God declares that He "profaned" His own heritage—meaning He set His people aside as if they were unclean—but this didn't give Babylon license to show them no mercy. The prophecy highlights that Babylon's cruelty wasn't just an act of war; it was an egregious lack of compassion, particularly towards the elderly, which would ultimately bring divine judgment upon them.
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)
God explains that His anger with His people was the reason He allowed them to be taken captive, but He condemns Babylon for their excessive cruelty during the conquest. The text highlights that Babylon showed no mercy, even imposing harsh labor on the elderly, going far beyond what God intended for their chastisement. This sets the stage for God’s judgment against Babylon for their brutal actions against His people.
Did God really 'give' His people to Babylon? And was His anger the same as Babylon's cruelty?
This verse reveals a profound truth about God's sovereignty, even in judgment.
A Father's Discipline
God states, 'I was angry with my people.' This wasn't a loss of control, but a righteous indignation against their sin. He allowed them to be punished, likening it to a parent disciplining a child. This discipline was severe, leading Him to say, 'I have polluted my inheritance' – meaning He allowed His sacred people and land to be treated as impure and broken.
Delegated Authority, Not Endorsement
Crucially, God says, 'I gave them into your hand.' This wasn't an endorsement of Babylon's actions, but a delegation of authority for a specific purpose: punishment. Think of it like a judge handing a sentence. The judge isn't celebrating the criminal's cruelty; they are using that person's actions to enact justice. God used Babylon as an instrument, but He did not condone their methods. Their exceeding cruelty would later bring judgment upon them.
Babylon's sin wasn't just conquering; it was how they conquered. What makes cruelty, especially towards the weak, so offensive to God?
The text doesn't just condemn Babylon for its victory, but for its inhumanity. Even though God had permitted the punishment of His people, Babylon's response was far beyond the scope of that permission.
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Exceeding the Mandate
God explicitly states, 'you showed them no mercy.' This indicates that Babylon went beyond their God-ordained role as punisher. They acted out of pride, ambition, and sheer brutality, not righteous justice.
The Heinousness of Harming the Helpless
The verse specifically calls out the oppression of 'the aged.' This highlights a core value in Scripture: respect and protection for the vulnerable. The elderly, who are often weaker and more frail, deserve special consideration, reverence, and care. For Babylon to heap 'exceedingly heavy' burdens upon them was a profound offense.
This extreme cruelty, particularly towards the defenseless and venerable, marked Babylon's actions as deeply sinful and deserving of divine retribution.
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 prophecy confronts Babylon, accusing it of excessive cruelty during the Babylonian exile. God used Babylon as an instrument of judgment against His people for their sins, but Babylon's brutal actions, especially against the elderly, went far beyond God's intended punishment, thus incurring God's wrath.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation of Judean Elites
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, begins the Babylonian exile by deporting a group of Judean nobles and skilled individuals, including Daniel, to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Deportation of Judeans
Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and many artisans, after a brief rebellion. This event further disperses the population of Judah.
587/586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's forces conquer Jerusalem, destroy the city and the First Temple, and deport the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This marks the most devastating phase of the exile.
c. 562 BC
Release of King Jehoiachin
King Jehoiachin, who had been imprisoned for 37 years, is released from prison by Evil-Merodach, Nebuchadnezzar's successor. This signifies a slight shift in Babylonian policy towards the exiles.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, ending Neo-Babylonian rule. This event ushers in a new era for the Jewish exiles.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks the beginning of the return from exile.
This passage directly echoes Isaiah's message, calling Israel a scattered sheep devoured by its predators (Babylon), highlighting the oppressor's guilt even when God allows punishment.
Zechariah 1:15This verse speaks of God's anger with His people being 'a little,' while the nations 'helped forward the affliction' with great force, directly paralleling Babylon exceeding its commission in Isaiah 47:6.
Lamentations 4:16This lament vividly describes the cruelty of the oppressors (Babylon) towards the elders of Jerusalem, mirroring Isaiah's specific charge that 'upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.'
Ezekiel 16:3This passage uses the imagery of a parent's harsh treatment of their child to describe God's discipline of Israel, offering a similar concept to God 'polluting' His inheritance by giving His people over to judgment.
Luke 12:48Jesus' teaching that 'everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required' speaks to the principle that those used by God to execute judgment, like Babylon, will be held accountable if they act with excessive cruelty.
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…
God declares that He "profaned" His own heritage—meaning He set His people aside as if they were unclean—but this didn't give Babylon license to show them no mercy. The prophecy highlights that Babylon's cruelty wasn't just an act of war; it was an egregious lack of compassion, particularly towards the elderly, which would ultimately bring divine judgment upon them.
God explains that His anger with His people was the reason He allowed them to be taken captive, but He condemns Babylon for their excessive cruelty during the conquest. The text highlights that Babylon showed no mercy, even imposing harsh labor on the elderly, going far beyond what God intended for their chastisement. This sets the stage for God’s judgment against Babylon for their brutal actions against His people.
God explains that His anger with His people was the reason He allowed them to be taken captive, but He condemns Babylon for their excessive cruelty during the conquest. The text highlights that Babylon showed no mercy, even imposing harsh labor on the elderly, going far beyond what God intended for their chastisement. This sets the stage for God’s judgment against Babylon for their brutal actions against His people.
"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…" — God declares that He "profaned" His own heritage—meaning He set His people aside as if they were unclean—but this didn't give Babylon license to show them no mercy. The prophecy highlights that Babyl…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
