Isaiah 5:13 · Bible study
Isaiah 5:13 Commentary: The Cost of Rejecting Knowledge
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God punish His people with exile? This study explores the willful ignorance behind their captivity and the warning it holds for every generation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s people go into exile as judgment for their willful refusal to know Him and His works.
- Key words: da‘at (knowledge), not mere information, but the recognition of God’s actions and authority; galah (go into exile), a prophetic perfect, viewing future judgment as already present.
- Main debate: Whether “lack of knowledge” means innocent ignorance or culpable rejection; most commentators (Calvin, Gill, Barnes) affirm the latter.
- Theological theme: Willful ignorance of God leads to judgment; privilege increases responsibility.
- Best use: A warning to those who have access to God’s Word but fail to take it to heart; also a call to examine what we choose to know and ignore.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Therefore My people will go into exile for their lack of understanding; their dignitaries are starving and their masses are parched with thirst.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Therefore my people go into captivity for lack of knowledge. Their honorable men are famished, and their multitudes are parched with thirst.
KJV King James Version 1769
Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Therefore my people are gone into captivity for lack of knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude are parched with thirst.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Therefore my people removed without knowledge, And its honourable ones are famished, And its multitude dried up of thirst.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Therefore my people are led away captive from lack of knowledge, and their nobility die of famine, and their multitude are parched with thirst.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Therefore is my people led away captive, because they had not knowledge, and their nobles have perished with famine, and their multitude were dried up with thirst.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por tanto mi pueblo fué llevado cautivo, porque no tuvo ciencia: y su gloria pereció de hambre, y su multitud se secó de sed.
Por isso meu povo será levado cativo, porque não tem conhecimento; e seus nobres sofrem de fome, e sua multidão está seca de sede.
C’ est pourquoi mon peuple sera soudain emmené captif;
Darum wird mein Volk müssen weggeführt werden unversehens, und werden seine Herrlichen Hunger leiden und sein Pöbel Durst leiden.
Daarom zal mijn volk gevankelijk weggevoerd worden, omdat het geen wetenschap heeft; en deszelfs heerlijken zullen honger lijden, en hun menigte zal verdorren van dorst.
Perciò il mio popolo sen va in cattività per mancanza di conoscimento, la sua nobiltà muore di fame, e le sue folle sono inaridite dalla sete.
Przetoż w niewolę pójdzie lud mój, iż nie ma umiejętności; a zacni jego będą głodnymi, i pospólstwo jego wyschnie od pragnienia.
За то народ мой пойдет в плен непредвиденно, и вельможи его будут голодать, и богачи его будут томиться жаждою.
所以，我的百姓 因無 知 就被擄去；他們的尊貴 人 甚是飢餓，群眾 極其乾渴。
For this cause my people are taken away as prisoners into strange countries for need of knowledge: and their rulers are wasted for need of food, and their loud-voiced feasters are dry for need of water.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 5:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree that this verse announces a coming judgment: God’s own people will go into exile because they lacked knowledge. But what kind of lack? Calvin is explicit: the people did not fall through mere ignorance or poor teaching. They “shut their eyes in the midst of so much light.” Israel had the Law, the prophets, God’s direct guidance, and they chose to ignore it. Barnes calls their captivity a punishment for refusing “to retain the knowledge of God.” Gill adds that their ignorance was “affected and voluntary”; they had the means to know but would not. The Cambridge Bible notes that the phrase “lack of knowledge” could also read “without knowing it” (cf. Hos 4:6), but the better sense is that their ignorance is the cause of the judgment, not merely its circumstance. The common thread: God’s people perished not because knowledge was unavailable, but because they rejected what they had.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Willful ignorance view: The people had the Law and prophets but closed their eyes; Calvin, Barnes, Gill support this. They were not innocent but rebels.
- Judgment without awareness view: The phrase "without knowing it" (Cheyne, cited in Cambridge Bible) suggests the captivity could come upon the people unawares, a surprise. But most commentators prefer the causal sense: lack of knowledge is the reason.
What is clear: The exile is a direct judgment from God for the people’s failure to know Him and His works—a failure they are held accountable for, not excused from.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the 'knowledge' that was lacking | The 'knowledge' (da‘at) refers to understanding and acknowledging God’s works and will, not abstract information. | Some emphasize intellectual perception of God’s deeds; others stress relational knowing (as in Hosea 4:6). Both readings appear in the commentaries. |
| Whether the people were unaware or willfully ignorant | The people had access to knowledge but failed to act on it. | Calvin strongly insists on voluntary, culpable ignorance. Others (including some early Jewish interpreters) note that the leaders may have failed to teach, so the people suffered from neglect. The Cambridge Bible notes the text can be read either way. |
| The historical referent of 'captivity' | The punishment is exile from the land. | Barnes and most see the Babylonian captivity. Gill also references the Roman destruction of Jerusalem as a later fulfillment. Keil and Delitzsch treat it as a prophetic preterite that could encompass multiple judgments. |
| The role of social class in the judgment | Both high and low suffer the same fate. | The precise rendering of 'honorable men' (kevod ‘its glory’) and 'multitude’ (hamon) is agreed to mean the elite and the masses. Some debate whether 'men of famine' is an image of starvation or a figurative expression of desperate need. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 5 is a series of “woes” against the leaders and people of Judah and Jerusalem. Verses 11, 12 paint a scene of unrestrained indulgence: early-morning drinking, all-night feasts, music and wine. These people had no regard for “the work of Yahweh” or “the operation of his hands.” The historical backdrop is the late eighth century BC, a time of economic prosperity and political instability under kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The northern kingdom (Israel) fell to Assyria in 722 BC; Judah would be threatened and eventually taken into Babylonian exile a century later.
Isaiah uses the image of a journey through arid land to describe the exile’s physical hardship. Barnes observes that the punishment specifically matches the sin: those who indulged in feasting will now experience famine and thirst on the long road to captivity. The word for “honorable men” (literally “its glory”) points to the nobles who thought themselves secure, while “their multitude” (literally “its tumult”) refers to the noisy crowds. Both classes, elite and commoner, face the same fate. Sheol is pictured as a monster opening its mouth to swallow them all (v. 14), a graphic illustration of total destruction. The historical captivities (first by Assyria, later by Babylon) were not random military defeats; Isaiah presents them as the direct outcome of a people who had every opportunity to know God but chose not to.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note one minor textual variant. The Cambridge Bible observes that the Hebrew word translated “honorable men” (mēthê, “men of”) appears only here in this phrase; the ancient versions read “dead with hunger” instead (following a different vocalization). Keil and Delitzsch defend the Masoretic reading “men of famine” as correct, citing similar constructions in Genesis 34:30 and Job 11:11. Other sources show no significant variants for this verse.
Reception History
Isaiah 5:13 has often been cited in Christian history as a warning that knowledge of God is a privilege that brings accountability. The early church saw it fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, understanding the “captivity” as a judgment upon those who rejected Christ. Later reformers like Calvin used this verse to teach that the word of God can be heard but not truly known when the heart is hardened. In more recent centuries, preachers have drawn from it to challenge congregations who are biblically literate yet spiritually indifferent. The verse also appears in hymns that mourn the consequences of turning away from God, reminding listeners that ignorance of His ways is never an excuse when He has spoken plainly.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Sin of Willful Ignorance. Israel knew what God required, the Law was clear, the prophets faithful, yet they refused to consider His works. Their “lack of knowledge” was not a gap in information but a deliberate turning away from God.
- The Certainty of Judgment. The exile is presented as a prophetic perfect: Isaiah sees it as already happening. God’s justice is not slow; it waits only for the appointed time. The comfortable feasts of verse 12 become the hunger and thirst of verse 13.
- The Equality of Suffering. Both the honored men (the nobility) and the multitude (the common people) are affected. No one is exempt from the consequences when the whole nation rejects God’s ways.
Five-point outline
- The people go into captivity, a direct reversal of the exodus from Egypt.
- The cause is “lack of knowledge” (da‘at) of God’s work and will.
- The nobles become “men of famine,” stripped of their glory.
- The multitude is “parched with thirst,” a punishment matching their drunkenness.
- Sheol opens wide its mouth, swallowing the entire proud society (v. 14).
Illustration hooks
- The smart phone that knows everything: A student has a device with instant access to all the world’s information, but only uses it for entertainment. When tested on essential facts, they have no knowledge, not because the information was missing, but because they refused to look.
- The warning label ignored: A family buys a cheap heater with a tag that says “Do not cover.” They never read it; a fire destroys their home. The knowledge was there, but they chose convenience over attention to the warning.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is ignorance really a sin? Aren’t some people just unaware?
- Does God still punish whole nations for their choices, or does this apply only to Israel under the old covenant?
- How do we cultivate the kind of knowledge that pleases God, in a world overloaded with information?
Leading a Discussion
Isaiah 5:13 sits in the middle of a sobering passage about judgment. The people who rose early to drink and stayed up late for music and wine now face hunger and thirst. But the heart of the problem is not their lifestyle, it is their refusal to know God. Use these questions to help your group explore the link between willful ignorance and its consequences.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 5:11, 13. What connection do you see between the feasting in verse 11, 12 and the judgment in verse 13?
- Calvin says the people’s ignorance was “voluntary.” What does that mean? Can someone know God’s will and still be guilty of not knowing it?
- The verse says “my people”, God still calls them His own. How does this shape the way we read the judgment? Does it make it more severe or more sorrowful?
- Barnes suggests that the captivity in view is the Babylonian exile. How does that historical event reflect the principle that sin brings its own punishment?
- What kinds of knowledge about God might we today be tempted to overlook? Have you ever found yourself avoiding what you know God requires?
- How do we balance fearing God’s judgment with trusting His mercy? Can both be held together?
- In what practical ways can we grow in the “knowledge” (da‘at) that this verse says was missing?
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 Kings 17:6 | In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. |
| II Chronicles 28:5 | Therefore Yahweh his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They struck him, and carried away from him a great multitude of captives, and brought them to Damascus. He was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter. |
| II Chronicles 28:8 | The children of Israel carried away captive of their brothers two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters, and also took away much plunder from them, and brought the plunder to Samaria. |
| Isaiah 1:3 | The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib; but Israel doesn’t know. My people don’t consider.” |
| Isaiah 1:7 | Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. |
| Isaiah 27:11 | When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off. The women will come and set them on fire, for they are a people of no understanding. Therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them, and he who formed them will show them no favor. |
| Isaiah 42:22 | But this is a robbed and plundered people. All of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prisons. They have become captives, and no one delivers, and a plunder, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’ |
| Isaiah 42:25 | Therefore he poured the fierceness of his anger on him, and the strength of battle. It set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know. It burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.” |
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
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights the shocking image of Sheol as a ravenous monster, opening its mouth beyond measure to swallow the guilty who indulged in feasting. He connects this judgment to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, and notes that Jesus applies the same parable to that event.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes reads this as a prophetic vision so vivid that the prophet describes the future Babylonian captivity as already happening. The punishment fits the sin precisely: the people who refused knowledge go into exile, their feasting nobles die of famine, and the drinking crowds suffer thirst along the arid road to Babylon.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists that the people's captivity was not caused by failed teachers but by their own willful rejection of knowledge. As God's chosen nation, they had clear direction from the law, yet they deliberately closed their eyes to it and rushed toward destruction. Their guilt was compounded by the abundance of light they refused.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary focuses on the "woe" oracles directed exclusively at Judah's upper classes. It describes a debased aristocracy whose greed and sensuality have destroyed public virtue and led to spiritual blindness, resulting in the nation's captivity. The passage contains the only explicit mention of exile in Isaiah.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible note stresses that the people’s lack of knowledge—not military weakness—causes their captivity. Even the honored leaders and the common crowd alike suffer hunger and thirst as the direct consequence of this spiritual blindness.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads this as a prophecy of the Roman destruction, not the earlier captivities. The people’s captivity came because they willfully refused to know the Messiah. Their ignorance was chosen, and the ruin overtook them suddenly, without warning.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB emphasizes that the prophet speaks of future exile as if it were already happening. The people's lack of understanding stems from reckless indulgence, and their coming hunger and thirst stand in stark contrast to their former feasts and drinking. Even the common people will suffer alongside the nobles.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch explain that "without knowledge" means Israel will go into exile unaware, not from lacking information but from being blind to the judgment coming upon them. They distinguish "their glory" as the nation's elite and "their tumult" as the riotous masses, both facing opposite fates: the nobles become starving men, the carousers die of thirst.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights how Isaiah crafts the vineyard song as bitter irony. The joyful opening and detailed care of the vineyard serve only to magnify the shock of wild grapes. The Hebrew wordplay in verse 7—judgment becomes bloodshed, righteousness becomes a cry—reveals the terrible deception in Israel's conduct.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry singles out two great enemies that overpower us only when we yield: eagerness for the world and indulgence of the flesh. The prophet's woes against land-grabbing greed and drunken feasting, he says, were aimed at sins that brought God's ruin on Judah and still require our watchfulness.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley contrasts two groups: those without knowledge fail to seriously consider God's works, their duty, and their danger. The "honourable men" he mentions are people who falsely believe they are completely beyond the reach of famine or judgment.