Isaiah 47:6-7
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. You said, “I shall be mistress forever,” so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Even though God allowed Babylon to conquer His people, He condemns Babylon for showing no mercy. This highlights that even in divine judgment, there's a boundary of human decency, and cruelty, especially toward the elderly, crosses a line God will not overlook.
God is speaking directly to Babylon, explaining why He will judge her so harshly. He reveals that while He allowed Babylon to conquer His people because of their sin, Babylon's cruelty and lack of mercy went far beyond what God intended, particularly in their harsh treatment of the elderly. This verse sets the stage for Babylon's imminent downfall, showing that even though God used them as an instrument of punishment, their own wicked actions will bring divine retribution upon them.
Why would God call His own people an 'inheritance' and then speak of 'polluting' them? What does this reveal about His deep connection to us?
In this verse, God speaks with profound sorrow and anger about the suffering of His people. He calls Israel His 'inheritance,' a term of deep affection and possession, like a treasured family heirloom. Yet, He admits, 'I polluted mine inheritance.' This isn't about God changing His mind about His people, but acknowledging that through their sin, they lost their former glory and purity, and He allowed them to be treated harshly. It's a complex picture of God's discipline: He is angry with His people's sin, but His heart aches over their suffering, especially when it's inflicted with unnecessary cruelty. He uses nations like Babylon as instruments of His judgment, but their role is temporary. The 'pollution' speaks to the shame and destruction that befell His people and their sacred land.
Babylon was used by God to punish His people, but they went too far. What does 'showing no mercy' reveal about their hearts and ours?
God explicitly states that Babylon 'showed them no mercy.' While God used Babylon as a tool for His judgment against His sinful people, their cruelty exceeded His intended purpose. They weren't just carrying out a sentence; they reveled in oppression and inflicted suffering beyond what was necessary for punishment. The verse highlights a particularly grim detail: 'on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.' This disregard for the vulnerable – the elderly, who deserved reverence and care – shows a deep moral failing. Even when God permits hardship, human cruelty in how that hardship is inflicted is a separate and punishable offense. This serves as a stark reminder that our actions, especially towards the suffering, are always seen by God, even when we act under the guise of 'justice.'
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.
The verse speaks of God's righteous anger and the subsequent exile of His people, highlighting Babylon's excessive cruelty towards the elderly and vulnerable during the destruction of Jerusalem. This context emphasizes that while God used Babylon as an instrument of judgment, He would not tolerate their unwarranted brutality, foreshadowing their own future downfall.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Exile
The northern kingdom of Israel falls to the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and many of its inhabitants are exiled. This event foreshadows the future fate of the southern kingdom of Judah.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon conquers Judah, initiating the Babylonian exile. Key figures like Daniel are deported to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Judah's elite, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, to Babylon.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar utterly destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population. This is the height of the Babylonian subjugation of Judah.
This passage describes Israel as a scattered sheep being devoured by lions, directly paralleling the 'profaned heritage' and cruel treatment of God's people mentioned in Isaiah.
Zechariah 1:15Zechariah echoes Isaiah's sentiment, stating that God was 'indignant' with His people, but the nations 'helped forward the affliction,' highlighting the theme of excessive cruelty by instruments of divine judgment.
Lamentations 4:16This lament vividly describes the cruelty of their oppressors, mentioning that the 'faces of the elders were not honored,' which directly corresponds to the 'aged' being yoked exceedingly heavily in Isaiah.
Psalm 137:8-9This psalm expresses the deep sorrow and anger of the exiles who suffered greatly, crying out for vengeance on Babylon for her 'cruel deeds' and 'making their little ones to dash themselves in pieces against the rock,' which reflects the merciless treatment described in Isaiah.
Matthew 18:33-34Jesus uses the parable of the unforgiving servant to illustrate the principle that just as the servant showed no mercy to his debtor, he would receive no mercy himself. This parallels God's judgment on Babylon for showing no mercy to His people.
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…
Even though God allowed Babylon to conquer His people, He condemns Babylon for showing no mercy. This highlights that even in divine judgment, there's a boundary of human decency, and cruelty, especially toward the elderly, crosses a line God will not overlook.
God is speaking directly to Babylon, explaining why He will judge her so harshly. He reveals that while He allowed Babylon to conquer His people because of their sin, Babylon's cruelty and lack of mercy went far beyond what God intended, particularly in their harsh treatment of the elderly. This verse sets the stage for Babylon's imminent downfall, showing that even though God used them as an instrument of punishment, their own wicked actions will bring divine retribution upon them.
God is speaking directly to Babylon, explaining why He will judge her so harshly. He reveals that while He allowed Babylon to conquer His people because of their sin, Babylon's cruelty and lack of mercy went far beyond what God intended, particularly in their harsh treatment of the elderly. This verse sets the stage for Babylon's imminent downfall, showing that even though God used them as an instrument of punishment, their own wicked actions will bring divine retribution upon them.
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c. 550-539 BC
Rise of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great unites the Medes and Persians, establishing the Achaemenid Empire and preparing to conquer Babylon.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
"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. You said, “I shall be mistress forever,” so that yo…" — Even though God allowed Babylon to conquer His people, He condemns Babylon for showing no mercy. This highlights that even in divine judgment, there's a boundary of human decency, and cruelty, espe…
