Yesaya 39:1

Messengers from Babylon Visit Hezekiah

39:1 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been ill and had recovered.

Yesaya 47:1

Babylon Will Fall

47:1 “Fall down! Sit in the dirt,

O virgin ¹  daughter Babylon!

Sit on the ground, not on a throne,

O daughter of the Babylonians!

Indeed, ²  you will no longer be called delicate and pampered.

Yesaya 48:14

48:14 All of you, gather together and listen!

Who among them ³  announced these things?

The Lord’s ally ⁴  will carry out his desire against Babylon;

he will exert his power against the Babylonians. ⁵ 

Yesaya 48:20

48:20 Leave Babylon!

Flee from the Babylonians!

Announce it with a shout of joy!

Make this known!

Proclaim it throughout the earth! ⁶ 

Say, ‘The Lord protects ⁷  his servant Jacob.

[47:1]  ¹ tn בְּתוּלַה (bÿtulah) often refers to a virgin, but the phrase “virgin daughter” is apparently stylized (see also 23:12; 37:22). In the extended metaphor of this chapter, where Babylon is personified as a queen (vv. 5, 7), she is depicted as being both a wife and mother (vv. 8-9).

[47:1]  ² tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).

[48:14]  ³ sn This probably refers to the idol gods (see v. 5).

[48:14]  ⁴ tn Or “friend,” or “covenant partner.”

[48:14]  sn The Lord’s ally is a reference to Cyrus.

[48:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “and his arm [against] the Babylonians.”

[48:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[48:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.