Isaiah 13:14
And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The imagery of a "chased roe" and "sheep with none to gather them" isn't just about fear; it powerfully emphasizes the loss of community and organized protection. This means that when disaster strikes, these individuals won't just scatter randomly, but will desperately seek the safety and identity found only in their specific people and land, highlighting a profound human need for belonging in the face of chaos.
The prophet Isaiah is delivering a message of judgment against Babylon, describing its impending downfall at the hands of the Medes. This vivid imagery of scattering and fleeing portrays the panic and disarray that will grip the city's diverse population—soldiers, foreign workers, and citizens alike—as they abandon their posts and seek individual escape from the invading forces.
Imagine the sheer panic: the thundering hooves, the sharp cries, the desperate scramble for any sliver of safety. Isaiah uses vivid imagery to portray a city's terrifying downfall.
The prophet compares the fleeing people of Babylon to two vulnerable creatures:
These comparisons highlight the profound fear and disorganization that will overtake Babylon. The mighty city, once proud, will be reduced to a state of panicked individuals desperately seeking refuge.
In the face of overwhelming destruction, where do people instinctively turn? This verse reveals a desperate, yet ultimately futile, attempt to find safety.
The latter half of the verse explains the ultimate direction of this panicked flight:
This fragmentation is a key aspect of Babylon's downfall. The city, a melting pot of nations, will dissolve into its constituent parts. Instead of a unified defense, there's a scattering, each person and group trying to save themselves. It underscores the prophet's message: in the face of God's judgment, individual and nationalistic efforts are ultimately insufficient.
Isaiah's prophecy vividly portrays the utter collapse and scattering of Babylon's diverse, multinational population during its fall. The imagery of a chased gazelle and ownerless sheep speaks to the chaos and the desperate, individual flight of soldiers and foreigners, each seeking their own homeland amidst the invading Medes and Persians.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
The Assyrian king Sennacherib campaigns in the region, besieging Jerusalem. This event likely shaped the prophetic context for Isaiah's warnings about foreign invasion and destruction.
c. 689 BC
Assyrian Destruction of Babylon
The Assyrian king Sennacherib (or Esarhaddon) destroys Babylon. While Isaiah's prophecy concerns a future judgment on Babylon by the Medes and Persians, this earlier destruction by Assyria would have served as a stark precedent for divine judgment on great cities.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylon defeats Egypt and begins deporting Judean elites, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the rise of Babylonian power and the start of Judah's exile.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Temple Destruction
Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population. This catastrophic event is the backdrop against which many prophetic pronouncements of judgment and restoration are made.
This passage describes a similar scattering and flight of foreigners from Babylon when it falls, mirroring the imagery of individuals fleeing to their own lands.
Ezekiel 30:3This verse speaks of a day of judgment for Egypt, comparing their might to a 'chasing wolf' and the nation to a 'skittish heifer,' echoing the vulnerability and scattered state described for Babylon.
Zephaniah 2:14-15This passage describes the desolation of Nineveh, likening it to a place where animals will rest and lions will roar, a stark contrast to its former glory, similar to how Babylon's fall is depicted.
Psalm 74:14While not about Babylon specifically, this psalm recounts God's power over powerful beasts (like Leviathan, likened to a dragon) and his sovereign action in history, reflecting the grand scale of divine judgment implied in Isaiah's prophecy.
barnesIsaiah 13:14: "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."
And it shall be - Babylon shall be. As the chased roe - Once so proud. lofty, arrogant, and self-confident; it shall be as the trembling gazelle, or the timid deer pursued by the hunter, and panting for safety. The word (צבי tsebı̂y) denotes a deer of the most delicate frame; the species that is most fleet and graceful in it…
wesleyIsaiah 13:14: "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."
13:14 It - Babylon. A roe - Fearful in itself, especially when it is pursued by the hunter. A sheep - In a most forlorn condition. Every man - Those soldiers of other nations, whom she had hired to assist her.
The imagery of a "chased roe" and "sheep with none to gather them" isn't just about fear; it powerfully emphasizes the loss of community and organized protection. This means that when disaster strikes, these individuals won't just scatter randomly, but will desperately seek the safety and identity found only in their specific people and land, highlighting a profound human need for belonging in the face of chaos.
The prophet Isaiah is delivering a message of judgment against Babylon, describing its impending downfall at the hands of the Medes. This vivid imagery of scattering and fleeing portrays the panic and disarray that will grip the city's diverse population—soldiers, foreign workers, and citizens alike—as they abandon their posts and seek individual escape from the invading forces.
The prophet Isaiah is delivering a message of judgment against Babylon, describing its impending downfall at the hands of the Medes. This vivid imagery of scattering and fleeing portrays the panic and disarray that will grip the city's diverse population—soldiers, foreign workers, and citizens alike—as they abandon their posts and seek individual escape from the invading forces.
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539 BC— this verse
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian king Cyrus the Great, uniting the Medes and Persians, conquers Babylon. This event fulfills Isaiah's prophecies about Babylon's downfall and marks a significant shift in regional power.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus Allowing Jewish Return
Following his conquest, Cyrus issues a decree allowing the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This sets the stage for the end of the Babylonian exile.
"And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land." — The imagery of a "chased roe" and "sheep with none to gather them" isn't just about fear; it powerfully emphasizes the loss of community and organized protection. This means that when disaster stri…
