Isaiah 13:2
in Isaiah 13Raise a banner on a barren hilltop; call aloud to them. Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Set ye up an ensign upon the bare mountain, lift up the voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
KJV
Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
⋯
This verse in Isaiah 13
Commentary
13 notes on this verseHence it is often said to sinners: give glory to God! But Babylon and the entire region of the Chaldeans are called dark or gloomy mountains, as in the beginning of Isaiah, where we find written against Babylon: "Raise the signal on a dark mountain," which in Hebrew is called nishpeh.
This site's exposition
This is the burden against Babylon
on Isaiah 13:1-3
The burden against Babylon opens the first and longest of the oracles against the nations. Babylon is named while Assyria still ruled, and the "sanctified ones" and "warriors" of verse 3 are a pagan army the Lord calls His own. The banner and the waved hand are a muster call.
This site's exposition
Raise a banner on a barren hilltop
The banner of 5:26 and 11:12 is raised once more, now to summon the armies against Babylon. Gill read the barren hilltop as a height in Media or Persia where a standard could be seen. The gates of the nobles are the gates of Babylon.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Verse 2.) On the dark mountain, raise a sign, lift up your voice, raise your hand. The dark mountain, also called the mountain of darkness, which in Hebrew is called Nesphe, represents Babylon because of its pride. These are the dark mountains, which bring forth sadness and darkness, about which Jeremiah says: Give glory to the Lord your God before your feet stumble on the dark mountains (Jeremiah 13:16). And it is commanded either to the angels or to any ministers, that by the command of God and with their uplifted hands, the coming captivity to Babylon is preached.
(Version 2.) On the dark or open plain, raise the sign. The Apostles and the Apostolic men and masters of the Churches are instructed to raise the sign of the Lord's cross when they are about to fight against Babylon, not in a lowly place or in sunken valleys, but on a dark or open mountain. The former signifies the hidden sacraments of the Church, which Moses entered into darkness and gloom in order to see and hear the voice of God. For God has set darkness as his hiding place: and clouds and mists surround him. (Psalm 17). The other teaches us that we should ascend to the heights of ecclesiastical teachings in such a way that, according to the Apostle Paul, we humble ourselves and say: 'I am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God' (1 Corinthians 15, 9). He himself raised a sign on the mountain plain, when, with inherent humility, he said: 'But I have judged myself to know nothing among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.' But this sign he himself shall raise up in the previous days, who has arisen from the root of Jesse amongst the nations, in order to gather the lost of Israel. Exalt your voice, raise your hand. Regarding which, the Seventy translated: 'Console his hand.' He who speaks of lofty matters raises his voice and despises present things as if they were brief and fleeting. He also hears from Isaiah: 'Ascend to the high mountain, O bearer of good news to Zion. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
Concerning the first of these, he does two things. First, he sets out the calling together; and he calls them together to attack and besiege: lift up a sign, that is, a banner, upon the mountain, of Babylon, dark, because of the smoke from the …
By a mountain is designated the apostate angel, as is said to preachers concerning the ancient enemy under the character of the king of Babylon, Lift ye up a banner upon the gloomy mountain. For holy preachers lift up a banner above the gloomy mountain, when they exalt the virtue of the cross against the pride of Satan, which is frequently concealed under the mist of hypocrisy.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain,.... Or "upon the mountain Nishphah"; some high mountain in Media or Persia, proper to set a standard on, or erect a banner for the gathering men together, to enlist themselves as soldiers, and so form an army to march into the land of Chaldea. Vitringa thinks there may be an allusion to the mountain Zagrius, which divides Media and Persia from Assyria, mentioned by Strabo (x).
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The gates of nobles were strong and well guarded, and yet they would be no fence against those who came with commission to execute God's judgments. Before his power and wrath palaces are no more than cottages. Nor is it only the gates of the nobles, but the whole land, that is doomed to destruction (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
God's standard is set up, a flag of defiance hung out against Babylon. It is erected on high, where all may see it; whoever will may come and enlist themselves under it, and they shall be taken immediately into God's pay.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Exalt the voice - The word להם lahem, “to them,” which is of no use, and rather weakens the sentence, is omitted by an ancient MS., and the Vulgate.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Lift . . . banner-- (Isa 5:26; 11:10). the high mountain--rather, "a bare (literally, "bald," that is, without trees) mountain"; from it the banner could be seen afar off, so as to rally together the peoples against Babylon. unto them--unto the Medes (Isa 13:17), the assailants of Babylon.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Lift ye up a banner - A military ensign or standard. The vision opens here; and the first thing which the prophet hears, is the solemn command of God addressed to the nations as subject to him, to rear the standard of war, and to gather around it the mighty armies which were to be employed in the destruction of the city. This command, ‘Lift ye up a banner,’ is addressed to the leaders of those armies to assemble them, and to prepare them for war. Upon the high mountain - It was customary for military leaders to plant a standard on a tower, a fortress, a city, a high mountain, or any elevated spot, in order that it might be seen afar, and be the rallying point for the people to collect together (see the note at Isa 11:10). Here, the prophet does not refer to any particular “mountain,” but means simply, that a standard should be raised, around which the hosts should be assembled to march to Babylon. The Chaldee renders it, ‘Over the city dwelling in security, lift up the banner.’ Exalt the voice - Raise up the voice, commanding the people to assemble, and to prepare for the march against Babylon, Perhaps, however, the word ‘voice’ here (קול qôl) refers to the “clangor,” or sound, of a trumpet used for mustering armies. The word is often used to denote “any” noise, and is frequently applied to thunder, to the trumpet, etc. Unto them - That is, to the Medes and Persians, who were to be employed in the destruction of Babylon. Shake the hand - In the way of beckoning; as when one is at so great a distance that the voice cannot be heard, the hand is waved for a sign. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
The harsh prophecy of Babylon The prophecy of the retribution which [will fall] upon Babylon.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַ֤ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַר־ | har- | a mountain | H2022 → | 546 times |
| נִשְׁפֶּה֙ | nishpeh | swept bare | H8192 → | |
| שְֽׂאוּ־ | seu- | lift up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| נֵ֔ס | nes | a standard | H5251 → | 21 times |
| הָרִ֥ימוּ | harimu | lift up | H7311 → | 190 times |
| ק֖וֹל | kol | a voice | H6963 → | 506 times |
| לָהֶ֑ם | lahem | to them | ||
| הָנִ֣יפוּ | hanifu | wave | H5130 → | 37 times |
| יָ֔ד | yad | a hand | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וְיָבֹ֖אוּ | veyavou | so they may go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| פִּתְחֵ֥י | pitchei | [the] doors of | H6607 → | |
| נְדִיבִֽים׃ | nedivim | noble [people] | H5081 → | 29 times |
עַ֤לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
הַר־a mountain
har-H2022 →546 times
נִשְׁפֶּה֙swept bare
nishpehH8192 →
שְֽׂאוּ־lift up
seu-H5375 →656 times
נֵ֔סa standard
nesH5251 →21 times
הָרִ֥ימוּlift up
harimuH7311 →190 times
ק֖וֹלa voice
kolH6963 →506 times
לָהֶ֑םto them
lahem
הָנִ֣יפוּwave
hanifuH5130 →37 times
יָ֔דa hand
yadH3027 →1618 times
וְיָבֹ֖אוּso they may go
veyavouH935 →2568 times
פִּתְחֵ֥י[the] doors of
pitcheiH6607 →
נְדִיבִֽים׃noble [people]
nedivimH5081 →29 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 51:58This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Babylon’s thick walls will be leveled, and her high gates consumed by fire. So the labor of the people will be for nothing; the nations will…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:44
I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him spew out what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even the wall of Babylon will fall.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Habakkuk 2:13
Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?
- Jeremiah 51:44
Through
Jeremiah 50:2“Announce and declare to the nations; lift up a banner and proclaim it; hold nothing back when you say, ‘Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is shattered, her images are disgraced,…
it leads to
- Isaiah 46:1
Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.
- Isaiah 21:9
Look, here come the riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”
- Isaiah 46:1
Through
Jeremiah 51:25“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who devastate the whole earth, declares the LORD. I will stretch out My hand against you; I will roll you over the cliffs and turn…
it leads to
- Revelation 8:8
Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood,
- Zechariah 4:7
What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain. Then he will bring forth the capstone accompanied by shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”
- Revelation 8:8
Through
Isaiah 5:26He lifts a banner for the distant nations and whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Behold—how speedily and swiftly they come!
it leads to
- Zechariah 10:8
I will whistle for them to gather, for I have redeemed them; and they will be as numerous as they once were.
- Deuteronomy 28:49
The LORD will bring a nation from afar, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down upon you like an eagle—a nation whose language you will not understand,
- Zechariah 10:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Isaiah
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 6:33.2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, SIX BOOKS ON JEREMIAH 3:17.2-3; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.