Isaiah 13:17 Meaning Explained

Isaiah 13:17

Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold.

English Standard Version (ESV)

God isn't just saying the Medes will be tough warriors; He's highlighting their detachment from the very things Babylon prized. Their focus isn't on plunder but on executing divine judgment, making them a terrifyingly pure instrument of God's wrath.

What Isaiah 13:17 means

This prophecy is part of a larger judgment against Babylon, detailing how God will use various nations to bring about its destruction. Following a description of the terrifying day of the Lord and the impending doom for Babylon’s inhabitants, Isaiah reveals the specific instruments God will employ. The text then goes on to describe the Medes' fierce and unsparing approach as they conquer the city.

God's Sovereign Control Over Nations

Ever feel like world events are chaotic and random? This verse reveals a powerful truth about who's really in charge.

Isaiah declares, 'Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them.' This isn't just a historical observation; it's a theological statement. God claims direct agency in raising up nations and directing their actions, even those who don't know or acknowledge Him.

A Divine Mandate

God's Initiative: The phrase 'I am stirring up' shows God's active involvement. He doesn't merely permit events; He orchestrates them. The Medes are instruments in His hand, moved by His purpose.
Foreknowledge and Foretelling: Isaiah names the Medes long before they became a major power, demonstrating God's detailed knowledge and control over history's unfolding.
Purposeful Judgment: Nations are raised up to carry out God's judgment against those who defy Him. The Medes, in this instance, are called to execute wrath upon Babylon.

The Unbought Vengeance of the Medes

Imagine an army that isn't motivated by greed. What does that say about their mission and their impact?

The verse vividly describes the Medes as those 'who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold.' This distinctive characteristic was crucial to their role in God's plan.

Motives Beyond Riches

Focus on Destruction, Not Spoils: Their primary motivation wasn't personal gain through plunder, but rather the execution of a mission. This allowed them to be relentlessly focused on destroying their enemy, rather than being swayed by offers of ransom or wealth.
Instruments of Divine Wrath: This detachment from riches made them effective agents of God's judgment. They were less likely to be bought off or deterred, ensuring that God's judgment on Babylon would be carried out fully.

Understand the original words

Original language

Medesמָדַי

Maday · Hebrew Noun

An ancient people group who became a major power in the Near East; in prophecy, they are often instruments of divine judgment against other nations.

Historical context

Written: Likely between 740-701 BC
Author: Isaiah, traditionally understood as the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz
Location: Written from Jerusalem, referring to the impending destruction of Babylon
Genre: Prophecy; features vivid imagery and symbolic language to convey divine judgment

Historical background

This prophecy was given at a time when Media was a minor, subject province, making the prediction of its future role in destroying Babylon incredibly prescient. The Medes' fierce, conquest-oriented nature, rather than a love of plunder, is highlighted as a key characteristic in their divinely appointed mission.

Late 8th century BC
Assyrians deport Israelites to Media
As part of Sargon II's conquests, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed, and many of its inhabitants were deported and settled in cities of Media. This event brought the Medes into greater prominence in Israelite awareness.
c. 700 BC
Medes gain independence from Assyria
Following periods of Assyrian dominance, the Medes, under leaders like Dejoces and his successors, began to establish their own kingdom and expand their influence.
c. 612 BC
Fall of Nineveh
The Medes, allied with the Babylonians, played a crucial role in the destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. This marked a major shift in regional power, with Media becoming a dominant force.
c. 550 BC
Rise of Cyrus and the Medo-Persian Empire
Cyrus the Great, a Persian prince with Median ancestry, overthrew his Median grandfather Astyages, uniting the Medes and Persians into a single, powerful empire.

Key themes

01Divine instrument of judgment
02Nations as God's agents
03Unwavering divine purpose
04Unspoiled by worldly gain

Cross-references

Jeremiah 51:11

This passage directly echoes Isaiah's prophecy, stating that 'The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because it is his purpose against Babylon to destroy it.'

Daniel 5:28

This verse describes the division of Belshazzar's kingdom to the Medes and Persians, fulfilling the prophecy that these nations would conquer Babylon.

Proverbs 16:4

This proverb states, 'The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble,' which aligns with God using the Medes as instruments of his wrath against Babylon.

Isaiah 45:1-7

Here, God explicitly names Cyrus (who led the Medo-Persian forces) as his shepherd and anointed, highlighting that even pagan kings are used by God to accomplish His purposes, including the judgment of nations.

Scholarly commentary

Isaiah 13:17: "Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it."

Behold, I will stir up - I will cause them to engage in this enterprise. This is an instance of the control which God claims over the nations, and of his power to excite and direct them as he pleases. The Medes - This is one of the places in which the prophet specified, "by name," the instrument of the wrath of God. Cyrus himself is subsequently mentioned…
barnes

Isaiah 13:17: "Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it."

The Medes; under whom he comprehends the Persians, who were their neighbours and confederates in this expedition. They shall not delight in it; which is to be understood comparatively. They shall more eagerly pursue the destruction of the people than the getting of spoil; whereby it shall appear that they are only the executioners of my vengeance against t…
poole

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What Isaiah 13:17 means

Historical background

Late 8th century BC

Assyrians deport Israelites to Media

As part of Sargon II's conquests, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed, and many of its inhabitants were deported and settled in cities of Media. This event brought the Medes into greater prominence in Israelite awareness.

c. 700 BC

Medes gain independence from Assyria

Following periods of Assyrian dominance, the Medes, under leaders like Dejoces and his successors, began to establish their own kingdom and expand their influence.

c. 612 BC

Fall of Nineveh

The Medes, allied with the Babylonians, played a crucial role in the destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. This marked a major shift in regional power, with Media becoming a dominant force.

c. 550 BC

Rise of Cyrus and the Medo-Persian Empire

Cyrus the Great, a Persian prince with Median ancestry, overthrew his Median grandfather Astyages, uniting the Medes and Persians into a single, powerful empire.