They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The description of their faces being "aflame" isn't about anger or shame, but an intense physical manifestation of extreme anguish and shock. It's as if their inner turmoil is so great it physically burns them from the inside out.
They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophecy in this chapter is a "burden" or oracle concerning Babylon, a powerful empire that will face divine judgment. Following descriptions of armies gathering and the impending destruction of the land, this verse vividly portrays the intense fear and distress that will seize the inhabitants of Babylon as the invaders close in. This widespread panic sets the stage for the cosmic signs of judgment and the ultimate downfall of the city described in the following verses.
Imagine the unthinkable happening to your world. The text uses powerful imagery to describe the emotional and physical toll of disaster.
This verse vividly portrays the overwhelming shock and despair that grips the people of Babylon.
Overwhelmed by the Moment
The phrase 'pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them' paints a picture of an inescapable, gripping pain. It's not just sadness, but a physical seizure of distress, much like the intense, involuntary contractions of labor.
The Pain of a Woman in Labor
The comparison to a 'woman that travaileth' is a common biblical metaphor for extreme suffering and sudden, overwhelming crisis. It speaks to a pain that is all-consuming, unavoidable, and brings about a profound, life-altering event. For Babylon, this means the end of their empire and way of life.
What does profound fear and shock look like? The text describes a disturbing visual transformation that reveals inner turmoil.
The description of the people's faces reveals the depth of their terror and disorientation.
Mutual Astonishment
'They will look aghast at one another' suggests a scene of utter bewilderment. Imagine people staring blankly at each other, not out of recognition or connection, but from a shared, paralyzing shock. They see in each other the same raw terror they feel, unable to offer comfort or find answers.
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Faces Like Flames
The phrase 'their faces will be as flames' is striking. While fear often causes paleness, here the faces are described as burning or glowing. This could represent the intense feverishness of extreme anguish and panic, or perhaps the flushed heat of shame and indignant rage mixed with their terror. It’s a visual representation of their inner world erupting outwards.
Understand the original words
bahal · Hebrew Verb
A state of intense mental or emotional terror caused by divine judgment, where human wisdom and strength prove inadequate to handle the overwhelming reality of God's wrath.
chil · Hebrew Noun
A term describing the intense physical and emotional suffering associated with the intensity of God’s judgment, often compared to the unavoidable and painful intensity of childbirth.
Isaiah's vivid description of Babylon's terror during its fall, comparing the panic to a woman in labor, vividly portrays the overwhelming dread that grips a nation when its power crumbles. This prophecy, delivered long before Babylon's peak, serves as a stark reminder of God's sovereignty over empires and the ultimate consequence of their pride and wickedness.
c. 740 BC— this verse
Isaiah Prophesies Against Babylon
Isaiah delivers prophecies against Babylon, foretelling its future destruction by the Medes and Persians. This message would have been delivered decades before the Babylonian Empire's peak and its eventual fall.
626-605 BC
Neo-Babylonian Empire Rises
Nabopolassar establishes the Neo-Babylonian Empire, shaking off Assyrian rule. Babylon becomes a major world power, eventually conquering Judah and destroying Jerusalem.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar II conquers Jerusalem, destroying the Temple and exiling many Judeans. This event highlights Babylon's immense power and prompts reflections on God's judgment.
550 BC
Cyrus the Great Rises
Cyrus the Great unites the Medes and Persians, forming a powerful new empire that would soon challenge Babylon's dominance.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy. The city is taken with relative ease, often attributed to internal corruption and neglect of defenses.
This passage describes Damascus experiencing similar pangs of anguish and terror, comparing their suffering to that of a woman in labor during a time of invasion.
Psalm 48:6This psalm uses the imagery of a woman in labor to describe the terror and distress that gripped the inhabitants of Zion when they heard of their enemies' approach.
Hosea 13:13This verse also uses the metaphor of a woman in labor for the pain and sorrow that will come upon the people, highlighting the intensity of the judgment.
1 Thessalonians 5:3This New Testament passage echoes the imagery, warning that destruction will come upon the ungodly suddenly, 'as travail upon a woman with child,' emphasizing the unexpected and overwhelming nature of God's judgment.
barnesIsaiah 13:8: "And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames."
They shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth - This comparison is often used in the Scriptures to denote the deepest possible pain and sorrow, as well as the suddenness with which any calamity comes upon a people Psalm 48:6 ; Isaiah 21:3 ; Isaiah 42:14 ; Jeremiah 6:24 ; Jeremiah 13:21 ; Jere…
clarkeIsaiah 13:8: "And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames."
And they shall be afraid "And they shall be terrified" - I join this verb, ונבהלו venibhalu, to the preceding verse, with the Syriac and Vulgate. Pangs and sorrows shall take hold on them "Pangs shall seize them" - The Septuagint, Syriac, and Chaldee read יאחזום yochezum, instead of יאחזון yo…
The description of their faces being "aflame" isn't about anger or shame, but an intense physical manifestation of extreme anguish and shock. It's as if their inner turmoil is so great it physically burns them from the inside out.
The prophecy in this chapter is a "burden" or oracle concerning Babylon, a powerful empire that will face divine judgment. Following descriptions of armies gathering and the impending destruction of the land, this verse vividly portrays the intense fear and distress that will seize the inhabitants of Babylon as the invaders close in. This widespread panic sets the stage for the cosmic signs of judgment and the ultimate downfall of the city described in the following verses.
The prophecy in this chapter is a "burden" or oracle concerning Babylon, a powerful empire that will face divine judgment. Following descriptions of armies gathering and the impending destruction of the land, this verse vividly portrays the intense fear and distress that will seize the inhabitants of Babylon as the invaders close in. This widespread panic sets the stage for the cosmic signs of judgment and the ultimate downfall of the city described in the following verses.
"They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame." — The description of their faces being "aflame" isn't about anger or shame, but an intense physical manifestation of extreme anguish and shock. It's as if their inner turmoil is so great it physically…
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Last reviewed October 2026