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C. Oracles Against the Foreign Nations[a]

Chapter 13

Babylon.[b] An oracle[c] concerning Babylon; a vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz.

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Footnotes

  1. 13:1–23:18 These chapters, which probably existed at one time as an independent collection, consist primarily of oracles from various sources against foreign nations. While some of the material is Isaianic, in many cases it has been reworked by later editors or writers.
  2. 13:1–22 Although attributed to Isaiah (v. 1), this oracle does not reflect conditions of Isaiah’s time. Babylon did not achieve imperial status until a century later, after its victory over Assyria in 609 B.C. The mention of the Medes (v. 17) rather than Persia suggests a date prior to 550 B.C., when the Median empire of Astyages fell to Cyrus the Persian. Tension is created in that the attackers are not named until v. 17 and the foe to be attacked until v. 19.
  3. 13:1 Oracle: Heb. massa’; used eight more times in this collection.