Isaiah 47:13
in Isaiah 47You are wearied by your many counselors; let them come forward now and save you—your astrologers who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels: let now the astrologers, the star-gazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from the things that shall come upon thee.
KJV
Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.
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This verse in Isaiah 47
Commentary
12 notes on this verseAnd as to astrologers: let now the astrologers stand against their enemies, if they could, for they abounded in these arts, too: be not afraid of the signs of heaven, which the heathens fear (Jer 10:2).
This site's exposition
take your stand with your spells
on Isaiah 47:12-15
“So take your stand with your spells” summons Babylon’s occult resources to the trial. Babylon was famed for reading the heavens, and these disciplines fail when they are needed. “Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up”, and “not one of them can save you.”
This site's exposition
your astrologers who observe the stars
The astrologers who observe the stars were, as Gesenius explains, dividers of the heavens who cast a person's fate from four signs at birth. Those who monthly predict her fate read each new moon. Barnes takes her weariness as exhaustion from so many counselors and arts, practiced from her youth.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
So also His Father makes great account of prophecy, when He sets Himself against the honor paid to idols: "Let them declare to you," saith He, "what shall come upon you"; and again, "I have declared, and have saved, and there was no foreign God amongst you"; and He brings this forward through all prophecy. Because prophecy is especially the work of God, which devils cannot even imitate, though they strive exceedingly. For in the case of miracles there may be delusion; but exactly to foretell the future belongs to that pure Nature alone. Or if devils ever have done so, it was by deceiving the simpler sort; whence their oracles are always easily detected.
(Verse 12 and following) Stand with your sorcerers, and with the multitude of your evil deeds, in which you have labored since your youth, if perhaps it will benefit you, or if you can become stronger. You have failed in the multitude of your plans: let the astrologers of the heavens stand and save you, who observe the stars and calculate the months, to announce to you what is to come.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
4 As for our redeemer, the L ORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel. 5 Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms. 6 I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst show them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:96%@v4-6
); thou hast advised with them all, but hast received no satisfaction from them; the different schemes they have erected, and the different judgments they have given, have but increased thy perplexity and tired thee out." In the multitude of such counsellors there is no safety. (2.) They are upbraided with the variety they had of such kinds of people among them,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
They had their monthly prognosticators, their almanac-makers, that told what weather it should be or what news they should have each month. The great stock they had of these was what they valued themselves much upon; but they were all cheats, and their art was a sham.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Thou art wearied - Thou hast practiced so many arts, and practiced them so long, that thou art exhausted in them. The ‘counsels’ here referred to, are those which the astrologers and diviners would take in examining the prognostications, and the supposed indications of future events. Let now the astrologers - Call in now the aid of the various classes of diviners on whom thou hast relied to save thee from the impending calamity and ruin.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
GESENIUS explains it: the dividers of the heavens. In casting a nativity they observed four signs:--the horoscope, or sign which arose at the time one was born; the mid-heaven; the sign opposite the horoscope towards the west; and the hypogee. monthly prognosticators--those who at each new moon profess to tell thereby what is about to happen.
From these things “What are the events” - For מאשר measher, read מה אשר mah asher, so the Septuagint, “what is to happen to thee.”
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| נִלְאֵ֖ית | nileit | you have become weary | H3811 → | 19 times |
| בְּרֹ֣ב | bero | with [the] abundance of | H7230 → | 149 times |
| עֲצָתָ֑יִךְ | ʾatzatayikh | counsels your | H6098 → | 89 times |
| יַעַמְדוּ־ | yaamdu- | let them stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| נָ֨א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| וְיוֹשִׁיעֻ֜ךְ | veyoshiukh | and let them deliver you | H3467 → | 206 times |
| הֹבְרֵ֣י | haveru | [those who] divide | H1895 → | |
| שָׁמַ֗יִם | shamayim | <of> [the] heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| הַֽחֹזִים֙ | hachozim | those [who] look | H2372 → | 55 times |
| בַּכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים | bakokhavim | on the stars | H3556 → | 37 times |
| מֽוֹדִיעִם֙ | modiim | [those who] make known | H3045 → | 945 times |
| לֶחֳדָשִׁ֔ים | lechodashim | to the new moons | H2320 → | 284 times |
| מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר | measher | from [the things] which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָבֹ֖אוּ | yavou | they will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עָלָֽיִךְ׃ | ʾalayikh | on you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
נִלְאֵ֖יתyou have become weary
nileitH3811 →19 times
בְּרֹ֣בwith [the] abundance of
beroH7230 →149 times
עֲצָתָ֑יִךְcounsels your
ʾatzatayikhH6098 →89 times
יַעַמְדוּ־let them stand
yaamdu-H5975 →521 times
נָ֨אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
וְיוֹשִׁיעֻ֜ךְand let them deliver you
veyoshiukhH3467 →206 times
הֹבְרֵ֣י[those who] divide
haveruH1895 →
שָׁמַ֗יִם<of> [the] heavens
shamayimH8064 →421 times
הַֽחֹזִים֙those [who] look
hachozimH2372 →55 times
בַּכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔יםon the stars
bakokhavimH3556 →37 times
מֽוֹדִיעִם֙[those who] make known
modiimH3045 →945 times
לֶחֳדָשִׁ֔יםto the new moons
lechodashimH2320 →284 times
מֵאֲשֶׁ֥רfrom [the things] which
measherH834 →5497 times
יָבֹ֖אוּthey will come
yavouH935 →2568 times
עָלָֽיִךְ׃on you
ʾalayikhH5921 →5755 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
Isaiah 44:25who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,
it leads to
- Psalms 33:10
The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.
- Job 5:12–14
He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.
- 2 Samuel 15:31
Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
- Jeremiah 50:36
A sword is against her false prophets, and they will become fools. A sword is against her warriors, and they will be filled with terror.
- Isaiah 47:12–14
So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!
- Psalms 33:10
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
- 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?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Habakkuk 2:13
Through
Ezekiel 24:12It has frustrated every effort; its thick rust has not been removed, even by the fire.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 5:3
O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 9:5
Each one betrays his friend; no one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they wear themselves out committing iniquity.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 5:3
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 19; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.