Isaiah 13:4–10

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^13:4⁷ There is a loud noise on the mountains—

it sounds like a large army!⁸

There is great commotion among the kingdoms⁹—

nations are being assembled!

The Lord who commands armies is mustering

forces for battle.

^13:5They come from a distant land,

from the horizon.¹⁰

It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment,¹¹

coming to destroy the whole earth.¹²

^13:6Wail, for the Lord’s day of judgment¹³ is near;

it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge.¹⁴

^13:7For this reason all hands hang limp,¹⁵

every human heart loses its courage.¹⁶

^13:8They panic—

cramps and pain seize hold of them

like those of a woman who is straining to give birth.

They look at one another in astonishment;

their faces are flushed red.¹⁷

^13:9Look, the Lord’s day of judgment¹⁸ is coming;

it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger,¹⁹

destroying²⁰ the earth²¹

and annihilating its sinners.

^13:10Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations

no longer give out their light;²²

the sun is darkened as soon as it rises,

and the moon does not shine.²³

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Footnotes

7 In vv. 4–10 the prophet appears to be speaking, since the Lord is referred to in the third person. However, since the Lord refers to himself in the third person later in this chapter (see v. 13), it is possible that he speaks throughout the chapter.
8 Heb “a sound, a roar [is] on the mountains, like many people.”
9 Heb “a sound, tumult of kingdoms.”
10 Heb “from the end of the sky.”
11 Or “anger”; cf. , “the weapons of his indignation.”
12 Or perhaps, “land” (so , , , ). Even though the heading and subsequent context (see v. 17) indicate Babylon’s judgment is in view, the chapter has a cosmic flavor that suggests that the coming judgment is universal in scope. Perhaps Babylon’s downfall occurs in conjunction with a wider judgment, or the cosmic style is poetic hyperbole used to emphasize the magnitude and importance of the coming event.
13 Heb “the day of the Lord” (so , ).
14 Heb “like destruction from the sovereign judge it comes.” The comparative preposition (ךְּ, ké) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the destruction unleashed will have all the earmarks of divine judgment. One could paraphrase, “it comes as only destructive divine judgment can.” On this use of the preposition in general, see §118.x. The divine name used here is שַׁדַּי (shaddai, “Shaddai”). Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is the sovereign king/judge of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name is uncertain (see discussion below) its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. In Gen 17:1–8 he appears to Abram, introduces himself as El Shaddai, and announces his intention to make the patriarch fruitful. In the role of El Shaddai God repeats these words (now elevated to the status of a decree) to Jacob (35:11). Earlier Isaac had pronounced a blessing upon Jacob in which he asked El Shaddai to make Jacob fruitful (28:3). Jacob later prays that his sons will be treated with mercy when they return to Egypt with Benjamin (43:14). The fertility theme is not as apparent here, though one must remember that Jacob viewed Benjamin as the sole remaining son of the favored and once-barren Rachel (cf. 29:31; 30:22–24; 35:16–18). It is quite natural that he would appeal to El Shaddai to preserve Benjamin’s life, for it was El Shaddai’s miraculous power which made it possible for Rachel to give him sons in the first place. In 48:3 Jacob, prior to blessing Joseph’s sons, tells him how El Shaddai appeared to him at Bethel (cf. chapter 28) and promised to make him fruitful. When blessing Joseph on his deathbed Jacob refers to Shaddai (we should probably read “El Shaddai,” along with a few Hebrew , the Samaritan Pentateuch, , and ) as the one who provides abundant blessings, including “blessings of the breast and womb” (49:25). (The direct association of the name with שָׁדַיִם [shadayim, “breasts”] suggests the name might mean “the one of the breast” [i.e., the one who gives fertility], but the juxtaposition is probably better explained as wordplay. Note the wordplay involving the name and the root שָׁדַד [shadad, “destroy”] here in Isa 13:6 and in Joel 1:15.) Outside Genesis the name Shaddai (minus El, “God”) is normally used when God is viewed as the sovereign king who blesses/protects or curses/brings judgment. The name appears in the introduction to two of Balaam’s oracles (Num 24:4, 16) of blessing upon Israel. Naomi employs the name when accusing the Lord of treating her bitterly by taking the lives of her husband and sons (Ruth 1:20–21). In Ps 68:14; Isa 13:6; and Joel 1:15 Shaddai judges his enemies through warfare, while Ps 91:1 depicts him as the protector of his people. (In Ezek 1:24 and 10:5 the sound of the cherubs’ wings is compared to Shaddai’s powerful voice. The reference may be to the mighty divine warrior’s battle cry which accompanies his angry judgment.) Last but not least, the name occurs 31 times in the Book of Job. Job and his “friends” assume that Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world (11:7; 37:23a) who is the source of life (33:4b) and is responsible for maintaining justice (8:3; 34:10–12; 37:23b). He provides abundant blessings, including children (22:17–18; 29:4–6), but can also discipline, punish, and destroy (5:17; 6:4; 22:20; 23:16). It is not surprising to see the name so often in this book, where the theme of God’s justice is primary and even called into question (24:1; 27:2). The most likely proposal is that the name means “God, the one of the mountain” (an Akkadian cognate means “mountain,” to which Heb. שַׁד [shad, “breast”] is…
15 Heb “drop”; “be faint”; “be feeble”; “fall helpless.”
16 Heb “melts” (so ).
17 Heb “their faces are faces of flames.” Their faces are flushed with fear and embarrassment.
18 Heb “the day of the Lord.”
19 Heb “[with] cruelty, and fury, and rage of anger.” Three synonyms for “anger” are piled up at the end of the line to emphasize the extraordinary degree of divine anger that will be exhibited in this judgment.
20 Heb “making desolate.”
21 Or “land” (, , , , ).
22 Heb “do not flash forth their light.”
23 Heb “does not shed forth its light.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The sound of a tumult is on the mountains

as of a great multitude!

The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,

of nations gathering together!

The Lord of hosts is mustering

a host for battle.

They come from a distant land,

from the end of the heavens,

the Lord and the weapons of his indignation,

to destroy the whole land.

Wail, for the day of the Lord is near;

as destruction from the Almighty it will come!

Therefore all hands will be feeble,

and every human heart will melt.

They will be dismayed:

pangs and agony will seize them;

they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.

They will look aghast at one another;

their faces will be aflame.

Behold, the day of the Lord comes,

cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,

to make the land a desolation

and to destroy its sinners from it.

For the stars of the heavens and their constellations

will not give their light;

the sun will be dark at its rising,

and the moon will not shed its light.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Listen, a noise on the mountains,

like that of a great multitude!

Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms,

like nations massing together!

The Lord Almighty is mustering

an army for war.

They come from faraway lands,

from the ends of the heavens—

the Lord and the weapons of his wrath—

to destroy the whole country.

Wail, for the day of the Lord is near;

it will come like destruction from the Almighty.

Because of this, all hands will go limp,

every heart will melt with fear.

Terror will seize them,

pain and anguish will grip them;

they will writhe like a woman in labor.

They will look aghast at each other,

their faces aflame.

See, the day of the Lord is coming

—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—

to make the land desolate

and destroy the sinners within it.

The stars of heaven and their constellations

will not show their light.

The rising sun will be darkened

and the moon will not give its light.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Listen, a commotion on the mountains,

like that of a mighty people!

Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms,

like nations being gathered together!

The Lord of Armies is mobilizing an army for war.

They are coming from a distant land,

from the farthest horizon—

the Lord and the weapons of his wrath—

to destroy the whole country.

Wail! For the day of the Lord is near.

It will come as destruction from the Almighty.

Therefore everyone’s hands will become weak,

and every man will lose heart.

They will be horrified;

pain and agony will seize them;

they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.

They will look at each other,

their faces flushed with fear.

Look, the day of the Lord is coming—

cruel, with fury and burning anger—

to make the earth a desolation

and to destroy its sinners.

Indeed, the stars of the sky and its constellations

will not give their light.

The sun will be dark when it rises,

and the moon will not shine.

NLTNew Living Translation

Hear the noise on the mountains!

Listen, as the vast armies march!

It is the noise and shouting of many nations.

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has called this army together.

They come from distant countries,

from beyond the farthest horizons.

They are the Lord’s weapons to carry out his anger.

With them he will destroy the whole land.

Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived—

the time for the Almighty to destroy.

Every arm is paralyzed with fear.

Every heart melts,

and people are terrified.

Pangs of anguish grip them,

like those of a woman in labor.

They look helplessly at one another,

their faces aflame with fear.

For see, the day of the Lord is coming—

the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger.

The land will be made desolate,

and all the sinners destroyed with it.

The heavens will be black above them;

the stars will give no light.

The sun will be dark when it rises,

and the moon will provide no light.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

A sound, a noise is on the mountains,

the likeness of many people!

A sound of the roar of the kingdoms,

of nations gathering!

Yahweh of hosts is mustering an army for battle.

They are coming from a distant land,

from the end of the heavens,

Yahweh and the weapons of his indignation,

to destroy the whole earth.

Wail, for the day of Yahweh is near;

it will come like destruction from Shaddai!

Therefore all hands will grow slack,

and every human heart will melt,

and they will be dismayed.

Pangs and labor pains will seize them;

they will tremble like a woman giving birth.

They will stare at one another,

their faces flushing.

Look! The day of Yahweh is coming,

cruel and wrath and the burning of anger,

to make the earth a desolation,

and he will destroy its sinners from it.

For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not flash forth their light;

the sun will keep back when it comes out,

and the moon will not cause its light to shine.

KJV 1900King James Version

The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people;

A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together:

The Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.

They come from a far country, from the end of heaven,

Even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation,

To destroy the whole land.

Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand;

It shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

Therefore shall all hands be faint,

And every man’s heart shall melt:

And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them;

They shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth:

They shall be amazed one at another;

Their faces shall be as flames.

Behold, the day of the Lord cometh,

Cruel both with wrath and fierce anger,

To lay the land desolate:

And he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light:

The sun shall be darkened in his going forth,

And the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

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