I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that Babylon's cruelty toward God's people was an excessive, self-serving act, going beyond God's intended punishment. Even though God allowed them to conquer His people, Babylon's brutal actions, especially towards the elderly, reveal their own deep-seated malice and lust for power, not just obedience to divine will.
I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God declares that He used Babylon as an instrument of His wrath against His own people, punishing them for their sins by giving them into Babylon's hands. However, Babylon exceeded the commission given to her, showing no mercy and cruelly oppressing even the elderly during their conquest and exile. This excessive cruelty is why God will now turn His judgment against Babylon.
Ever wondered how God can use seemingly 'bad' people or nations to accomplish His will? This verse sheds light on that complex truth.
God's sovereignty extends over all nations and peoples. Even when He is angry with His own people, as He was with Israel, He can use other nations as instruments of His discipline.
A Divine Commission
In this verse, God declares, 'I gave them into your hand.' This doesn't mean God approved of Babylon's actions or motivations. Instead, it signifies that, in His ultimate plan, He allowed Babylon to conquer and exile Judah as a form of judgment for their disobedience.
Beyond the Commission
However, this divine allowance comes with a critical warning. While God used Babylon, He held them accountable for how they treated His people. Their commission was to discipline, not to destroy with unrestrained cruelty.
When judgment is executed, who is most at risk of suffering? This verse highlights a particularly grievous aspect of Babylon's cruelty.
The sin of Babylon wasn't just that they conquered and exiled God's people; it was the manner in which they did it. God specifically condemns their lack of mercy, especially towards the most vulnerable.
The Aged, The Weak
The verse points to a specific offense: 'on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.' This demonstrates a profound lack of compassion. The elderly, by definition, are often frail and less able to endure hardship. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, and certainly in Scripture, respect for elders was highly valued.
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A Glimpse of God's Heart
By condemning Babylon's treatment of the aged, God reveals His own heart for the vulnerable. True justice is always tempered with mercy, and a society's or an individual's true character is revealed by how they treat those who can offer them no power or advantage.
Babylon's 'mercy' – or lack thereof – was so extreme that it drew God's specific condemnation.
Understand the original words
nachalah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the covenant relationship between Yahweh and the nation of Israel. It denotes the people of Israel as God's chosen possession and special treasure.
racham · Hebrew Noun
The withholding of deserved punishment; compassionate forbearance toward those who are suffering or at fault. It reflects the character of God, which His people are also called to manifest.
ol · Hebrew Noun
A wooden frame placed on the necks of draft animals to enable them to pull a load. Metaphorically, it represents servitude, oppression, or a burden of responsibility placed upon a person or nation.
This verse speaks to the brutal conquest and exile of God's people by Babylon. While God used Babylon as an instrument of judgment for their sins, He condemns their excessive cruelty, especially towards the elderly, highlighting that even instruments of judgment are accountable for their actions.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon deports a significant portion of Jerusalem's elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and many more Judeans to Babylon, including the prophet Ezekiel. Jerusalem's treasures are plundered.
587/586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, deporting most of the remaining population. This event is the primary context for God's anger and the 'profaning of His heritage' mentioned in Isaiah 47.
c. 562 BC
Jehoiachin's Release
King Jehoiachin of Judah, after 37 years of imprisonment in Babylon, is released by King Evil-Merodach. While a glimmer of hope, it doesn't negate the suffering of the exiles.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This event fulfills prophecies against Babylon and paves the way for the Jewish return.
538 BC
Cyrus's Decree Allowing Return
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks the beginning of the end of the Babylonian exile.
This passage directly echoes Isaiah's sentiment, identifying Israel as a scattered sheep and explicitly naming the 'king of Babylon' and his actions as the cause of their suffering, highlighting the cruelty inflicted upon God's people.
Ezekiel 25:12This chapter describes God's judgment on Edom for their 'ancient enmity' against Judah, specifically mentioning their vengeance and attributing it to their pride, which parallels Babylon's cruel treatment of Israel in Isaiah 47.
Zechariah 1:15This verse speaks of God's anger with His people being 'a little,' but the nations, including Babylon, 'helped forward the affliction' with excessive zeal and cruelty, directly aligning with Isaiah's charge that Babylon showed no mercy.
Psalm 137:8-9This psalm vividly expresses the sorrow of the exiles, crying out for vengeance on Babylon for their cruelty, especially their destruction of children, which underscores the 'exceedingly heavy yoke' and lack of mercy mentioned in Isaiah.
Lamentations 4:16This passage laments the fall of Jerusalem and directly describes the arrogance of the enemy (Babylon) and their lack of respect for elders, stating 'they did not pity us,' which strongly resonates with Isaiah's accusation of showing no mercy and laying a heavy yoke upon the aged.
barnesIsaiah 47:6: "I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke."
I was worth with my people - In this verse and the following, a reason is assigned why God would deal so severely with her. One of the reasons was, that in executing the punishment which he had designed on the Jewish people, she had done it with pride, ambition, and severity; so that though God intended…
pulpitIsaiah 47:6: "I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke."
Verse 6. - I was wroth with my people (comp. 2 Kings 24:3, 4; 2 Chronicles 36:13-17). I have polluted... and given; rather, I polluted and gave. The reference is to the conquest of Judaea by Nebuchadnezzar. Thou didst show them no mercy. We have very little historical knowledge of the general treatment…
The verse highlights that Babylon's cruelty toward God's people was an excessive, self-serving act, going beyond God's intended punishment. Even though God allowed them to conquer His people, Babylon's brutal actions, especially towards the elderly, reveal their own deep-seated malice and lust for power, not just obedience to divine will.
God declares that He used Babylon as an instrument of His wrath against His own people, punishing them for their sins by giving them into Babylon's hands. However, Babylon exceeded the commission given to her, showing no mercy and cruelly oppressing even the elderly during their conquest and exile. This excessive cruelty is why God will now turn His judgment against Babylon.
God declares that He used Babylon as an instrument of His wrath against His own people, punishing them for their sins by giving them into Babylon's hands. However, Babylon exceeded the commission given to her, showing no mercy and cruelly oppressing even the elderly during their conquest and exile. This excessive cruelty is why God will now turn His judgment against Babylon.
"I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy." — The verse highlights that Babylon's cruelty toward God's people was an excessive, self-serving act, going beyond God's intended punishment. Even though God allowed them to conquer His people, Babylon…
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Last reviewed October 2026