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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Isaiah 13:8

And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

Pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them. The Hebrew means also a messenger: therefore the Septuagint and Arabic translate, 'the heralds (who bring word of the unexpected invasion) are terrified.' The Chaldaic, Vulgate, and Syriac support the English version.

As a woman that travaileth - (.) They shall be amazed one at another - the stupid, bewildered gaze of consternation.

Their faces (shall be as) flames - `their visages have the livid hue of flame' (Horsley): with anguish and indignation.

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See also Isaiah 13:8 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Isaiah 13:8. _AND THEY SHALL BE AFRAID_ - "And they shall be terrified"] I join this verb, ונבהלו _venibhalu_, to the preceding verse, with the _Syriac_ and _Vulgate_. _PANGS AND SORROWS SHALL...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THEY SHALL BE IN PAIN AS A WOMAN THAT TRAVAILETH - This comparison is often used in the Scriptures to denote the deepest possible pain and sorrow, as well as the suddenness with which any calamity com...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    2. THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS AND THE FUTURE DAY OF JEHOVAH (13-27) CHAPTER 13 The Burden of Babylon 1. _Jehovah's call to the judgment of Babylon (Isaiah 13:1)_ 2. _The day of Jehovah: When Babylo...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ISAIAH 13:1 TO ISAIAH 14:23. THE UTTER RUIN OF BABYLON AND TRIUMPHAL ODE OVER HER MONARCH'S DEATH. Historical conditions are here presupposed entirely different from those of Isaiah's time. The subjec...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    AS FLAMES. as [faces of] flames darkened....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _they shall be amazed one at another_ i.e. "look in horror on each other." _their faces shall be as flames_ Lit. FACES OF FLAMES ARE THEIR FACES, burning with feverish excitement, or perhaps with sham...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THEREFORE, &C.— What other effect could the premonition concerning the approach of such formidable enemies produce, than consternation and dismay? So the prophet informs us, eloquently describing in t...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    III. PEOPLE AND PAGANS - Chapter S 13 - 23 A. IMPLACABLE EMPIRE CH. 13-14 CHAPTER THIRTEEN 1. BABYLON a. PREDICTION OF JUDGMENT TEXT: Isaiah 13:1-8 1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    13:8 flames. (a-34) Lit. 'their faces, faces of flames.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1. BURDEN] The corresponding verb means 'to lift up' (_a_) a load, (_b_) the voice (cp. Isaiah 3:7; Isaiah 42:2; Isaiah 42:11), used of Balaam lifting up his voice in oracular utterance ...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    _AS_ FLAMES] RV 'faces of flame,' i.e. flushed with agitation....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD’S PLANS FOR JUDAH, ASSYRIA AND EGYPT ISAIAH CHAPTER S 10 TO 20 _NORMAN HILLYER_ CHAPTER 13 The next major division of the Book of Isaiah is Chapter s 13 to...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְֽ נִבְהָ֓לוּ ׀ צִירִ֤ים וַֽ חֲבָלִים֙ יֹֽאחֵז֔וּן...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    BOOK 5 PROPHECIES NOT RELATING TO ISAIAH'S TIME In the first thirty-nine Chapter s of the Book of Isaiah-the half which refers to the prophet's own career and the politics contemporary with that - we...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    We now commence the second circle of the first division of our book, in which are contained Isaiah's prophecies concerning the nations and the world. The first describes the doom of Babylon. Whereas t...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces [shall be as] (g) flames. (g) T...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Burnt. Black with despair, Nahum ii. 10., and Joel ii. 6._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    In the figurative language of prophecy, the Lord describes the destruction of Babylon. The army that shall come against Babylon, the Lord calls his sanctified ones, and his mighty ones. By sanctified,...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    8._Pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them. _The word צירים (_tzirim_) being ambiguous, the Greek translators render it _ambassadors_. But the comparison of _a woman that travaileth_, which is added...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 13 AND 14. With chapter 12 one division of the whole book closes. That which commences with chapter 13 continues to the end of chapter 27, which describes th...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THEY SHALL BE AFRAID,.... Troubled, dismayed, frightened, at the sudden taking of the city, and at the sight of Cyrus's troops marching up into the very heart of it, and to the king's palace: PAN...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces [shall be as] flames._ Ver. 8....

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Howl ye_ We have here a very elegant and lively description of the terrible confusion and desolation which should be made in Babylon by the attack which the Medes and Persians should make upon it. Th...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    and they shall be afraid, terrified in bewilderment; PANGS AND SORROWS SHALL TAKE HOLD OF THEM, their terror showing in convulsive movements; THEY SHALL BE IN PAIN AS A WOMAN THAT TRAVAILETH, Joel 2:6...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHECIES OF WRATH...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    AMAZED: _ Heb._ wonder ONE AT ANOTHER: _ Heb._ every man at his neighbor FLAMES: _ Heb._ faces of the flames...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    6-18 We have here the terrible desolation of Babylon by the Medes and Persians. Those who in the day of their peace were proud, and haughty, and terrible, are quite dispirited when trouble comes. The...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THEY SHALL BE AMAZED ONE AT ANOTHER, to see so populous and impregnable a city as Babylon was, so easily and unexpectedly taken. FLAMES, Heb. _faces of flame_; either pale with fear, or inflamed with...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 13:8 afraid H926 (H8738) Pangs H6735 sorrows H2256 hold H270 (H8799) pain H2342 (H8799) childbirth...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE APOCALYPTIC DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON (ISAIAH 13:6). The forces having been gathered by Yahweh on the remoteness of the bare mountain, they are to be unleashed in ‘the Day of Yahweh', and it will se...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Prophecy concerning last days, when punishment will be visited upon the nations, and Israel shall pass through the Great Tribulation. CHARACTERS: God, Isaiah. CONCLUSION: Men have their da...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    In the thirteen Chapter s which follow, the prophet, like a watchman, raises his voice, and denounces woes against all the surrounding nations, and finally against his own country. Isaiah 13:1. _The b...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ISAIAH—NOTE ON ISAIAH 13:1 God’s Judgment and Grace for the World: “We Have a Strong City.” Isaiah stresses God’s complete power over all the nations. God rules history to achieve his goals....

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE BURDEN OF BABYLON. The series of prophecies which commences with this chapter and continues to the close of Isaiah 23:1; is connected together by the word _massa_, burden. It has been a...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now as we move into chapter 13 and he speaks of the burden of Babylon which Isaiah saw, you remember that we mentioned when we started the prophecy of Isaiah that in many of the prophecies, there was...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Thessalonians 5:3; Daniel 5:5; Daniel 5:6; Isaiah 21:3; Isaiah 21:4;...

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