Isaiah 13:2

Lift up a flag on the bare top of a hill, to signal that an army should come to attack Babylon. Shout to them and wave your hand to signal to them that they should march through the city gates into the palaces of the proud rulers of Babylon!

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

In Context

1I, Isaiah, the son of Amoz, received from Yahweh this message about Babylon city:

3Yahweh says, “I have commanded those soldiers to do that; I have summoned the warriors whom I have chosen to punish the people of Babylon because of my being very angry with them, and those soldiers will be very proud when they do that.”

Read all of Isaiah 13

Cross References

Isaiah 10:32The soldiers of Assyria will stop at Nob city outside Jerusalem. They will shake their fists as they threaten the people on Zion Hill in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 11:15Yahweh will make a dry road through the sea near Egypt. And it will be as though he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River and send a strong wind to cause it to divide into seven streams, with the result that people will be able to walk across those streams.

Isaiah 45:1Cyrus is the one whom Yahweh has appointed to be the emperor of Persia and to whom he will give great power [IDM]; Yahweh will enable him to defeat other nations and to take away the power of their kings. He will cause gates of cities to be opened, and no one will ever be able to shut them.

Jeremiah 50:2This is what Yahweh says: “Proclaim [DOU] a message among the nations; do not withhold any of it; raise up a signal flag to announce that Babylon will be captured. Its chief god Marduk, whose other name is Bel, will be completely disgraced, and all the other statues and idols will be shattered.

Jeremiah 51:27Tell the nations to lift up a battle flag! Tell them to shout the battle-cry! Gather all their armies to fight against Babylon! Prepare the nations to attack Babylon. Summon the armies of the kingdoms north of Babylonia—from Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander for them, and bring a great number of horses; there must be a huge number of horses; that huge number will resemble [SIM] a swarm of locusts.

Matthew Henry on Isaiah 13:2-6

The Doom of Babylon. ( b. c. 739.) 1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. 2 Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. 4 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… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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