Isaiah 13:19-20
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The verse doesn't just compare Babylon's destruction to Sodom and Gomorrah in terms of completeness, but specifically highlights how their destruction was an act of God. This emphasis reveals that Babylon's fall, despite human agency, was divinely ordained, serving as a stark divine judgment on its arrogance and excess, much like the ancient cities.
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Isaiah is speaking a heavy prophecy against Babylon, a city renowned for its immense wealth and grandeur, calling it the "glory of kingdoms." This judgment isn't happening in isolation; it’s part of a larger prophetic oracle about the downfall of nations. The text directly following this verse details the utter desolation Babylon will face, becoming uninhabitable and a haven for wild animals, a stark contrast to its former splendor.
Babylon wasn't just a city; it was the crown jewel of its era, a symbol of unparalleled splendor. But this very glory held the seeds of its destruction.
The verse calls Babylon 'the glory of kingdoms' and 'the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans.' This wasn't just hyperbole. Babylon was the center of a vast empire, renowned for its magnificent architecture, immense wealth, and sophisticated culture. It was the pinnacle of human achievement and power in its time, a city that commanded awe and inspired pride.
A City Beyond Compare
When God wanted to describe utter ruin, He didn't point to a minor collapse, but to a cataclysmic event that echoed through history.
The verse compares Babylon's fate to that of Sodom and Gomorrah. This isn't just about destruction; it's about a specific of judgment. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God's direct, fiery intervention due to their profound wickedness and rebellion.
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A Mark of Divine Judgment
Understand the original words
tsebi · Hebrew Noun
The manifestation of sovereign authority, majesty, or dignity; in a negative sense, it can refer to the pride of nations that exalt themselves against God.
Kasdim · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the inhabitants of the southern Mesopotamian region; they became synonymous with the Babylonian Empire and its culture.
Sedom / Amorah · Hebrew Noun
Two cities destroyed by God due to their extreme wickedness; they serve as the ultimate archetypal example of divine judgment and total desolation.
haphak · Hebrew Verb
The act of God turning, overturning, or destroying a place or people, specifically indicating a total and final reversal of their status.
This prophecy was given when Babylon was rising in power, making the prediction of its utter destruction seem unbelievable. The text highlights that Babylon's eventual ruin, though occurring over centuries through various conquests and population shifts, would be as complete and absolute as the biblical destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
c. 700 BC— this verse
Isaiah's Prophecy Against Babylon
Isaiah delivers his prophecy concerning the future destruction of Babylon, comparing its eventual ruin to that of Sodom and Gomorrah.
605 BC
Rise of Neo-Babylonian Empire
Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar II, establishes the Neo-Babylonian Empire, marking Babylon's ascendancy as a major world power.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Captures Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, diverting the Euphrates River to enter the city. This event marks the beginning of Babylon's decline.
520-518 BC
Darius I Punishes Babylon
Babylon revolts against Darius I, who brutally suppresses the rebellion, demolishes its walls, and removes its gates, further diminishing its strength.
c. 480 BC
Xerxes Destroys Temples
Xerxes I dismantles Babylon's temples, including the famous Temple of Belus, as part of his campaign to suppress Babylonian culture and power.
c. 323 BC
Alexander the Great's Plans for Babylon
Alexander the Great captures Babylon and intends to make it the capital of his empire, but his early death prevents its restoration.
c. 300 BC
Founding of Seleucia
Seleucus I Nicator founds Seleucia on the Tigris, intentionally drawing population and importance away from Babylon.
This is the direct comparison Isaiah is making, describing the utter destruction and divine judgment that befell Sodom and Gomorrah, which Babylon would also experience.
Jeremiah 50:40Jeremiah echoes Isaiah's prophecy, also comparing Babylon's complete devastation to that of Sodom and Gomorrah, reinforcing the idea of total ruin and divine judgment.
Amos 4:11Amos uses the same imagery of divine overthrow, comparing a similar act of destruction against Israel to the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, highlighting God's judgment on sin.
Luke 17:29Jesus references the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as a paradigm of sudden and complete divine judgment, underscoring the severity implied in Isaiah's prophecy against Babylon.
barnesIsaiah 13:19: "And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah."
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms - That is, the capital or chief ornament of many nations. Appellations of this kind, applied to Babylon, abound in the Scriptures. In Daniel 4:30 , it is called 'great Babylon;' in Isaiah 14:4 , it is called 'the golden city;' in Isaiah 47:5 , 'the lady of kingdoms;' in Jeremiah 51:13 , it is, spoken of as 'abundant in…
gillIsaiah 13:19: "And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah."
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,.... The first and most ancient kingdom, Genesis 10:10 and now, at the time of its fall, the largest and most extensive; wherefore of the image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream, which was a representation of several kingdoms, this was the head, the head of gold, Daniel 2:31 so Babylon is called the "lady of kingdoms", Is…
The verse doesn't just compare Babylon's destruction to Sodom and Gomorrah in terms of completeness, but specifically highlights how their destruction was an act of God. This emphasis reveals that Babylon's fall, despite human agency, was divinely ordained, serving as a stark divine judgment on its arrogance and excess, much like the ancient cities.
Isaiah is speaking a heavy prophecy against Babylon, a city renowned for its immense wealth and grandeur, calling it the "glory of kingdoms." This judgment isn't happening in isolation; it’s part of a larger prophetic oracle about the downfall of nations. The text directly following this verse details the utter desolation Babylon will face, becoming uninhabitable and a haven for wild animals, a stark contrast to its former splendor.
Isaiah is speaking a heavy prophecy against Babylon, a city renowned for its immense wealth and grandeur, calling it the "glory of kingdoms." This judgment isn't happening in isolation; it’s part of a larger prophetic oracle about the downfall of nations. The text directly following this verse details the utter desolation Babylon will face, becoming uninhabitable and a haven for wild animals, a stark contrast to its former splendor.
"And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will p…" — The verse doesn't just compare Babylon's destruction to Sodom and Gomorrah in terms of completeness, but specifically highlights how their destruction was an act of God. This emphasis reveals that…
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Last reviewed October 2026
