Isaiah

Isaiah 13:17–22

¹⁷Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes,

who have no regard for silver

and no desire for gold.

¹⁸Their bows will dash young men to pieces;

they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;

they will not look with pity on the children.

¹⁹And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms,

the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans,

will be overthrown by God

like Sodom and Gomorrah.

²⁰She will never be inhabited

or settled from generation to generation;

no nomad will pitch his tent there,

no shepherd will rest his flock there.

²¹But desert creatures will lie down there,

and howling creatures will fill her houses.

Ostriches^b will dwell there,

and wild goats will leap about.

²²Hyenas will howl in her fortresses

and jackals^c in her luxurious palaces.

Babylon’s time is at hand,

and her days will not be prolonged.

Footnotes

b 13:21 Literally Daughters of an ostrich or Daughters of an owl
c 13:22 Or serpents or dragons

Read all of Isaiah 13

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Isaiah 13:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Behold	הִנְנִ֛י	hin·nî	Interjection; first person common singular	H2005 lo! behold
I will stir up	מֵעִ֥יר	mê·‘îr	Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular	H5782 rouse oneself, awake
against them	עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם	‘ă·lê·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural	H5921 height
the Medes	מָדָ֑י	mā·ḏāy	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4074 Medes, Media
who	אֲשֶׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
have no	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
regard	יַחְשֹׁ֔בוּ	yaḥ·šō·ḇū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2803 think, account
for silver	כֶּ֙סֶף֙	ke·sep̄	Noun - masculine singular	H3701 silver, money
and no	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
desire	יַחְפְּצוּ־	yaḥ·pə·ṣū-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2654 delight in
for gold	וְזָהָ֖ב	wə·zā·hāḇ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H2091 gold

Isaiah 13:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Their bows	וּקְשָׁת֖וֹת	ū·qə·šā·ṯō·wṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine plural	H7198 bow
young men	נְעָרִ֣ים	nə·‘ā·rîm	Noun - masculine plural	H5288 a shaking, scattering
to pieces	תְּרַטַּ֑שְׁנָה	tə·raṭ·ṭaš·nāh	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine plural	H7376 dash in pieces
they will have no	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
mercy	יְרַחֵ֔מוּ	yə·ra·ḥê·mū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7355 love
on the fruit	וּפְרִי־	ū·p̄ə·rî-	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H6529 fruit
of the womb	בֶ֙טֶן֙	ḇe·ṭen	Noun - feminine singular	H990 belly, body, womb
they will not	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
look with pity	תָח֥וּס	ṯā·ḥūs	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H2347 pity, look upon with compassion
on	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the children	בָּנִ֖ים	bā·nîm	Noun - masculine plural	H1121 son

Isaiah 13:19

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And Babylon	בָבֶל֙	ḇā·ḇel	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H894 Babel, Babylon
the jewel	צְבִ֣י	ṣə·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6643 beauty, honour
of the kingdoms	מַמְלָכ֔וֹת	mam·lā·ḵō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H4467 kingdom, sovereignty, dominion, reign
the glory	תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת	tip̄·’e·reṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H8597 beauty, glory
of the pride	גְּא֣וֹן	gə·’ō·wn	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1347 exaltation
of the Chaldeans	כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים	kaś·dîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H3778 Chaldean
will be	וְהָיְתָ֤ה	wə·hā·yə·ṯāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
overthrown	כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֣ת	kə·mah·pê·ḵaṯ	Preposition-k; Noun - feminine singular construct	H4114 overthrow
by God	אֱלֹהִ֔ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
like Sodom	סְדֹ֖ם	sə·ḏōm	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H5467 Sodom
and Gomorrah	עֲמֹרָֽה׃	‘ă·mō·rāh	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H6017 Gomorrah

Isaiah 13:20

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
She will never	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
be inhabited	תֵשֵׁ֣ב	ṯê·šêḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
or	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
settled	תִשְׁכֹּ֖ן	ṯiš·kōn	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7931 settle down, abide, dwell
from	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
generation	דּ֣וֹר	dō·wr	Noun - masculine singular	H1755 period, generation, dwelling
to generation	וָד֑וֹר	wā·ḏō·wr	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H1755 period, generation, dwelling
no	וְלֹֽא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
nomad	עֲרָבִ֔י	‘ă·rā·ḇî	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6163 steppe-dweller
will pitch his tent	יַהֵ֥ל	ya·hêl	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H167 tent, move tent
there	שָׁם֙	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
no	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
shepherd	וְרֹעִ֖ים	wə·rō·‘îm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H7462 pasture, tend, graze
will rest his flock	יַרְבִּ֥צוּ	yar·bi·ṣū	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7257 stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out
there	שָֽׁם׃	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither

Isaiah 13:21

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But desert creatures	צִיִּ֔ים	ṣî·yîm	Noun - masculine plural	H6728 desert-dweller
will lie down	וְרָבְצוּ־	wə·rā·ḇə·ṣū-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H7257 stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out
there	שָׁ֣ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
and howling creatures	אֹחִ֑ים	’ō·ḥîm	Noun - masculine plural	H255 howler
will fill	וּמָלְא֥וּ	ū·mā·lə·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H4390 be full, fill
her houses	בָתֵּיהֶ֖ם	ḇāt·tê·hem	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H1004 house
Ostriches	יַֽעֲנָ֔ה	ya·‘ă·nāh	Noun - feminine singular	H3284 greed (?)
will dwell	וְשָׁ֤כְנוּ	wə·šā·ḵə·nū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H7931 settle down, abide, dwell
there	שָׁם֙	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
and wild goats	וּשְׂעִירִ֖ים	ū·śə·‘î·rîm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural	H8163 he-goat, buck
will leap about	יְרַקְּדוּ־	yə·raq·qə·ḏū-	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7540 skip about

Isaiah 13:22

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Hyenas	אִיִּים֙	’î·yîm	Noun - masculine plural	H338 jackal
will howl	וְעָנָ֤ה	wə·‘ā·nāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H6030 answer, respond
in her fortresses	בְּאַלְמנוֹתָ֔יו	bə·ʾal·m·nō·ṯå̄w	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H490 widow
and jackals	וְתַנִּ֖ים	wə·ṯan·nîm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - common plural	H8577 serpent, dragon, sea-monster
in her luxurious	עֹ֑נֶג	‘ō·neḡ	Noun - masculine singular	H6027 daintiness, exquisite delight
palaces	בְּהֵ֣יכְלֵי	bə·hê·ḵə·lê	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine plural construct	H1964 palace, temple
time	עִתָּ֔הּ	‘it·tāh	Noun - common singular construct; third person feminine singular	H6256 time
is at hand	וְקָר֤וֹב	wə·qā·rō·wḇ	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular	H7138 near
and her days	וְיָמֶ֖יהָ	wə·yā·me·hā	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H3117 day
will not	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
be prolonged	יִמָּשֵֽׁכוּ׃	yim·mā·šê·ḵū	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4900 draw, drag