Isaiah Chapter 47 · Verse 2

Authorized King James Version

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Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

Original Language Analysis

קְחִ֥י Take H3947
קְחִ֥י Take
Strong's: H3947
Word #: 1 of 12
to take (in the widest variety of applications)
רֵחַ֖יִם the millstones H7347
רֵחַ֖יִם the millstones
Strong's: H7347
Word #: 2 of 12
a mill-stone
וְטַ֣חֲנִי and grind H2912
וְטַ֣חֲנִי and grind
Strong's: H2912
Word #: 3 of 12
to grind meal; hence, to be a concubine (that being their employment)
קָ֑מַח meal H7058
קָ֑מַח meal
Strong's: H7058
Word #: 4 of 12
flour
גַּלִּי uncover H1540
גַּלִּי uncover
Strong's: H1540
Word #: 5 of 12
to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal
צַמָּתֵ֧ךְ thy locks H6777
צַמָּתֵ֧ךְ thy locks
Strong's: H6777
Word #: 6 of 12
a veil
חֶשְׂפִּי make bare H2834
חֶשְׂפִּי make bare
Strong's: H2834
Word #: 7 of 12
to strip off, i.e., generally to make naked (for exertion or in disgrace), to drain away or bail up (a liquid)
שֹׁ֛בֶל the leg H7640
שֹׁ֛בֶל the leg
Strong's: H7640
Word #: 8 of 12
a lady's train (as trailing after her)
גַּלִּי uncover H1540
גַּלִּי uncover
Strong's: H1540
Word #: 9 of 12
to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal
שׁ֖וֹק the thigh H7785
שׁ֖וֹק the thigh
Strong's: H7785
Word #: 10 of 12
the (lower) leg (as a runner)
עִבְרִ֥י pass over H5674
עִבְרִ֥י pass over
Strong's: H5674
Word #: 11 of 12
to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in
נְהָרֽוֹת׃ the rivers H5104
נְהָרֽוֹת׃ the rivers
Strong's: H5104
Word #: 12 of 12
a stream (including the sea; expectation the nile, euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity

Analysis & Commentary

Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. God commands personified Babylon to assume the posture of abject slavery and humiliation. Grinding grain with hand-mills was the lowest slave labor (Exodus 11:5, Judges 16:21), typically assigned to captured women. The verb tachan (grind) sometimes carries sexual connotation in Hebrew, suggesting forced prostitution alongside forced labor.

"Uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh" describes progressive stripping of garments, exposing what modesty demands remain covered. Ancient Near Eastern captives were often marched naked through victorious cities (2 Samuel 10:4, Nahum 3:5). This reversal is profound - Babylon, the empire that stripped nations bare, will herself be exposed. The command "pass over the rivers" indicates exile - precisely what Babylon inflicted on Israel - will befall the oppressor.

From a Reformed perspective, this verse demonstrates God's lex talionis (law of retaliation) operating at cosmic scale. Babylon's pride, exploitation, and violence boomerang back upon her. God's justice ensures oppressors receive the treatment they inflicted. Yet this principle also magnifies grace - in Christ, believers escape the just punishment our sins deserve because Christ bore our shame and exposure on the cross.

Historical Context

This prophecy depicts Babylon's fall to Cyrus the Persian (539 BC). Historical records describe how Cyrus's forces diverted the Euphrates River and entered Babylon through the dry riverbed, capturing the city virtually without battle. The Cyrus Cylinder confirms that Babylonian aristocracy was deposed and the empire's wealth plundered. The imagery of 'passing over the rivers' may reference Babylonian captives being deported across the Tigris and Euphrates into Persian territory, mirroring Israel's deportation decades earlier.

Questions for Reflection