Isaiah 13:14
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Isaiah 13:14
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.
Chapter Context
Isaiah 13 is a prophetic oracle chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of obedience, judgment, worship. Written during the Assyrian and pre-exilic periods (c. 740-680 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Addressed Judah during Assyria's rise, Babylon's threat, and anticipated restoration.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-22: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it establishes important theological principles that resonate throughout Scripture. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Isaiah and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Isaiah 13:14
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.
Analysis
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.
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.
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?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: 1 Kings 22:17, 22:36, Jeremiah 50:16