Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Look at the land of the Babylonians, this people that is now of no account! The Assyrians have made it a place for desert creatures; they raised up their siege towers, they stripped its fortresses bare and turned it into a ruin. New Living Translation Look at the land of Babylonia— the people of that land are gone! The Assyrians have handed Babylon over to the wild animals of the desert. They have built siege ramps against its walls, torn down its palaces, and turned it to a heap of rubble. English Standard Version Behold the land of the Chaldeans! This is the people that was not; Assyria destined it for wild beasts. They erected their siege towers, they stripped her palaces bare, they made her a ruin. Berean Standard Bible Look at the land of the Chaldeans—a people now of no account. The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures; they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They brought it to ruin. Berean Literal Bible Behold the land of the Chaldeans—this people was not. Assyria has founded it for the desert creatures; they set up its towers, they raised up its palaces—He has appointed her to ruin. King James Bible Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin. New King James Version Behold, the land of the Chaldeans, This people which was not; Assyria founded it for wild beasts of the desert. They set up its towers, They raised up its palaces, And brought it to ruin. New American Standard Bible Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this is the people that did not exist; Assyria allocated it for desert creatures—they erected their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, they made it a ruin. NASB 1995 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans— this is the people which was not; Assyria appointed it for desert creatures— they erected their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, they made it a ruin. NASB 1977 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this is the people which was not; Assyria appointed it for desert creatures— they erected their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, they made it a ruin. Legacy Standard Bible Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this is the people which was not; Assyria established it for desert creatures—they erected their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, they made it a ruin. Amplified Bible Now look at the land of the Chaldeans (Babylonia)—this is the people which was not; the Assyrians allocated Tyre for desert creatures—they set up their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, they made it a ruin. Berean Annotated Bible Look at the land of the Chaldeans (the Babylonians) a people now of no account. The Assyrians (a step) destined it for the desert creatures; they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They brought it to ruin. Christian Standard Bible Look at the land of the Chaldeans — a people who no longer exist. Assyria destined it for desert creatures. They set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They made it a ruin. Holman Christian Standard Bible Look at the land of the Chaldeans— a people who no longer exist. Assyria destined it for desert creatures. They set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They made it a ruin. American Standard Version Behold, the land of the Chaldeans: this people was not; the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness; they set up their towers; they overthrew the palaces thereof; they made it a ruin. Contemporary English Version Look what the Assyrians have done to Babylonia! They have attacked, destroying every palace in the land. Now wild animals live among the ruins. English Revised Version Behold, the land of the Chaldeans; this people is no more; the Assyrian hath appointed it for the beasts of the wilderness: they set up their towers, they overthrew the palaces thereof; he made it a ruin. GOD'S WORD® Translation Look at the land of the Babylonians. These people will be gone. Assyria gave this land to the desert animals. Assyria set up battle towers, stripped palaces bare, and turned these places into ruins. Good News Translation (It was the Babylonians, not the Assyrians, who let the wild animals overrun Tyre. It was the Babylonians who put up siege towers, tore down the fortifications of Tyre, and left the city in ruins. ) International Standard Version "Look at the land of the Chaldeans! This is a people that no longer exist; Assyria destined her for desert creatures. They raised up her siege towers, they stripped her fortresses bare and turned her into a ruin. NET Bible Look at the land of the Chaldeans, these people who have lost their identity! The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals. They erected their siege towers, demolished its fortresses, and turned it into a heap of ruins. New Heart English Bible Look, the land of the Chaldeans, these people who have become nothing. The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals. They set up their siege towers, they tore down her palaces, they made her a ruin. Webster's Bible Translation Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up its towers, they raised up its palaces; and he brought it to ruin. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleLook at the land of the Chaldeans—a people now of no account. The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures; they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They brought it to ruin. World English Bible Behold, the land of the Chaldeans. This people didn’t exist. The Assyrians founded it for those who dwell in the wilderness. They set up their towers. They overthrew its palaces. They made it a ruin. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionBehold, the land of the Chaldeans—this people was not, "" Asshur founded it for desert-dwellers, "" They raised its watchtowers, "" They lifted up her palaces—He has appointed her for a ruin! Berean Literal Bible Behold the land of the Chaldeans—this people was not. Assyria has founded it for the desert creatures; they set up its towers, they raised up its palaces—He has appointed her to ruin. Young's Literal Translation Lo, the land of the Chaldeans -- this people was not, Asshur founded it for the Ziim, They raised its watch-towers, They lifted up her palaces, -- He hath appointed her for a ruin! Smith's Literal Translation Behold the land of the Chaldees; this people was not; Assur founded it for the inhabitants of the desert: they set up its watch-towers, they raised up its fortresses, he set it for ruins. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBehold the land of the Chaldeans, there was not such a people, the Assyrian founded it: they have led away the strong ones thereof into captivity, they have destroyed the houses thereof, they have brought it to ruin. Catholic Public Domain Version Behold, the land of the Chaldeans: never before was there such a people! Assur founded it. They have led away its strong ones into captivity. They have dug under its houses. They have left it in ruins. New American Bible Look at the land of the Chaldeans, the people that has ceased to be. Assyria founded it for ships, raised its towers, Only to tear down its palaces, and turn it into a ruin. New Revised Standard Version Look at the land of the Chaldeans! This is the people; it was not Assyria. They destined Tyre for wild animals. They erected their siege towers, they tore down her palaces, they made her a ruin. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleBehold the land of the Chaldeans; this is the people, and not the Assyrians, who destroyed it; they appointed spies who spied on her palaces, and they brought it to ruin. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Behold, land of The Chaldeans, this is the people that was not the Assyrian; he made it for The Spirit, and he has raised up spies. They spied on her palaces and they made it a ruin OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Behold, the land of the Chaldeans--this is the people that was not, when Asshur founded it for shipmen--they set up their towers, they overthrew the palaces thereof; it is made a ruin. Brenton Septuagint Translation And if thou depart to the land of the Chaldeans, this also is laid waste by the Assyrians, for her wall is fallen. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Fall of Tyre…12He said, “You shall rejoice no more, O oppressed Virgin Daughter of Sidon. Get up and cross over to Cyprus—even there you will find no rest.” 13Look at the land of the Chaldeans— a people now of no account. The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures; they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They brought it to ruin. 14Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your harbor has been destroyed!… Cross References Look at the land of the Chaldeans— Jeremiah 50:1 This is the word that the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Chaldeans: Jeremiah 50:10 Chaldea will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill,” declares the LORD. Jeremiah 51:24 Before your very eyes I will repay Babylon and all the dwellers of Chaldea for all the evil they have done in Zion,” declares the LORD. a people now of no account. 1 Corinthians 1:28 He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, Daniel 4:17 This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’ Job 30:8 A senseless and nameless brood, they were driven off the land. The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures; Zephaniah 2:13-15 And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert. / Herds will lie down in her midst, creatures of every kind. Both the desert owl and screech owl will roost atop her pillars. Their calls will sound from the window, but desolation will lie on the threshold, for He will expose the beams of cedar. / This carefree city that dwells securely, that thinks to herself: “I am it, and there is none besides me,” what a ruin she has become, a resting place for beasts. Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist. Isaiah 13:21-22 But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about. / 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. Jeremiah 50:39-40 So the desert creatures and hyenas will live there and ostriches will dwell there. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. / As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighbors,” declares the LORD, “no one will dwell there; no man will abide there. they set up their siege towers Ezekiel 4:2 Then lay siege against it: Construct a siege wall, build a ramp to it, set up camps against it, and place battering rams around it on all sides. 2 Kings 25:1 So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it. Jeremiah 52:4 So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it. and stripped its palaces. Amos 3:11 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “An enemy will surround the land; he will pull down your strongholds and plunder your citadels.” 2 Chronicles 36:19 Then the Chaldeans set fire to the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned down all the palaces and destroyed every article of value. Nahum 2:6 The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses. They brought it to ruin. Isaiah 14:23 “I will make her a place for owls and for swamplands; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of Hosts. Treasury of Scripture Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin. land Isaiah 13:19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 11:28,31 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees… Job 1:17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. the Assyrian Genesis 2:14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. Genesis 10:10,11 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar… Genesis 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. for them Psalm 72:9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. and he Ezekiel 26:7 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people. Ezekiel 29:18 Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it: Jump to Previous Account Appointed Asshur Assyria Assyrian Assyrians Babylonians Bare Beasts Chaldeans Chalde'ans Desert Destined Destroyed Dwell Dwellers Erected Exist Fortresses Founded Overthrew Palaces Raised Razed Ruin Shipmen Siege Stripped Thereof Towers Turned Tyre Wild Wilderness ZiimJump to Next Account Appointed Asshur Assyria Assyrian Assyrians Babylonians Bare Beasts Chaldeans Chalde'ans Desert Destined Destroyed Dwell Dwellers Erected Exist Fortresses Founded Overthrew Palaces Raised Razed Ruin Shipmen Siege Stripped Thereof Towers Turned Tyre Wild Wilderness ZiimIsaiah 23 1. The miserable overthrow of Tyre15. Her restoration and unfaithfulness Look at the land of the Chaldeans The Chaldeans were a Semitic people who settled in the southern part of Mesopotamia, in what is now modern-day Iraq. They are often associated with the Babylonians, as they eventually rose to power in Babylon. This phrase invites the reader to consider the fate of the Chaldeans, who were once a significant power in the region. The Chaldeans are mentioned in other parts of the Bible, such as in the book of Daniel, where they are known for their wisdom and astrology. a people now of no account The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces They brought it to ruin Persons / Places / Events 1. ChaldeansOriginally a Semitic-speaking people in southern Babylonia, the Chaldeans became synonymous with the Babylonians. In this context, they are described as a people of no account, indicating their downfall. 2. Assyrians A powerful empire known for its military prowess and conquests. They are depicted as the force that brought destruction upon the Chaldeans, turning their land into a ruin. 3. Siege Towers These were military structures used in ancient warfare to breach the walls of fortified cities. The Assyrians used them to conquer and devastate the Chaldean lands. 4. Desert Creatures Symbolic of desolation and abandonment, indicating that the once-thriving land of the Chaldeans had become a wasteland. 5. Ruins The result of the Assyrian conquest, symbolizing the complete destruction and humiliation of the Chaldeans. Teaching Points The Sovereignty of GodGod is in control of the rise and fall of nations. The Chaldeans' downfall serves as a reminder that no earthly power is beyond God's authority. The Consequences of Pride The Chaldeans, once mighty, became "of no account." Pride and self-reliance can lead to downfall and desolation. The Cycle of Judgment Just as the Assyrians judged the Chaldeans, they too faced judgment. This cycle reminds us of the importance of humility and repentance. The Transience of Earthly Power Earthly kingdoms and powers are temporary. Our trust should be in God's eternal kingdom. Hope in Desolation Even in desolation, there is hope for restoration through God. The ruins can be a place of new beginnings if we turn back to Him. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Isaiah 23:13?2. How does Isaiah 23:13 illustrate God's sovereignty over nations and their destinies? 3. What historical context in Isaiah 23:13 helps us understand God's judgment on Tyre? 4. How can Isaiah 23:13 deepen our trust in God's control over world events? 5. What lessons from Isaiah 23:13 can we apply to modern-day societal influences? 6. How does Isaiah 23:13 connect with other biblical prophecies about God's judgment? 7. What historical evidence supports the destruction of the Chaldeans mentioned in Isaiah 23:13? 8. How does Isaiah 23:13 reflect God's sovereignty over nations? 9. Why does Isaiah 23:13 focus on the Chaldeans' downfall? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Isaiah 23? 11. Why does Isaiah 23:13 attribute Tyre’s destruction to the Chaldeans when other historical sources credit different powers for Tyre’s conquests? 12. How do claims in Isaiah 4 regarding future restoration align or conflict with other Old Testament prophecies about judgment and destruction? 13. In Isaiah 37:30-32, how can a devastated Judah produce such an abundant harvest within a single season after the Assyrian siege? 14. What explains the apparent inconsistency between God's merciful nature elsewhere and the violent retribution depicted in Ezekiel 23:22-27? What Does Isaiah 23:13 Mean Look at the land of the ChaldeansIsaiah points the listeners to Babylon’s homeland so they can see a living illustration of God’s power over proud cities. • Genesis 11:1-9 shows the Chaldeans’ beginnings at Babel, already reaching for self-exaltation. • Isaiah 13:19-22 foretells Babylon’s later desolation, confirming that what Isaiah now asks Judah to “look at” will surely come to pass. a people now of no account The once-ambitious Chaldeans have been reduced to insignificance, proving that human greatness can evaporate overnight when God intervenes (Daniel 4:30-37). • Psalm 33:10 declares, “The LORD nullifies the plans of the nations.” • Jeremiah 50:2-3 echoes the verdict: Babylon is taken, her idols shattered. The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures Assyria, God’s instrument of judgment, smashed Babylon so thoroughly that only animals would roam the ruins. • Isaiah 14:22-23 promises, “I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland.” • Zephaniah 2:13-15 records a similar fate for Nineveh, reinforcing that the LORD can repurpose the mightiest capitals into wildlife refuges. they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces Assyrian engineers and soldiers methodically dismantled Babylon’s defenses and treasures. • 2 Kings 18:13-16 shows Assyria using identical tactics on Judah’s fortified cities. • Nahum 2:1-7 details siege-tower warfare, underscoring the terror of an Assyrian assault. They brought it to ruin The final line drives home the theme: God’s judgment, once unleashed, leaves complete devastation. • Revelation 18:2 revisits Babylon’s fall, using the ancient ruin as a prophetic template for the ultimate overthrow of worldly arrogance. • Proverbs 16:18 reminds, “Pride goes before destruction,” a principle visibly etched on Babylon’s rubble. summary Isaiah 23:13 stands as a vivid sermon illustration inside a prophecy against Tyre. By pointing to the Chaldeans—once formidable, now demolished by Assyria—Isaiah demonstrates that no empire can outlast the sovereign will of God. If Babylon’s greatness crumbled, Tyre’s merchants should not imagine immunity, and neither should any modern power. The verse calls believers to trust God’s absolute rule over history and to reject the empty security of human pride. (13) Behold, the land of the Chaldeans.--Heb., land of Kasdim. The prophet points to the destruction of one power that had resisted Assyria as an example of what Tyre might expect. The Assyrian inscriptions record the conquests referred to. Sargon relates his victory over the "perverse and rebellious Chaldaeans," who had rebelled under Merodach-baladan (Records of the Past, vii. 41, 45). Towns were pillaged, 80,570 men carried away captive from a single city. Sennacherib (ibid., p. 59) boasts of having plundered Babylon itself, and all the "strong cities and castles of the land of the Chaldaeans"; and again, of having crushed another revolt under Suzab the Babylonian (ibid., i. 47-49). The words that follow on this survey are better rendered: This people is no more: Asshur appointeth it for the desert beasts. They set up their towers, they destroy its palaces. The "towers are those of the Assyrian besiegers attacking Babylon; the palaces, those of the attacked. The words have, however, often been interpreted as pointing to the origin and migration of the Chaldaeans, as having had scarcely any national existence till Assyria had brought them into the plains of the Euphrates. The English version seems based upon this interpretation of the passage. It is obvious, however, that such a fragment of ethnological history does not cohere well with the context, and gives a less satisfactory meaning. It is doubtful, too, whether the supposed history itself rests on any adequate evidence.Verse 13. - Behold the land of the Chaldeans (comp. Isaiah 13:19; Isaiah 47:1, 5; Isaiah 48:14, 20). Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Isaiah knows the people as Chahleans (Kasdim), the capital as Babylon. Kaldi, in the inscriptions, is a rare word, and the name of a not very important tribe. Yet Berosus uses the term to designate the whole nation. This people was not; rather, is not; i.e. "is no more a people" - "has ceased to exist." Sargon conquered Babylon in B.C. 710, and made himself king, ruling it, together with Assyria, until B.C. 705, when it rebelled and recovered its independence. Sennacherib reconquered it in B.C. 704, and again in B.C. 700, when he made his eldest son viceroy. Esarhaddon ruled over both countries, as did Asshur-bani-pal. Though later (about B.C. 620-610) Babylon reasserted her independence, and became a great empire, yet Isaiah was justified, at almost any period of his life after B.C. 710, in speaking of her as non-existent. Till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness. There is no "till" in the original. The clause is separate and independent, not connected grammatically with the preceding. Nor does it assert that the Assyrians "founded" Babylon for any one, but only that they "established" it, or "appointed" it to be a habitation for "the beasts of the desert" (comp. Isaiah 13:21; Isaiah 34:14; Jeremiah 1:39, etc.). The prophet views the Assyrians as intending to reduce Babylon to ruins, and leave it waste and uninhabited. The towers thereof; i.e. the siege-towers requisite for reducing so strong a city. They raised up; rather, they made bare (cf. Habakkuk 3:9). He brought it to ruin. "He" is "the Assyrian." The case of Babylon is adduced to increase the alarm of Tyro, by reminding the inhabitants of what the Assyrians had done to a town greater and stronger than their own. The allusion is probably to certain severities of Sargon's in B.C. 710, which, however, are rhetorically exaggerated. It was never the policy of the Assyrians to depopulate or destroy Babylon.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Look atהֵ֣ן ׀ (hên) Interjection Strong's 2005: Lo! behold! the land אֶ֣רֶץ (’e·reṣ) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 776: Earth, land of the זֶ֤ה (zeh) Pronoun - masculine singular Strong's 2088: This, that Chaldeans— כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים (kaś·dîm) Noun - proper - masculine plural Strong's 3778: Chaldeans -- a region of southern Babylon and its inhab a people הָעָם֙ (hā·‘ām) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock now לֹ֣א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no of no account. הָיָ֔ה (hā·yāh) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be The Assyrians אַשּׁ֖וּר (’aš·šūr) Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 804: Ashshur destined it יְסָדָ֣הּ (yə·sā·ḏāh) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular Strong's 3245: To set, to found, to sit down together, settle, consult for the desert creatures; לְצִיִּ֑ים (lə·ṣî·yîm) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 6728: Wild beast of the desert, that dwell in inhabiting the wilderness they set up הֵקִ֣ימוּ (hê·qî·mū) Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand their siege towers בַחוּנָ֗יו (ḇa·ḥū·nāw) Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 971: A watch-tower of besiegers and stripped עֹרְרוּ֙ (‘ō·rə·rū) Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 6209: To bare, to demolish its palaces. אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ (’ar·mə·nō·w·ṯe·hā) Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular Strong's 759: A citadel They brought it שָׂמָ֖הּ (śā·māh) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set to ruin. לְמַפֵּלָֽה׃ (lə·map·pê·lāh) Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 4654: Something fallen, a ruin Links Isaiah 23:13 NIVIsaiah 23:13 NLT Isaiah 23:13 ESV Isaiah 23:13 NASB Isaiah 23:13 KJV Isaiah 23:13 BibleApps.com Isaiah 23:13 Biblia Paralela Isaiah 23:13 Chinese Bible Isaiah 23:13 French Bible Isaiah 23:13 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Isaiah 23:13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans (Isa Isi Is) |
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