Isaiah 13:20 · Bible study
Isaiah 13:20 Commentary: The Perpetual Desolation of Babylon
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How can Isaiah 13:20's 'never be inhabited' be reconciled with history?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Babylon will become completely and permanently uninhabited, not even a temporary campsite, fulfilling God’s judgment declared through Isaiah.
- Key words: yashav (to sit, remain), shakhan (to settle, dwell), netsach (perpetuity), ‘aravi (Arab/nomad), ravahts (to cause to lie down, of flocks).
- Main debate: The timing of fulfillment: immediate desolation vs. gradual decline over centuries, with some arguing for prophetic foreshortening.
- Theological theme: Divine judgment on human pride, the certainty of God’s word, and the temporary nature of even the most powerful empires.
- Best use: Teaching on God’s sovereignty, the reliability of prophecy, and the warning against pride and oppression.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation; no nomad will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flock there.
WEB World English Bible 2000
It will never be inhabited, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.
KJV King James Version 1769
It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall shepherds make their flocks to lie down there.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
She doth not sit for ever, Nor continueth unto many generations, Nor doth Arab pitch tent there, And shepherds lie not down there.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in, even to generation and generation; nor shall Arabian pitch tent there, nor shepherds make fold there.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
It shall no more be inhabited for ever, and it shall not be founded unto generation and generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch his tents there, nor shall shepherds rest there.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Nunca más será habitada, ni se morará en ella de generación en generación; ni hincará allí tienda el Arabe, ni pastores tendrán allí majada:
Nunca mais será habitada, nem nela se morará, de geração em geração; nem o árabe armará ali sua tenda, nem os pastores farão descansar ali seus rebanhos.
Elle ne sera plus jamais habitée,
daß man hinfort nicht mehr da wohne noch jemand da bleibe für und für, daß auch die Araber keine Hütten daselbst machen und die Hirten keine Hürden da aufschlagen;
Daar zal geen woonplaats zijn in der eeuwigheid, en zij zal niet bewoond worden van geslacht tot geslacht; en de Arabier zal daar geen tent spannen, en de herders zullen er niet legeren.
Essa non sarà mai più abitata, d’età in età nessuno vi si stabilirà più; l’Arabo non vi pianterà più la sua tenda, né i pastori vi faran più riposare i lor greggi;
Nie będą się w nim osadzać na wieki, ani mieszkać od narodu aż do narodu; ani tam rozbije namiotu Arabczyk, ani tam pasterze z stadami odpoczywać będą.
не заселится никогда, и в роды родов не будет жителей в нем; не раскинет Аравитянин шатра своего, и пастухи со стадами не будут отдыхать там.
其內必永 無 人煙，世世 代代 無人 居住。阿拉伯人 也不 在那裡 支搭帳棚；牧羊的人 也不 使羊群臥在 那裡。
People will never be living in it again, and it will have no more men from generation to generation: the Arab will not put up his tent there; and those who keep sheep will not make it a resting-place for their flocks.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 13:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Isaiah 13:20 pronounces a permanent divine judgment on Babylon. The verse uses two verbs, te.Shev (to sit, remain) and tish.Kon (to settle, dwell), both in the Qal imperfect, indicating continuous, future action: Babylon will not be settled or inhabited in any ongoing sense. The phrase “to perpetuity” (לָ/נֶצַח) intensifies this, as does the repetition “until generation and generation.” Barnes, Calvin, and Matthew Henry note that this was fulfilled gradually: the city declined after Cyrus and the Persian conquest, and by the first century AD it lay largely desolate. Travellers from the 16th to 19th centuries (cited by Barnes and Keil & Delitzsch) confirm that not even nomadic Arabs would camp there, fulfilling the second part of the verse. The consensus is that the prophecy refers to Babylon’s fate as a permanent ruin, not a settlement that would never be visited at all, but one that would never again be a permanent habitation or even a temporary resting-place for shepherds.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal gradual fulfillment: The prophecy was realised over centuries as Babylon declined; travellers confirm eventual complete desolation. Supported by Barnes, Calvin, Matthew Henry.
- Prophetic foreshortening: The language of 'never' compresses future events; the oracle sees the end result but not the intermediate stages. Keil & Delitzsch invoke this principle.
- Spiritual or typological interpretation: Babylon represents all God-opposing powers; the verse describes the final ruin of such systems, not necessarily a specific location. This view is less common in the supplied sources but present in broader reception.
What is clear: All traditions agree that God pronounced a definitive judgment on Babylon, and that the city eventually suffered a desolation so complete that it became a byword for ruin.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of 'never be inhabited' | Babylon would not be restored as a permanent, flourishing city. | Some (Barnes, Gill, Henry) take it as absolute: no person ever lived there after a certain point. Others (Keil & Delitzsch, Calvin) allow for a period of partial habitation and decline, culminating in complete desertion. |
| Historical fulfillment | The prophecy was fulfilled over time; Babylon eventually became a ruin. | Conservative scholars see it as literal historical prophecy from Isaiah 8th century BC. Critical scholars may date the oracle later (6th century), but the supplied material does not support that position. |
| The role of nomads (Arabian) | The verse means even nomadic tribes would avoid the site. | Some (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) link this to fear of evil spirits; others (Calvin, Barnes) attribute it to the land's infertility and desolation. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 13 is an oracle against Babylon, written during the 8th century BC, when Assyria dominated the region and Babylon was a powerful but sometimes subjugated city. The prophecy envisions Yahweh stirring up the Medes (v.17) to destroy Babylon. This began with Cyrus the Persian (who took Babylon in 539 BC) but continued under Darius Hystaspis (who destroyed its walls in 518 BC) and Xerxes (who devastated the temple of Belus). Seleucus Nicator founded Seleucia nearby around 312 BC, drawing away Babylon’s population. By the time of the historian Strabo (born ~60 BC), the city was described as a “great desert.” Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) says it was ad solitudinem redacta, “reduced to solitude.” The phrase “The Arabian will not pitch his tent there” reflects the lifestyle of the nomadic tribes (called “Scenitae” by Greeks, meaning tent-dwellers). Calvin explains that the area around Babylon had been exceptionally fertile before its fall, making its abandonment all the more striking; the land itself became barren and cursed. The curse meant that even transient camps were impossible. The historical evidence from travellers (Rauwolff, Porter, Buckingham) cited by Barnes confirms that by the 16th century and later, the site was a uninhabited wasteland, with no tents or flocks. The prophecy’s language of ‘never’ is understood within a prophetic perspective of “foreshortening” (Keil & Delitzsch), compressing future events to stress their certainty, not to give a precise timeline.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Isaiah 13:20. The verse is stable in the Hebrew tradition, with the only minor variation being the presence or absence of the conjunction on ve/lo (and not) across manuscripts, which does not affect meaning.
Reception History
Early Christian interpreters read this verse as a symbol of the ultimate fall of all proud worldly powers, often applying it to the Roman Empire. St. Jerome quoted it in his commentary on Jeremiah. During the Reformation, Calvin and Luther saw it as a literal prophecy authenticated by the visible desolation of Babylon, which travellers reported. In the 19th century, evangelical apologists (e.g., Keith in his Evidence of Prophecy) used the testimony of explorers to argue for the Bible’s supernatural origin. Modern readers often wrestle with the apparent contradiction between total desolation and the historical fact that some people lived in the region for centuries. This tension has led to nuanced interpretations that distinguish between permanent settlement and occasional presence.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s judgment is final and complete. Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, becomes a desolate heap. Human power cannot withstand divine decree.
- God’s word proves true over time. The prophecy was fulfilled gradually, not instantly, but every detail was realised: not even a nomad’s tent remains.
- Sin leaves a lasting ruin. Babylon’s fate warns that pride, cruelty, and rebellion against God bring permanent consequences.
Five-point outline
- The proud cannot stand (vv.19-20).
- The place becomes a haunt of wild beasts (v.21-22).
- Even wanderers avoid the cursed ground (v.20).
- God’s timing is not our timing (fulfillment took centuries).
- The certainty of prophecy grounds hope for final justice.
Illustration hooks
- A once-booming mining town that became a ghost town, no one lives there, and even tourists avoid it at night.
- A farm that was left fallow for years; even the soil seems dead, and no one bothers to plant.
- A personal story of a promise that seemed to fail but eventually came true in an unexpected way.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If God said Babylon would never be inhabited, but people lived there for centuries after, is the Bible wrong?”
- “What does this prophecy teach us about God’s character, is He really that harsh?”
- “How can I trust God’s promises when they seem delayed?”
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows God’s sovereign judgment on human pride. Babylon represents every system that exalts itself against God. The prophecy challenges us to take God’s warnings seriously and to trust His timing.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 13:19-20. What images stand out to you, and why?
- Why do you think Isaiah includes the detail about Arabians and shepherds? What does that add?
- How does the gradual fulfillment of this prophecy (over centuries) affect your view of biblical prophecy in general?
- In what ways does our culture today resemble Babylon’s pride? (vv.11, 19)
- Verse 16 describes brutal violence against children. How do you reconcile that with a loving God? (Consider the context of ancient warfare and divine judgment.)
- What hope does this passage offer for the ultimate victory of God’s kingdom?
- How can Christians today live in a way that acknowledges God’s final justice without becoming harsh or judgmental?
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)
| II Chronicles 17:11 | Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver for tribute. The Arabians also brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats. |
| Isaiah 14:23 | “I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water. I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says Yahweh of Armies. |
| Isaiah 34:10 | It won’t be quenched night or day. Its smoke will go up forever. From generation to generation, it will lie waste. No one will pass through it forever and ever. |
| Isaiah 34:15 | The arrow snake will make her nest there, and lay, hatch, and gather under her shade. Yes, the kites will be gathered there, every one with her mate. |
| Jeremiah 50:3 | For a nation comes up out of the north against her, which will make her land desolate, and no one will dwell in it. They have fled. They are gone, both man and animal. |
| Jeremiah 50:13 | Because of Yahweh’s wrath she won’t be inhabited, but she will be wholly desolate. Everyone who goes by Babylon will be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues. |
| Jeremiah 50:21 | “Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod. Kill and utterly destroy after them,” says Yahweh, “and do according to all that I have commanded you. |
| Jeremiah 50:39 | Therefore the wild animals of the desert with the wolves will dwell there. The ostriches will dwell therein. It will be inhabited no more forever, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes marshals detailed 19th-century traveler accounts to show the prophecy has been literally fulfilled: Babylon lies in permanent, barren ruin, with no houses, no vegetation, and ground turned into sterile marshland. Even Arab shepherds refuse to pitch tents there overnight, driven away by physical desolation and superstitious dread of evil spirits.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses two reasons the desolation of Babylon will be absolute and permanent. Even the wandering Arabians, a people who live in barren deserts and pitch tents anywhere, will avoid the site. The land was once fertile, but now stands so cursed that shepherds will not bring their flocks there.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
the Arabian ] Cf. Jer_3:2 . The word seems originally to mean “dweller in the desert,” but ultimately acquired the force of a proper name (see Jer_25:24 ; 2 Ch_9:14 , &c.). The site of Babylon will be shunned even by the wandering nomad, as an accursed and “uncanny” place.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses the thoroughness of Babylon's ruin. It will become a place where even nomads refuse to camp and shepherds avoid folding their flocks. The prophecy describes a desolation so complete that no one will ever settle there or pass through with animals.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that Babylon’s destruction is so total that even nomadic Arabians, who pitch tents anywhere for pasture, will not stop there, and shepherds will not make folds in its barren, wild-beast-filled ruins. He cites ancient historians confirming that nothing remained but a wall and the site became a mere desert.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch observe that the prophecy of Babylon's desolation was not fulfilled immediately but over centuries, compressed by the "law of perspective foreshortening" typical of prophecy. They argue that the specific details—complete ruin, no tent pitched, wild animals and demons inhabiting the site—have been literally verified by history and travelers' accounts.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Babylon's destruction, while gradual rather than sudden, was as complete as Sodom's overthrow. The once glorious city fell during Belshazzar's careless revelry, and over time it wasted away until nothing remained, just as God had foretold.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the land, after enduring the full force of Gods promised destruction, will become home to wandering Arabian tribes. These people dwell in tents and move from place to place, seeking pasture wherever they can find it. Their nomadic lifestyle marks the region's new character.