Isaiah Chapter 13 · Verse 14
And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.
Original Language Analysis
וְהָיָה֙
H1961
וְהָיָה֙
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 14
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
מֻדָּ֔ח
And it shall be as the chased
H5080
מֻדָּ֔ח
And it shall be as the chased
Strong's:
H5080
Word #:
3 of 14
to push off; used in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (to expel, mislead, strike, inflict, etc.)
וּכְצֹ֖אן
and as a sheep
H6629
וּכְצֹ֖אן
and as a sheep
Strong's:
H6629
Word #:
4 of 14
a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)
וְאֵ֣ין
H369
וְאִ֥ישׁ
every one
H376
וְאִ֥ישׁ
every one
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
7 of 14
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
עַמּוֹ֙
to his own people
H5971
עַמּוֹ֙
to his own people
Strong's:
H5971
Word #:
9 of 14
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
יִפְנ֔וּ
turn
H6437
יִפְנ֔וּ
turn
Strong's:
H6437
Word #:
10 of 14
to turn; by implication, to face, i.e., appear, look, etc
וְאִ֥ישׁ
every one
H376
וְאִ֥ישׁ
every one
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
11 of 14
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
Cross References
1 Kings 22:17And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.Jeremiah 50:16Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.1 Kings 22:36And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.
Historical Context
Babylon's population included peoples from across the ancient Near East—deportees, slaves, merchants, mercenaries. Multi-ethnic empires hold together through power; when that power breaks, they fragment along ethnic/national lines. When Babylon fell to Cyrus in 539 BC, the new regime allowed peoples to return to homelands (see Ezra 1:1-4 regarding Jewish return). What conquest had gathered, judgment scattered. This pattern repeats throughout history: empires unite by force, but crumble into constituent parts when central power fails.
Questions for Reflection
- What holds your community or nation together—divine purpose or merely human power and self-interest?
- How does this verse warn against trusting in human systems and institutions that can quickly dissolve?
Analysis & Commentary
The image shifts to panicked flight: 'it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.' The gazelle (roe) flees from hunters; the sheep without a shepherd scatters before predators. Babylon's cosmopolitan population—gathered from many nations through conquest and trade—will fragment and flee homeward. No one will gather them; no one will defend them. Each seeks individual survival, abandoning collective defense. This is total social breakdown: every man for himself. Unity dissolves under judgment.