They come from distant countries, from beyond the farthest horizons. They are the Lord’s weapons to carry out his anger. With them he will destroy the whole land.
Parallel translations
- WEB 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.
- KJV They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
- BSB They are coming from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens—the LORD and the weapons of His wrath—to destroy the whole country.
- NKJV They come from a far country, From the end of heaven— The Lord and His weapons of indignation, To destroy the whole land.
- NASB They are coming from a distant country, From the farthest horizons, The Lord and the weapons of His indignation, To destroy the whole land.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The armies come from far away as weapons of God's indignation to destroy the land. God brings distant nations to carry out his judgment.
Overview
The attackers march 'from the uttermost part of heaven' as 'the weapons of his indignation' — instruments of divine wrath against Babylon. The phrase 'to destroy the whole land' signals comprehensive judgment. God's reach extends to the ends of the earth, summoning whom he wills to fulfill his justice.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Jer 51:20–46“You are my battle ax and weapons of war. With you I will break the nations into pieces. With you I will destroy kingdoms.
- Matt 24:31He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
- Jer 50:9For, 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.
- Isa 5:26He will lift up a banner to the nations from far, and he will whistle for them from the end of the earth. Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly.
- Isa 24:1Behold, Yahweh makes the earth empty, makes it waste, turns it upside down, and scatters its inhabitants.
- Jer 50:3For a nation comes up out of the north against her, which shall make her land desolate, and no one shall dwell therein. They have fled. They are gone, both man and animal.
- Jer 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.
- Isa 13:17Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 13:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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