What is the meaning of Isaiah 13:14? Like a hunted gazelle “Like a hunted gazelle…” (Isaiah 13:14) paints a vivid picture of frightened prey bolting for life. • Gazelles rely on speed, not strength. The comparison underscores Babylon’s defenders and residents becoming powerless once God’s judgment arrives (Isaiah 13:6–8). • The panic is divinely driven. Isaiah 51:13 reminds Israel that God is the One who “stretched out the heavens” and also stirs dread in His foes. • Lamentations 4:19 echoes the same helpless flight: “Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky; they chased us on the mountains.” • Just as David saw himself “like one hunted” (1 Samuel 26:20), so the mighty city’s people will feel cornered with no earthly refuge. Like a sheep without a shepherd “…like a sheep without a shepherd…” signals leaderless confusion. • Numbers 27:17 describes Israel’s need for a shepherd “so that the LORD’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” Babylon’s army, stripped of leadership, will crumble. • 1 Kings 22:17 pictures scattered troops when the king is gone, reinforcing the idea that once God removes authority structures, the people scatter. • Jesus saw crowds in the same state (Matthew 9:36), underlining how universally dire it is to face danger without guidance. God’s judgment on Babylon leaves it guide-less and vulnerable. Each will return to his own people “Each will return to his own people…” shows foreigners abandoning Babylon. • The empire had drawn captives, merchants, and mercenaries. When God strikes, self-preservation overrides loyalty. • Jeremiah 50:16 speaks of Babylon’s fall: “Cut off the sower from Babylon… Everyone will return to his own people.” • Isaiah 47:15 likewise foretells allies turning away. God’s intervention dismantles the proud, forcing every outsider to head home. Each will flee to his native land “…each will flee to his native land.” The exodus is frantic, not orderly. • Jeremiah 46:16 pictures soldiers crying, “Let us go back to our own people…,” mirroring the scene. • Isaiah 21:14-15 shows fugitives “fleeing the sword,” stressing how rapidly judgment empties Babylon. • The prophecy has a literal fulfillment when the Medes storm the city (Isaiah 13:17). History records foreign contingents deserting rather than fighting for a collapsing power, proving God’s word true. summary Isaiah 13:14 unfolds in four swift strokes: terrified like prey, leaderless like scattered sheep, abandoning foreign allegiances, and sprinting homeward. Together they forecast the total unraveling of Babylon once God’s decree falls—no strength, no guidance, no unity, no resolve. He who once gathered nations for Babylon’s rise will scatter them for its fall, demonstrating both the certainty of His judgment and the reliability of His Word. |
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