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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Isaiah 13:20 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.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/isaiah/13-20.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/19/23_Isa_13_20.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Isaiah 13:20 - An Oracle Concerning Babylon" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="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." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/isaiah/13-20.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/isaiah/13-20.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/isaiah/">Isaiah</a> > <a href="/isaiah/13.htm">Chapter 13</a> > Verse 20</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad20.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/isaiah/13-19.htm" title="Isaiah 13:19">◄</a> Isaiah 13:20 <a href="/isaiah/13-21.htm" title="Isaiah 13:21">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/isaiah/13.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/isaiah/13.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/isaiah/13.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />Babylon will never be inhabited again. It will remain empty for generation after generation. Nomads will refuse to camp there, and shepherds will not bed down their sheep.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/isaiah/13.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/isaiah/13.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/isaiah/13.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/isaiah/13.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />It will never be inhabited, Nor will it be settled from generation to generation; Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/isaiah/13.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch <i>his</i> tent there, Nor will shepherds allow <i>their flocks</i> to lie down there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/isaiah/13.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/isaiah/13.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch <i>his</i> tent there, Nor will shepherds make <i>their flocks</i> lie down there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/isaiah/13.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />It will never be inhabited or dwelt in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch <i>his</i> tent there, Nor will shepherds make <i>their flocks</i> lie down there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/isaiah/13.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Babylon will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will the shepherds let <i>their sheep</i> lie down there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/isaiah/13.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; a nomad will not pitch his tent there, and shepherds will not let their flocks rest there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/isaiah/13.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; a nomad will not pitch his tent there, and shepherds will not let their flocks rest there. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/isaiah/13.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/isaiah/13.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />No one will live in Babylon. Even nomads won't camp nearby, and shepherds won't let their sheep rest there. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/isaiah/13.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/isaiah/13.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />It will never be inhabited again, and no one will live in it for generations. Arabs won't pitch their tents there. Shepherds won't let their flocks rest there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/isaiah/13.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />No one will ever live there again. No wandering Arab will ever pitch a tent there, and no shepherd will ever pasture a flock there. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/isaiah/13.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />It will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; no Bedouin will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/isaiah/13.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/isaiah/13.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />No one will live there again; no one will ever reside there again. No bedouin will camp there, no shepherds will rest their flocks there. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/isaiah/13.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/isaiah/13.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/isaiah/13.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />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. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/isaiah/13.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />She does not sit forever, "" Nor continue to many generations, "" Nor does Arab pitch tent there, "" And shepherds do not lie down there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/isaiah/13.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> She doth not sit for ever, Nor continueth unto many generations, Nor doth Arab pitch tent there, And shepherds lie not down there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/isaiah/13.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />It shall not be inhabited forever, and it shall not be dwelt in even to generation and generation: and the Arabian shall not go on there, and the shepherds shall not recline there.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/isaiah/13.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />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. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/isaiah/13.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />It will not be inhabited, even unto the end, and it will not be reestablished, even from generation to generation. The Arab will not pitch his tents there, nor will the shepherds take rest there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/isaiah/13.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />It shall never be inhabited, nor dwelt in, from age to age; Arabians shall not pitch their tents there, nor shepherds rest their flocks there. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/isaiah/13.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; Arabs will not pitch their tents there, shepherds will not make their flocks lie down there.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/isaiah/13.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation; neither shall the Arabians encamp there; neither shall the shepherds make their folds there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/isaiah/13.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />She shall never be inhabited, and she shall not dwell for a generation of generations, and they shall not dwell there. The Arabians and Shepherds shall not shepherd there<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/isaiah/13.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/isaiah/13.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />It shall never be inhabited, neither shall any enter into it for many generations: neither shall the Arabians pass through it; nor shall shepherds at all rest in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/isaiah/13-20.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xv9bHT-nr9s?start=2902" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/isaiah/13.htm">An Oracle Concerning Babylon</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">19</span>And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. <span class="reftext">20</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō- (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">She will never</a> <a href="/hebrew/5331.htm" title="5331: lā·ne·ṣaḥ (Prep-l:: N-ms) -- Eminence, enduring, everlastingness, perpetuity. "></a> <a href="/hebrew/3427.htm" title="3427: ṯê·šêḇ (V-Qal-Imperf-3fs) -- A primitive root; properly, to sit down; by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry.">be inhabited</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: wə·lō (Conj-w:: Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">or</a> <a href="/hebrew/7931.htm" title="7931: ṯiš·kōn (V-Qal-Imperf-3fs) -- A primitive root (by transmission) to shakab through the idea of lodging; compare cikluwth, shakam); to reside or permanently stay.">settled</a> <a href="/hebrew/5704.htm" title="5704: ‘aḏ- (Prep) -- As far as, even to, up to, until, while. Properly, the same as ad; as far as, whether of space or time or degree.">from</a> <a href="/hebrew/1755.htm" title="1755: dō·wr (N-ms) -- Period, generation, dwelling. Or dor; from duwr; properly, a revolution of time, i.e. An age or generation; also a dwelling.">generation</a> <a href="/hebrew/1755.htm" title="1755: wā·ḏō·wr (Conj-w:: N-ms) -- Period, generation, dwelling. Or dor; from duwr; properly, a revolution of time, i.e. An age or generation; also a dwelling.">to generation;</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: wə·lō- (Conj-w:: Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">no</a> <a href="/hebrew/6163.htm" title="6163: ‘ă·rā·ḇî (N-proper-ms) -- Arabian -- inhabitant of Arabia. Or marbiy; patrial from Arab; an Arabian or inhabitant of Arab.">nomad</a> <a href="/hebrew/167.htm" title="167: ya·hêl (V-Piel-Imperf-3ms) -- To move a tent (from place to place). A denominative from 'ohel; to tent.">will pitch his tent</a> <a href="/hebrew/8033.htm" title="8033: šām (Adv) -- There, thither. A primitive particle; there then; often thither, or thence.">there,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō- (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">no</a> <a href="/hebrew/7462.htm" title="7462: wə·rō·‘îm (Conj-w:: V-Qal-Prtcpl-mp) -- A primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. Pasture it; intransitively, to graze; generally to rule; by extension, to associate with.">shepherd</a> <a href="/hebrew/7257.htm" title="7257: yar·bi·ṣū (V-Hifil-Imperf-3mp) -- A primitive root; to crouch; be implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed.">will rest his flock</a> <a href="/hebrew/8033.htm" title="8033: šām (Adv) -- There, thither. A primitive particle; there then; often thither, or thence.">there.</a> </span><span class="reftext">21</span>But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/50-39.htm">Jeremiah 50:39-40</a></span><br />So the desert creatures and hyenas will live there and ostriches will dwell there. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. / As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighbors,” declares the LORD, “no one will dwell there; no man will abide there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/18-21.htm">Revelation 18:21-22</a></span><br />Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again. / And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/51-29.htm">Jeremiah 51:29</a></span><br />The earth quakes and writhes because the LORD’s intentions against Babylon stand: to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/zephaniah/2-13.htm">Zephaniah 2:13-15</a></span><br />And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert. / Herds will lie down in her midst, creatures of every kind. Both the desert owl and screech owl will roost atop her pillars. Their calls will sound from the window, but desolation will lie on the threshold, for He will expose the beams of cedar. / This carefree city that dwells securely, that thinks to herself: “I am it, and there is none besides me,” what a ruin she has become, a resting place for beasts. Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/18-2.htm">Revelation 18:2</a></span><br />And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/49-18.htm">Jeremiah 49:18</a></span><br />As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown along with their neighbors,” says the LORD, “no one will dwell there; no man will abide there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/34-10.htm">Isaiah 34:10</a></span><br />It will not be quenched—day or night. Its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever again pass through it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/14-8.htm">Revelation 14:8</a></span><br />Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/25-12.htm">Jeremiah 25:12</a></span><br />But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it an everlasting desolation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/malachi/1-3.htm">Malachi 1:3-4</a></span><br />but Esau I have hated, and I have made his mountains a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.” / Though Edom may say, “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild the ruins,” this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Land of Wickedness, and a people with whom the LORD is indignant forever.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/17-16.htm">Revelation 17:16</a></span><br />And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/51-37.htm">Jeremiah 51:37</a></span><br />Babylon will become a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals, an object of horror and scorn, without inhabitant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/26-20.htm">Ezekiel 26:20-21</a></span><br />then I will bring you down with those who descend to the Pit, to the people of antiquity. I will make you dwell in the earth below like the ancient ruins, with those who descend to the Pit, so that you will no longer be inhabited or set in splendor in the land of the living. / I will make you an object of horror, and you will be no more. You will be sought, but will never be found,’ declares the Lord GOD.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/19-3.htm">Revelation 19:3</a></span><br />And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/51-43.htm">Jeremiah 51:43</a></span><br />Her cities have become a desolation, a dry and arid land, a land where no one lives, where no son of man passes through.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelled in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/14-23.htm">Isaiah 14:23</a></b></br> I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/50-3.htm">Jeremiah 50:3,13,21,39,45</a></b></br> For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/51-25.htm">Jeremiah 51:25,29,43,62-64</a></b></br> Behold, I <i>am</i> against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/nehemiah/2-19.htm">Arab</a> <a href="/nehemiah/6-1.htm">Arabian</a> <a href="/job/14-2.htm">Continueth</a> <a href="/isaiah/9-2.htm">Dwelt</a> <a href="/songs/1-7.htm">Flocks</a> <a href="/job/5-24.htm">Fold</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/1-4.htm">Generation</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/1-4.htm">Generations</a> <a href="/proverbs/8-31.htm">Inhabited</a> <a href="/isaiah/11-7.htm">Lie</a> <a href="/proverbs/20-20.htm">Pitch</a> <a href="/isaiah/11-16.htm">Rest</a> <a href="/isaiah/11-10.htm">Resting-Place</a> <a href="/isaiah/13-14.htm">Sheep</a> <a href="/isaiah/13-14.htm">Shepherd</a> <a href="/songs/1-8.htm">Shepherds</a> <a href="/isaiah/10-13.htm">Sit</a> <a href="/isaiah/1-8.htm">Tent</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/jeremiah/3-2.htm">Arab</a> <a href="/jeremiah/3-2.htm">Arabian</a> <a href="/matthew/28-15.htm">Continueth</a> <a href="/isaiah/13-21.htm">Dwelt</a> <a href="/isaiah/17-2.htm">Flocks</a> <a href="/isaiah/65-10.htm">Fold</a> <a href="/isaiah/34-10.htm">Generation</a> <a href="/isaiah/34-17.htm">Generations</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-26.htm">Inhabited</a> <a href="/isaiah/13-21.htm">Lie</a> <a href="/isaiah/34-9.htm">Pitch</a> <a href="/isaiah/14-1.htm">Rest</a> <a href="/isaiah/14-20.htm">Resting-Place</a> <a href="/isaiah/22-13.htm">Sheep</a> <a href="/isaiah/40-11.htm">Shepherd</a> <a href="/isaiah/31-4.htm">Shepherds</a> <a href="/isaiah/14-13.htm">Sit</a> <a href="/isaiah/16-5.htm">Tent</a><div class="vheading2">Isaiah 13</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/13-1.htm">God musters the armies of his wrath</a></span><br><span class="reftext">6. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/13-6.htm">He threatens to destroy Babylon by the Medes</a></span><br><span class="reftext">19. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/13-19.htm">The desolation of Babylon</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/isaiah/13.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/isaiah/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/isaiah/13.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation;</b><br>This phrase refers to the prophecy against Babylon, indicating its complete and perpetual desolation. Historically, Babylon was a significant city in the ancient world, known for its grandeur and influence. The prophecy foretells its downfall, which aligns with the eventual decline and abandonment of Babylon. The phrase "from generation to generation" emphasizes the enduring nature of this desolation, suggesting a divine judgment that is irrevocable. This can be connected to other biblical prophecies of judgment, such as those against Edom in <a href="/isaiah/34-10.htm">Isaiah 34:10</a>, where similar language is used to describe perpetual desolation.<p><b>no nomad will pitch his tent there,</b><br>Nomads, often Bedouins in the ancient Near East, were known for their mobility and ability to live in harsh environments. The statement that even nomads will not pitch their tents in Babylon underscores the severity of the desolation. It implies that the land will become so inhospitable that even those accustomed to living in desolate areas will avoid it. This can be seen as a fulfillment of divine judgment, where the land becomes uninhabitable even for those who typically thrive in such conditions.<p><b>no shepherd will rest his flock there.</b><br>Shepherds were a common sight in the ancient Near East, and their presence often indicated a degree of fertility and life in the land. The absence of shepherds and their flocks signifies a complete lack of life and productivity. This imagery is powerful, as it suggests that the land will not support even the most basic forms of life. In a broader biblical context, this can be seen as a reversal of the blessings of the Promised Land, where shepherds and flocks are abundant. The desolation of Babylon serves as a stark contrast to the flourishing life promised to God's people in places like <a href="/psalms/23.htm">Psalm 23</a>, where the Lord is depicted as a shepherd leading His flock to green pastures.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/b/babylon.htm">Babylon</a></b><br>The primary subject of <a href="/bsb/isaiah/13.htm">Isaiah 13</a>, Babylon is prophesied to face complete desolation. Historically, Babylon was a powerful empire known for its grandeur and influence.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/i/isaiah.htm">Isaiah</a></b><br>The prophet who delivered this message. He was a major prophet in the Old Testament, known for his prophecies concerning both judgment and redemption.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/n/nomads_and_shepherds.htm">Nomads and Shepherds</a></b><br>Representing transient and pastoral life, their absence signifies total desolation and abandonment.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/j/judgment_of_god.htm">Judgment of God</a></b><br>The overarching event in this passage is the divine judgment pronounced upon Babylon, symbolizing God's sovereignty over nations.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/d/desolation.htm">Desolation</a></b><br>The event of Babylon's desolation serves as a warning and a demonstration of God's power to fulfill His word.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty_over_nations.htm">God's Sovereignty Over Nations</a></b><br>God holds ultimate authority over all nations, and His plans will prevail regardless of human power or influence.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_certainty_of_god's_judgment.htm">The Certainty of God's Judgment</a></b><br>Just as Babylon faced inevitable judgment, so too will all who oppose God. This serves as a reminder of the seriousness of sin and the need for repentance.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_transience_of_earthly_power.htm">The Transience of Earthly Power</a></b><br>Babylon's fall illustrates the temporary nature of worldly power and wealth. Believers are encouraged to place their trust in God rather than in temporal things.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_in_god's_justice.htm">Hope in God's Justice</a></b><br>While the prophecy speaks of destruction, it also assures believers of God's justice. He will right all wrongs and bring about His righteous purposes.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_isaiah_13.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Isaiah 13</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_is_isaiah_13_20_reconciled_with_later_finds.htm">How do we reconcile Isaiah 13:20’s claim that Babylon will “never be inhabited” with archaeological findings of later habitation on the site? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_are_god's_8_major_judgments.htm">What are the eight major judgments of God?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_is_babylon's_fall_in_rev_18_2.htm">What does Revelation 18:2 mean by Babylon's fall?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_is_the_oneness_doctrine.htm">What does Revelation 18:2 mean by Babylon's fall?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/isaiah/13.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(20) <span class= "bld">Neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there . . .</span>--The word "Arabian" is used in its widest extent, as including all the nomadic tribes of the Bedouin type east and north of Palestine as far as Babylon (<a href="/2_chronicles/21-16.htm" title="Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:">2Chronicles 21:16</a>; Strabo, xvi., p. 743). Here, again, we note a literal fulfilment. The Bedouins themselves, partly because the place is desolate, partly from a superstitious horror, shrink from encamping on the site of the ancient temples and palaces, and they are left to lions and other beasts of prey. On the other hand, Joseph Wolff, the missionary, describes a strange weird scene, pilgrims of the Yezidis, or devil-worshippers, dancing and howling like dervishes amid the ruins of Babylon.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/isaiah/13.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 20.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">It shall never be inhabited</span>. This part of the prophecy did not receive its fulfillment till many centuries had gone by. From the time of Cyrus to that of Alexander the Great, Babylon was one of the chief cities of the Persian empire. Alexander was so struck with it, and with the excellence of its situation, that he designed to make it his capital. It first began seriously to decline under the Seleucidae, who built Seleucia on the Tigris as a rival to it, and still further injured it by fixing the seat of government at Antioch. But it had still a large population in the first century after our era (Josephus, 'Ant. Jud.,' 18:9, § 8); and is mentioned as a place of some consequence in the time of Trajan (Die Cass., 68:27), and even in that of Severue (Die Cass., 75:9). But after this it went rapidly to decay. Under the Sassuntans it disappears from sight; and when Benjamin of Tudela, in the twelfth century, visited the spot, there was nothing to be seen of the mighty city but those ruins of the Kasr, or palace, which still arrest the traveler's attention. The site had become, and has ever since remained, "without inhabitant." <span class="cmt_word">Neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there.</span> A superstitious feeling prevents the Arabs from encamping on the mounds of Babylon, which are believed to be the haunts of evil spirits (Rich, 'First Memoir on Babylon,' p. 67; Ker Porter, 'Travels,' vol. 2. p. 371). <span class="cmt_word">Neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.</span> The nitrous soil of the Babylonian mounds allows them to produce nothing but the coarsest and most unpalatable vegetation. The shepherds consequently do not feed their flocks on them. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/isaiah/13-20.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">She will never</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹֽא־</span> <span class="translit">(lō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">be inhabited</span><br /><span class="heb">תֵשֵׁ֣ב</span> <span class="translit">(ṯê·šêḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3427.htm">Strong's 3427: </a> </span><span class="str2">To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry</span><br /><br /><span class="word">or</span><br /><span class="heb">וְלֹ֥א</span> <span class="translit">(wə·lō)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">settled</span><br /><span class="heb">תִשְׁכֹּ֖ן</span> <span class="translit">(ṯiš·kōn)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7931.htm">Strong's 7931: </a> </span><span class="str2">To settle down, abide, dwell</span><br /><br /><span class="word">from</span><br /><span class="heb">עַד־</span> <span class="translit">(‘aḏ-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5704.htm">Strong's 5704: </a> </span><span class="str2">As far as, even to, up to, until, while</span><br /><br /><span class="word">generation</span><br /><span class="heb">דּ֣וֹר</span> <span class="translit">(dō·wr)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1755.htm">Strong's 1755: </a> </span><span class="str2">A revolution of time, an age, generation, a dwelling</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to generation;</span><br /><span class="heb">וָד֑וֹר</span> <span class="translit">(wā·ḏō·wr)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1755.htm">Strong's 1755: </a> </span><span class="str2">A revolution of time, an age, generation, a dwelling</span><br /><br /><span class="word">no</span><br /><span class="heb">וְלֹֽא־</span> <span class="translit">(wə·lō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">nomad</span><br /><span class="heb">עֲרָבִ֔י</span> <span class="translit">(‘ă·rā·ḇî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6163.htm">Strong's 6163: </a> </span><span class="str2">Arabian -- inhabitant of Arabia</span><br /><br /><span class="word">will pitch his tent</span><br /><span class="heb">יַהֵ֥ל</span> <span class="translit">(ya·hêl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_167.htm">Strong's 167: </a> </span><span class="str2">To move a tent (from place to place)</span><br /><br /><span class="word">there,</span><br /><span class="heb">שָׁם֙</span> <span class="translit">(šām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8033.htm">Strong's 8033: </a> </span><span class="str2">There, then, thither</span><br /><br /><span class="word">no</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹא־</span> <span class="translit">(lō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">shepherd</span><br /><span class="heb">וְרֹעִ֖ים</span> <span class="translit">(wə·rō·‘îm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7462.htm">Strong's 7462: </a> </span><span class="str2">To tend a, flock, pasture it, in, to graze, to rule, to associate with</span><br /><br /><span class="word">will rest his flock</span><br /><span class="heb">יַרְבִּ֥צוּ</span> <span class="translit">(yar·bi·ṣū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7257.htm">Strong's 7257: </a> </span><span class="str2">To crouch, be implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed</span><br /><br /><span class="word">there.</span><br /><span class="heb">שָֽׁם׃</span> <span class="translit">(šām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8033.htm">Strong's 8033: </a> </span><span class="str2">There, then, thither</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/isaiah/13-20.htm">Isaiah 13:20 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/isaiah/13-20.htm">Isaiah 13:20 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/isaiah/13-20.htm">Isaiah 13:20 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/isaiah/13-20.htm">Isaiah 13:20 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/isaiah/13-20.htm">Isaiah 13:20 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/isaiah/13-20.htm">Isaiah 13:20 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/isaiah/13-20.htm">Isaiah 13:20 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/isaiah/13-20.htm">Isaiah 13:20 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/isaiah/13-20.htm">Isaiah 13:20 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/isaiah/13-20.htm">Isaiah 13:20 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/isaiah/13-20.htm">OT Prophets: Isaiah 13:20 It will never be inhabited neither will (Isa Isi Is)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/isaiah/13-19.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Isaiah 13:19"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Isaiah 13:19" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/isaiah/13-21.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Isaiah 13:21"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Isaiah 13:21" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>