Isaiah 13:17 · Bible study
Isaiah 13:17 Commentary: The Medes
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why the Medes' disregard for silver and gold reveals the nature of God's unstoppable judgment on Babylon. An exegetical study with historical context.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God raises the Medes as unstoppable agents of judgment who cannot be bribed by silver or gold.
- Key words: “stir up” (H5782), divine incitement; “value” (H2803), to think, esteem; “delight” (H2654), to take pleasure in.
- Main debate: Whether the prophecy was genuinely predictive (8th century) or written after the event (6th century).
- Theological theme: God's absolute sovereignty over history and nations, and the futility of wealth in the face of divine judgment.
- Best use: A sobering passage for teaching on God's justice, the limits of material security, and the seriousness of sin.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.
KJV King James Version 1769
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not regard silver, and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Lo, I am stirring up against them the Medes, Who silver esteem not, And gold--they delight not in it.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who do not regard silver, and as for gold, they have no delight in it.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Behold I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not seek silver, nor desire gold:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
He aquí que yo despierto contra ellos á los Medos, que no curarán de la plata, ni codiciarán oro.
Eis que despertarei contra eles aos medos, que não se importarão com a prata, nem desejarão ouro.
Voici, j’ excite contre eux les Mèdes,
Denn siehe, ich will die Meder über sie erwecken, die nicht Silber suchen oder nach Gold fragen,
Ziet, Ik zal de Meden tegen hen verwekken, die het zilver niet zullen achten, en aan het goud zullen zij geen lust hebben.
Ecco, io suscito contro di loro i Medi, i quali non faranno alcun caso dell’argento, e non prendono alcun piacere nell’oro.
Oto Ja pobudzę przeciwko nim Medów, którzy o srebro nie będą dbali, a w złocie nie będą się kochali;
Вот, Я подниму против них Мидян, которые не ценят серебра и не пристрастны к золоту.
我 必激動 米底亞人 來攻擊他們。米底亞人 不 注重 銀子，也不 喜愛 金子。
See, I am driving the Medes against them, who put no value on silver and have no pleasure in gold.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 13:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse presents God sovereignly raising the Medes as agents of judgment against Babylon. The striking detail that they will not value silver or gold means they cannot be bribed or bought off. As Calvin explains, the Medes were not generous but bloodthirsty; their single aim was slaughter, not plunder. Gill and Clarke both cite Xenophon's Cyropaedia, where Cyrus praises the Medes for not serving war for money. Keil and Delitzsch add that revenge, not greed, drove them. The verse thus underscores the completeness of divine judgment: no ransom, no plea, no amount of treasure can turn it aside. God uses even ruthless nations to accomplish His purposes without being stained by their violence. This challenges any illusion that wealth can protect us from the consequences of sin.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Traditional prophetic view: The verse is a genuine prediction from Isaiah's time (8th century BC), confirmed by later history; supported by Barnes, Calvin, Gill, and others who cite the Medes' subordinate status at the time of writing.
- Critical ex eventu view: The specificity of the Medes suggests a later composition, perhaps during the exile; the Cambridge Bible notes this as an argument but finds it inconclusive.
What is clear: God sovereignly raises the Medes to bring unstoppable judgment on Babylon, and no amount of wealth can avert it.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identification of the Medes | All traditions identify the Medes as a historical Iranian people who participated in the conquest of Babylon. | Some commentators (e.g., Wesley, Gill) include the Persians under the term Medes, while others (e.g., Cambridge Bible) note that the biblical and classical sources distinguish them until the empire was united under Cyrus. |
| Motivation of the Medes | Commentators agree that the Medes will not be bribed by silver or gold to spare lives. | Calvin and Keil emphasize their cruelty and vengefulness, while Xenophon's account (cited by Clarke and Cambridge) presents the Medes as noble and not motivated by wealth. The debate is whether the trait is a moral vice or virtue. |
| Date of the prophecy | The verse was fulfilled in the fall of Babylon in the 6th century BC. | Conservative commentators (Barnes, Calvin, Gill) argue for an 8th-century origin during Isaiah's ministry; some critical scholars (noted in Cambridge Bible) suggest a post-exilic composition because the Medes were not a major power earlier. Both sides seek to account for the specificity of the name. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Medes were an Iranian people descended from Japheth's son Madai (Genesis 10:2). At the time of Isaiah's prophecy, around 739, 700 BC, Media was a dependent province of the Assyrian Empire, not yet an independent power. They later revolted under Dejoces (c. 700 BC) and under Cyaxares helped destroy Nineveh in 612 BC. Cyrus the Persian, of Median lineage, conquered Babylon in 539 BC, fulfilling this prophecy.
Isaiah names the Medes specifically, a remarkable detail since they posed no threat when he spoke. The surrounding passage (verses 14, 18) describes the fall of Babylon in vivid terms: panic, slaughter, and the dashing of children. In that context, the Medes' indifference to silver and gold carries a cultural punch. In ancient warfare, captors often accepted ransom for prisoners. Across the Near East, one could buy life with treasure. This verse announces that no such transaction is possible. The Medes are driven neither by greed nor by pity: their purpose is total destruction.
Xenophon's Cyropaedia records Cyrus telling the Medes that they did not join his expedition for money. This echoes the biblical description, whether as a sign of virtue (as in Cyrus' speech) or of cruelty (as Calvin and Keil argue). The Hebrew verb for “stir up” (עוּר, ur) places the initiative squarely with God. He is the commander; the Medes are His troops. The verse reminds readers that behind the chaos of history stands a sovereign Lord who cannot be bribed and whose judgment is sure.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Isaiah 13:17.
Reception History
From the early church through the Reformation, Isaiah 13:17 has been read as a demonstration of God's absolute sovereignty. Jerome saw Babylon as a type of the proud world judged by Christ. Medieval commentators often connected the Medes' indifference to wealth with the vanity of material things. Reformation writers such as Calvin emphasized the justice of God in using the wicked. In Jewish interpretation, the Medes (often linked to the Persian Empire) are instruments of divine wrath against Babylon. Modern scholars focus on the historical relationship between the Medes and Persians and the prophecy's implications for the date of the book of Isaiah. Across traditions, the verse remains a sobering reminder that wealth cannot protect anyone from the God who commands history.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God commands the armies of history. He “stirs up” the Medes. World powers are not outside His control; they serve His purposes even when they do not know Him.
- Judgment is not for sale. The Medes will not look at silver or gold. No ransom, no plea, no amount of wealth can turn aside the season of God's wrath.
- Earthly treasure cannot save. The very things Babylon trusted in, gold, silver, luxury, become worthless. This is a sobering truth for any generation that puts security in money.
Five-point outline
- God names the instrument before it exists. Isaiah lived when Media was weak; yet he named them. The specificity of prophecy proves divine inspiration (Barnes).
- God uses unlikely agents. Pagan Medes become “my consecrated ones” (Isa 13:3). God can work through anyone, even those who do not acknowledge Him.
- The Medes' motive is vengeance, not profit. They are cruel, but God uses their cruelty justly against Babylon's cruelty.
- Human attempts to buy mercy fail. The Babylonians may have tried to ransom themselves, but silver and gold held no power over the Medes.
- The fall of Babylon points to a greater judgment. The language echoes Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 19). Every proud kingdom that sets itself against God will one day fall.
Illustration hooks
- A family trying to pay a hospital bill to keep a loved one alive, money runs out. Some things cannot be bought.
- A courtroom scene where a defendant offers the judge a bribe. The true judge is not for sale.
- A natural disaster that levels both rich and poor. All human resources are helpless against the forces of nature, and against the God of nature.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Is God still in control when violent nations seem to win?”
- “If money can't save, how should we view our savings and possessions?”
- “Why does God use evil people to accomplish His plans?”
Leading a Discussion
This verse strips away our illusions. We tend to think we can buy our way out of trouble, that wealth gives security. Israel 13:17 announces that when God brings judgment, no human resources will matter. The Medes will not be bought; God's purposes will not be thwarted by money. As you discuss this passage, let the weight of God's sovereignty settle over your group. But also let it bring comfort: the same God who judges Babylon is the God who saves.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 13:17 aloud. What is the first thing you notice about how God says He will act?
- Why does the prophet emphasize that the Medes will not value silver or gold? What does this tell you about the nature of this judgment?
- Compare this verse with Proverbs 6:34, 35, where a jealous husband will not accept a ransom. What does this connection suggest about God's anger against sin?
- In what ways do we, like Babylon, trust in money to provide security or escape consequences?
- Isaiah 13:5 says the army comes “from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven” at the Lord's command. How does this shape your view of world events today?
- This passage is severe. Where do you see hope for Babylon, or for us, given God's character elsewhere in Scripture?
- How can this sobering text lead us to greater gratitude for the gospel, where judgment is borne by Christ rather than by us?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Proverbs 6:34 | For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance. |
| Proverbs 6:35 | He won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts. |
| Isaiah 13:3 | I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones. |
| Isaiah 13:5 | They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Yahweh, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. |
| Isaiah 21:2 | A grievous vision is declared to me. The treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam; attack! I have stopped all of Media’s sighing. |
| Isaiah 41:25 | “I have raised up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name, and he shall come on rulers as on mortar, and as the potter treads clay. |
| Jeremiah 50:9 | For, behold, I will stir up and cause to come up against Babylon a company of great nations from the north country; and they will set themselves in array against her. She will be taken from there. Their arrows will be as of an expert mighty man. None of them will return in vain. |
| Jeremiah 51:11 | “Make the arrows sharp! Hold the shields firmly! Yahweh has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is against Babylon, to destroy it; for it is the vengeance of Yahweh, the vengeance of his temple. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the people described cannot be bribed with silver or gold to spare their captives; their rage and cruelty overpower any ransom offer. He supports this with examples from Homer, Virgil, and Xenophon, where conquerors refuse wealth and dismiss the lives of the vanquished as too cheap to barter.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that when Isaiah foretold the Medes as Babylon's destroyers, Media was still a dependent Assyrian province. No human foresight could have predicted its rise to power. He also notes the Medes' striking indifference to silver and gold, a rare trait among conquering armies that made the prophecy even more remarkable.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools commentary argues that calling the invaders "the Medes" does not pin down the prophecy's date. The Medes were already a powerful people before Cyrus united the empire, and the name "Persia" took centuries to become common in biblical and Greek texts. Neither the name nor the description of the invaders gives a clear clue about when the prophecy was written.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note highlights that the Medes will not be bribed by silver or gold. God himself stirs them up against Babylon, making their attack serve a higher purpose than mere greed or plunder.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that God himself stirred the Medes against Babylon, making this conquest a divine judgment, not merely human ambition. Their indifference to gold and silver did not mean they despised wealth, but that their thirst for blood was so intense no ransom could buy a life. This prophecy named the Medes centuries beforehand, proving Scripture's divine origin.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights a specific historical detail: the Medes were known for disregarding riches, so bribes would be useless against them. He cites Xenophon's account of Cyrus attributing this indifference to wealth as a striking confirmation of the prophecy.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that the Medes' disregard for silver and gold does not mark them as uncivilized. Instead, they are driven by a spirit of revenge against Babylon for the disgrace of bondage, not by a desire for plunder. This revenge fuels their brutal campaign.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees the judgment on Babylon as both a specific historical event carried out by the Medes and a type of the final day of the Lord. He stresses the utter terror and thoroughness of the destruction: no treasure buys mercy, no age is spared, and even the heavens darken in God's fierce anger.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies that the statement about the Medes not delighting in silver is intended comparatively. Their primary drive is not material gain but the destruction of the people themselves, and they pursue slaughter with greater eagerness than plunder.