Isaiah 13

Isaiah 13 is the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Isaiah, and is one of the Books of the Prophets. In the New King James Version, the chapter is sub-titled "Proclamation Against Babylon".

Text

The original text was written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 22 verses.

The American Old Testament scholar Brevard Childs links this chapter with the first part of chapter 14 as one section, composed of two units: 13:2-22 and 14:4b-21, "linked editorially by an initial superscription and two redactional units 14:1-4a and 22-23.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis, the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets, Aleppo Codex, Codex Leningradensis.
Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls :

1QIsa^a: complete
1QIsa^b: extant: verses 2‑5, 7‑8, 16, 18‑19
4QIsa^a : extant: verses 4‑6
4QIsa^b : extant: verses 3-18
4QIsa^l : extant: verses 1‑4

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrinus and Codex Marchalianus.

Parashot

The parashah sections listed here are based on the Aleppo Codex. Isaiah 13 is a part of the Prophecies about the Nations . : open parashah; : closed parashah.

Verse 1

"Burden" : the keyword in the superscriptions for a total of nine similar oracles; the others being: Isaiah 15:1; 17:1; 19:1; 21:1, 11, 13; 22:1; 23:1.

Verse 2

The ASV refers to "the bare mountain", i.e. "i.e. one denuded of trees, so that the signal might be clearly distinguished".

Verse 17

Cross reference: ; ; ;

This verse makes clear that Babylon was to fall at the hand of the Medes, probably under the leadership of Cyrus the Great. The Medes are specified by name as the instrument of God's wrath, pointing to a historical setting in the sixth century, but according to Childs, significantly "portrayed as a still future event, and... not to be interpreted as a late postexilic retrojection of the events in 539" BC when Medes actually conquered Babylon.

Verse 21

Owls, ostriches and goats are identified as examples.