מַשָּׂא בָּבֶל אֲשֶׁר חָזָה יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶּן אָמוֹץ

The prophecy [masa] of Babylon that Isaiah son of Amotz envisioned. The term masa, literally “burden,” expresses the seriousness with which the prophet related to his prophecy.

עַל הַר נִשְׁפֶּה שְׂאוּ נֵס הָרִימוּ קוֹל לָהֶם הָנִיפוּ יָד וְיָבֹאוּ פִּתְחֵי נְדִיבִים

Hoist a banner or some other sign on a steep and pointed mountain; raise a voice to them, the Babylonians. Wave a hand, and have them enter through the entrances of the nobles. The prophet employs an ironic scenario of invitation and reception: Prepare for their arrival, as they are soon to stand at your gates. Perhaps you have not invited them willingly, nor will they come on particularly friendly terms, but they are nevertheless approaching.

אֲנִי צִוֵּיתִי לִמְקֻדָּשָׁי גַּם קָרָאתִי גִבּוֹרַי לְאַפִּי עַלִּיזֵי גַּאֲוָתִי

I have commanded My consecrated ones, the Babylonians, whom I appointed for this task; I have also called My mighty ones for the purpose of pouring out My anger, and I called to the revelers who rejoice in My grandeur, the grandeur that they acquired because of Me.

קוֹל הָמוֹן בֶּהָרִים דְּמוּת עַם רָב קוֹל שְׁאוֹן מַמְלְכוֹת גּוֹיִם נֶאֱסָפִים ה' צְבָאוֹת מְפַקֵּד צְבָא מִלְחָמָה

The sound of a horde is on the mountains, resembling a great number of people that will arrive here; the din of kingdoms of the nations, gathering. The Lord of hosts commands an army in war. Although the kingdom of Assyria was known and recognized as a great military power, the Babylonian forces that will arrive after them will be even stronger and better organized.

בָּאִים מֵאֶרֶץ מֶרְחָק מִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם ה' וּכְלֵי זַעְמוֹ לְחַבֵּל כָּל הָאָרֶץ

Other nations will join them: They will come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the Lord and the weapons of His fury. These nations that will come from distant lands are the manifestation of God’s fury, and they are coming to destroy the entire earth.

הֵילִילוּ כִּי קָרוֹב יוֹם ה'כְּשֹׁד מִשַּׁדַּי יָבוֹא

Wail, all you conquered nations, as the day of the Lord is near; like depredation from the awesome power of the Almighty it will come.

עַל כֵּן כָּל יָדַיִם תִּרְפֶּינָה וְכָל לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ יִמָּס

Therefore, all hands will slacken when the enemy arrives, and every mortal heart will melt.

וְנִבְהָלוּ צִירִים וַחֲבָלִים יֹאחֵזוּן כַּיּוֹלֵדָה יְחִילוּן אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ יִתְמָהוּ פְּנֵי לְהָבִים פְּנֵיהֶם

They will all panic; pangs and throes will seize them; they will tremble like a woman in childbirth. Each man will wonder to his neighbor: Their faces, of these enemies, are faces of flames.

הִנֵּה יוֹם ה' בָּא אַכְזָרִי וְעֶבְרָה וַחֲרוֹן אָף לָשׂוּם הָאָרֶץ לְשַׁמָּה וְחַטָּאֶיהָ יַשְׁמִיד מִמֶּנָּה

Behold, the day of the Lord is coming; it is cruel, with anger and enflamed wrath. It will render the earth desolation, and will destroy its sinners from upon it, the land.

כִּי כוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וּכְסִילֵיהֶם לֹא יָהֵלּוּ אוֹרָם חָשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בְּצֵאתוֹ וְיָרֵחַ לֹא יַגִּיהַּ אוֹרוֹ

For the stars of the heavens and their constellations, their light will not glow; the sun will be darkened at its rising, and the moon will not shine its light. Darkness is another image for the terrifying and all-encompassing war that is approaching.

וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל תֵּבֵל רָעָה וְעַל רְשָׁעִים עֲוֹנָם וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי גְּאוֹן זֵדִים וְגַאֲוַת עָרִיצִים אַשְׁפִּיל

I will reckon with the world all its evil that it has performed, and upon the wicked I will reckon their iniquity; and thereby I will eliminate the pride of the criminals and I will humble the arrogance of the powerful.

אוֹקִיר אֱנוֹשׁ מִפָּז וְאָדָם מִכֶּתֶם אוֹפִיר

I will make man more valuable than fine gold, and people more than the pure gold of Ofir. After the wicked are punished, those who remain will be exceedingly precious. The true spirit of man comes to the fore during difficult times of war and crisis. When the world stands on the brink of collapse, man has an exceedingly significant role to play.

עַל כֵּן שָׁמַיִם אַרְגִּיז וְתִרְעַשׁ הָאָרֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָהּ בְּעֶבְרַת ה' צְבָאוֹת וּבְיוֹם חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ

Therefore, I will agitate the heavens, and the earth will quake from its place because of the anger of the Lord of hosts and the day of His enflamed wrath.

וְהָיָה כִּצְבִי מֻדָּח וּכְצֹאן וְאֵין מְקַבֵּץ אִישׁ אֶל עַמּוֹ יִפְנוּ וְאִישׁ אֶל אַרְצוֹ יָנוּסוּ

He, each person, shall be like a pursued gazelle, and as scattered sheep with no gatherer; each man will turn to his people and each man will flee to his land. Foreign armies will be recruited for the war effort; when they are defeated, the foreigners will flee to their respective lands.

כָּל הַנִּמְצָא יִדָּקֵר וְכָל הַנִּסְפֶּה יִפּוֹל בֶּחָרֶב

Anyone found will be stabbed, and anyone who joins them, or who is gathered into the city, will fall by the sword.

וְעֹלְלֵיהֶם יְרֻטְּשׁוּ לְעֵינֵיהֶם יִשַּׁסּוּ בָּתֵּיהֶם וּנְשֵׁיהֶם תִּשָּׁכַבְנָה

Their babies will be cleaved before their eyes; their houses will be plundered, and their wives will be raped.

הִנְנִי מֵעִיר עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת מָדָי אֲשֶׁר כֶּסֶף לֹא יַחְשֹׁבוּ וְזָהָב לֹא יַחְפְּצוּ בוֹ

The prophet’s vision continues farther into the future: Behold, I will rouse Media against them. When Babylon was at its height, they made use of Median auxiliaries. Many years later, the army of Persia and Media would conquer Babylon. They, the Medes, were said to be soldiers who do not appreciate silver and do not desire gold. The Medes were originally savage nomads who could not be bribed.

וּקְשָׁתוֹת — נְעָרִים תְּרַטַּשְׁנָה וּפְרִי בֶטֶן לֹא יְרַחֵמוּ עַל בָּנִים לֹא תָחוּס עֵינָם

And bows will cleave youths, and they will not have mercy on the fruit of the womb. Their eye will not pity children.

וְהָיְתָה בָבֶל צְבִי מַמְלָכוֹת תִּפְאֶרֶת גְּאוֹן כַּשְׂדִּים כְּמַהְפֵּכַת אֱלֹהִים אֶת סְדֹם וְאֶת עֲמֹרָה

And Babylon, the magnificent of kingdoms, the splendor of the pride of the Chaldeans, and for some years considered the capital of the world, will ultimately be like God’s upheaval of Sodom and Gomorrah. The glory of Babylon will not last forever; it will eventually be completely destroyed.

לֹא תֵשֵׁב לָנֶצַח וְלֹא תִשְׁכֹּן עַד דּוֹר וָדוֹר וְלֹא יַהֵל שָׁם עֲרָבִי וְרֹעִים לֹא יַרְבִּצוּ שָׁם

It will be unsettled forever, and none will dwell in it from generation to generation; Babylon will be left in so desolate a state that no Arabian will pitch tent there, and shepherds will not have flocks lie there for fear of death. The prophet foresees both Babylon’s ascent to world domination, and its ultimate downfall and total destruction.

וְרָבְצוּ שָׁם צִיִּים וּמָלְאוּ בָתֵּיהֶם אֹחִים וְשָׁכְנוּ שָׁם בְּנוֹת יַעֲנָה וּשְׂעִירִים יְרַקְּדוּ שָׁם

But desert beasts [tziyyim] will lie there. Some commentaries explain that the word tzi refers specifically to the mongoose. And their houses will be full of night birds, and ostriches will live there, and scops owls will dance there.

וְעָנָה אִיִּים בְּאַלְמְנוֹתָיו וְתַנִּים בְּהֵיכְלֵי עֹנֶג וְקָרוֹב לָבוֹא עִתָּהּ וְיָמֶיהָ לֹא יִמָּשֵׁכוּ

Wildcats [iyyim] will howl in their mansions; some identify the iy with the golden jackal, known in Egyptian as an ow. And jackals will howl in the halls of delight; its, Babylon’s, time is near to come, and its days will not be prolonged. Indeed, the Babylonian Empire lasted for only about seventy years before its rapid and total collapse.