4. Pl. days of anyone

5. Days

6. יוֹם = time

7. Phrases

H3808

לֹאlôʼ/lo/

adv — not, no

Derivation: or לוֹא; or לֹה; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

KJV: × before, or else, ere, except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, surely, as truly as, of a truth, verily, for want, whether, without.

לֹא

adv — not

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

H4900

מָשַׁךְmâshak/maw-shak'/

v — draw, sow, sound, prolong, develop, march, remove, delay, be tall

Derivation: a primitive root;

to draw, used in a great variety of applications (including to sow, to sound, to prolong, to develop, to march, to remove, to delay, to be tall, etc.)

KJV: draw (along, out), continue, defer, extend, forbear, × give, handle, make (pro-, sound) long, × sow, scatter, stretch out.

מָשַׁךְ

vb — draw

מָשַׁךְ vb. draw, drag

Qal

1. draw and lift out of

2. draw the bow

3. proceed, march

4. draw out a sound, give a sound

5. draw out, prolong, continue

6. trail seed (draw along in sowing)

7. (late) cheer (draw, attract, gratigy)

Niph. they shall not be prolonged (days of Babylon); it shall not be postponed

Pu. long drawn out: of persons, = tall; hope postponed, deferred

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