Isaiah 47:13

13 You are worn out with all your consultations - so let the astrologers and stargazers, the monthly horoscope-makers, come forward now and save you from the things that will come upon you!

Isaiah 47:13 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 47:13

Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels
Taken of astrologers, diviners, and soothsayers; who were never able to give any satisfactory answers to questions put to them, or to give good advice in cases of emergency; as appears from Nebuchadnezzar's consultation with them about his dream; and Belshazzar's about the handwriting upon the wall, which was the very night that the city was taken, ( Daniel 2:2 Daniel 2:10 ) ( Daniel 5:7 Daniel 5:8 Daniel 5:30 ) : let now the astrologers;
or, "viewers of the heavens" ^F19; not that look upon them, and consider them as the work of God's hands, in order to glorify him; but that examine the face of the skies, and the position of the heavenly bodies, their conjunctions with, and aspects on each other, in order to foretell what shall be below: or, "the dividers of the heavens" ^F20, as it may be rendered, from the use of the word in the Arabic language; who divide the heavens into so many parts, or houses; who, as Kimchi ^F21, from the same use of the word, fix and determine things according to the stars; and who next are called "the stargazers"; that look at them, and, according to their position, conjunction, aspect, and influence, judge what will come to pass among men. So Cicero observes ^F23, that the Chaldeans, by long observation of the stars, were thought to have formed a science, whereby they could foretell what should happen to everyone, and what fate he was born to: the monthly prognosticators;
or "that make known months", or "for the months" ^F24; what shall be in every month; what weather it will be, and what things shall happen; such as our almanac makers. Let these now all meet together, and stand up and save thee from those things that shall come upon thee;
which they were never able to do; for if they could not foretell these things by their art, it could not be thought they could give any directions how to escape them, or put upon any methods that would secure from them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (Mymv yrbwh) "speculantes coelos", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version; "contemplatores coelorum", Vitringa.
F20 <arabic> "resecuit, amputavit", Golius, Castel.
F21 Sepher Shorash. rad. (rbh)
F23 De Divinatione, l. 1. c. 1.
F24 (Myvdxl Myeydwm) "cognoscere faciunt menses", Pagninus; "facientes", Montanus; "qui notas faciunt in menses", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; i.e. "praedictiones suas notificantes in menses", Cocceius; "indicantes novilunia", Vitringa.

Isaiah 47:13 In-Context

11 Yet disaster will befall you, and you won't know how to charm it away; calamity will come upon you, and you won't be able to turn it aside; ruin will overcome you, suddenly, before you know it.

12 So for now, keep on with your powerful spells and your many occult practices; from childhood you have been working at them; maybe they will do you some good, maybe you will inspire terror!

13 You are worn out with all your consultations - so let the astrologers and stargazers, the monthly horoscope-makers, come forward now and save you from the things that will come upon you!

14 Look, they will be like straw! The fire will consume them. They will not save even themselves from the power of the flame. It will not be coals for warming oneself, not a fire to sit beside!

15 So much for your [wizards], with whom you have worked all your life! Each will wander off in his own direction, and nobody will save you.