Isaiah 47

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 47

1¶ 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.

2Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

3Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet [thee as] a man.

4[As for] our redeemer, the LORD of hosts [is] his name, the Holy One of Israel.

5Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.

6I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.

7¶ And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: [so] that thou didst not lay these [things] to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.

8Therefore hear now this, [thou that art] given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I [am], and none else beside me; I shall not sit [as] a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:

9But these two [things] shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, [and] for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

10For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I [am], and none else beside me.

11Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, [which] thou shalt not know.

12Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.

13Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from [these things] that shall come upon thee.

14Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: [there shall] not [be] a coal to warm at, [nor] fire to sit before it.

15Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, [even] thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Isaiah 47 pronounces a severe judgment against Babylon, depicting its fall from a position of power and luxury to one of humiliation and servitude. The once-proud "lady of kingdoms" is commanded to sit in the dust and perform menial tasks, as her nakedness and shame are revealed. This swift destruction is a consequence of her pride, her cruel treatment of God's people, and her reliance on sorcery and false wisdom.

Medium Summary

Chapter 47 of Isaiah delivers a prophetic lament and judgment against Babylon, portrayed as a "virgin daughter" brought low. She is commanded to descend from her throne, sit in the dust, and perform the tasks of a slave, her former delicacy replaced by shame and exposure. The Lord, identified as the Redeemer of Israel, declares His vengeance upon Babylon for her excessive cruelty towards His people, whom He had given into her hand due to His own wrath. Babylon's arrogant boasts of eternal dominion and self-sufficiency ("I am, and none else beside me") are directly challenged. Therefore, the chapter foretells that the "loss of children and widowhood" will come upon her suddenly, in one day, as a result of her widespread sorceries and enchantments. Her reliance on astrologers and prognosticators will prove futile, as they themselves will be consumed like stubble by fire, unable to save her from the impending desolation.

Long Summary

Isaiah chapter 47 delivers a powerful and detailed prophecy of judgment against Babylon, personified as a "virgin daughter" and "lady of kingdoms." She is commanded to descend from her exalted position, sit in the dust, and endure the indignity of servitude, grinding meal, uncovering her locks, and exposing her nakedness. The Lord declares that He will take vengeance, asserting His identity as the "Redeemer, the LORD of hosts, the Holy One of Israel." The prophecy reveals that Babylon's fall is a direct consequence of her pride and her cruel treatment of God's people, Israel. Though God had used Babylon as an instrument of His wrath against His inheritance, Babylon showed no mercy, laying a heavy yoke upon the ancient. Babylon's self-assured pronouncements, "I shall be a lady for ever" and "I am, and none else beside me," are highlighted as the root of her downfall, as she failed to consider the consequences of her actions. Therefore, a sudden and complete destruction is foretold: "the loss of children, and widowhood" will come upon her in a single day, intensified by her multitude of sorceries and enchantments. Her trust in wickedness and secret practices ("None seeth me") and her reliance on her own wisdom and knowledge are condemned as perverting her. The chapter challenges Babylon to stand with her enchantments and sorceries, and to call upon her astrologers, stargazers, and monthly prognosticators for salvation. However, these false sources of power and wisdom are declared utterly useless, destined to be consumed like stubble by fire, unable to deliver themselves or Babylon. Finally, the prophecy concludes by stating that even her merchants and those with whom she labored from her youth will abandon her, each going his own way, leaving none to save her.

Core Concepts

  • Babylon's HumiliationBabylon, once called "virgin daughter" and "lady of kingdoms," is prophesied to be brought low, forced to sit in the dust, grind meal, and have her nakedness exposed as a sign of her utter degradation and loss of power.
  • Divine VengeanceThe Lord declares He will take vengeance upon Babylon for her pride and for showing no mercy to His people, whom He had given into her hand, asserting His role as Israel's Redeemer.
  • Babylon's Pride and Self-SufficiencyBabylon's downfall is attributed to her arrogant boasts, such as "I shall be a lady for ever" and "I am, and none else beside me," indicating a failure to acknowledge any higher authority or the transient nature of her power.
  • Sudden and Complete DestructionThe prophecy foretells that "the loss of children, and widowhood" will come upon Babylon "in a moment in one day," signifying a swift, unexpected, and total desolation.
  • Futility of Sorcery and AstrologyBabylon's extensive reliance on sorceries, enchantments, astrologers, and prognosticators is explicitly shown to be useless, as these practices and their practitioners will be consumed by fire and unable to save her from divine judgment.
  • Cruelty to God's PeopleThough God used Babylon as an instrument, she is condemned for her lack of mercy towards His people, laying a "very heavy yoke" upon the ancient, which contributed to her own judgment.