Isaiah 47:15
in Isaiah 47This is what they are to you—those with whom you have labored and traded from youth—each one strays in his own direction; not one of them can save you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thus shall the things be unto thee wherein thou hast labored: they that have trafficked with thee from thy youth shall wander every one to his quarter; there shall be none to save thee.
KJV
Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.
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This verse in Isaiah 47
Commentary
14 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
With whom thou hast labored - The multitude of diviners, astrologers, and merchants, with whom thou hast been connected and employed. The idea is, that Babylon had been the mart where all of them had been assembled. Even thy merchants from thy youth - Babylon was favorably situated for traffic; and was distinguished for it. Foreigners and strangers had resorted there, and it was filled with those who had come there for purposes of trade.
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
each one strays in his own direction
Barnes takes those with whom she labored and traded to be the diviners and merchants gathered at Babylon from her youth, a mart for foreigners. Henry sees them again in Revelation 18, standing far off to lament. Each goes his own way and leaves her to fall.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
In the other nations likewise, there are people who choose an iniquitous law, he says, but not all embrace this mode of conduct. For your part, you studied iniquity and you practiced the extreme of impiety as if it were the height of piety; therefore …
(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.
It is known from the writing of Daniel in what manner certain wizards and diviners and potion makers were eminent among those Chaldeans living in Babylon. And they were highly regarded by the king since the kingdom was ordered by them. They did not only dabble with potions and incantations, but through the knowledge of mathematical theorems they thought to understand the heavens, predicting the movement of the stars, their effects on human destiny and their power on the present according to the season, so as to learn to distinguish the things to come. But no mighty person is able to know the future from pondering on these things. Rather, the reward of fire will be received by those who pay too much attention to them.
For I know a cleansing fire that Christ came to send on the earth, and he himself is anagogically called a fire. This Fire takes away whatever is material and of evil habit. This [Christ] desires to kindle with all speed, for he longs for speed in doing us good, since he gives us even coals of fire to help us.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, he excludes hope from their merchants: merchants, in which they also abounded; or wise men (magi), who sold them lies for truth, above: every one shall be amazed at his neighbor, their countenances shall be as faces burnt (Isa 13:8).
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The New-Testament Babylon is lamented by the merchants that were made rich by her, but they very prudently stand afar off to lament her ( Rev. xviii. 15 ), not willing to attempt any thing for her succour. Happy are those who by faith and prayer deal with one that will be a very present help in time of trouble!
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
They - Merchants who came from several countries to trade with Babylon. And the verse may be thus rendered; Thus (vain and unprofitable) shall they (thy sorcerers) with whom thou hast laboured be unto thee: (So here is only a transposition of words, than which nothing is more usual in scripture.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Thus, &c.--Such shall be the fate of those astrologers who cost thee such an amount of trouble and money. thy merchants, from thy youth--that is, with whom thou hast trafficked from thy earliest history, the foreigners sojourning in Babylon for the sake of commerce (Isa 13:14;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
To his quarter “To his own business” - לעברו leebro. Expositors give no very good account of this word in this place. In a MS. it was at first לעבדו leabdo, to his servant or work, which is probably the true reading. The sense however is pretty much the same with the common interpretation: “Every one shall turn aside to his own business; none shall deliver thee.”
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כֵּ֥ן | ken | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| הָיוּ־ | hayu- | they have become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָ֖ךְ | lakh | for you | ||
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | [those] whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָגָ֑עַתְּ | yagaat | you have labored | H3021 → | 26 times |
| סֹחֲרַ֣יִךְ | socharayikh | traders your | H5503 → | 21 times |
| מִנְּעוּרַ֗יִךְ | mineurayikh | since youth<s> your | H5271 → | 47 times |
| אִ֤ישׁ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לְעֶבְרוֹ֙ | leevro | to side his | H5676 → | 90 times |
| תָּע֔וּ | tau | they have wandered | H8582 → | 50 times |
| אֵ֖ין | ʾein | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| מוֹשִׁיעֵֽךְ׃ ס | moshiekh | [is] a deliverer for you | H3467 → | 206 times |
כֵּ֥ןthus
kenH3651 →771 times
הָיוּ־they have become
hayu-H1961 →3559 times
לָ֖ךְfor you
lakh
אֲשֶׁ֣ר[those] whom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יָגָ֑עַתְּyou have labored
yagaatH3021 →26 times
סֹחֲרַ֣יִךְtraders your
socharayikhH5503 →21 times
מִנְּעוּרַ֗יִךְsince youth<s> your
mineurayikhH5271 →47 times
אִ֤ישׁeveryone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
לְעֶבְרוֹ֙to side his
leevroH5676 →90 times
תָּע֔וּthey have wandered
tauH8582 →50 times
אֵ֖יןthere not
ʾeinH369 →789 times
מוֹשִׁיעֵֽךְ׃ ס[is] a deliverer for you
moshiekhH3467 →206 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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 56:11Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain:
it leads to
- Ezekiel 34:2–3
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who only feed themselves! Should not the…
- Ezekiel 13:19
You have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to My people who would listen, you have killed those who should not have died and spared…
- John 8:43
Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
- Micah 3:11
Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster…
- Zechariah 11:15–17
And the LORD said to me: “Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
- Ezekiel 34:2–3
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 12 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); Eusebius of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 2:32; Gregory of Nazianzus, ON HOLY BAPTISM, ORATION 40:36; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 14:47.15 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.