Isaiah 47:13

13 You are wearied with your many consultations; let those who study the heavens stand up and save you, those who gaze at the stars, and at each new moon predict what shall befall 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 But evil shall come upon you, which you cannot charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, which you will not be able to ward off; and ruin shall come on you suddenly, of which you know nothing.

12 Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed, perhaps you may inspire terror.

13 You are wearied with your many consultations; let those who study the heavens stand up and save you, those who gaze at the stars, and at each new moon predict what shall befall you.

14 See, they are like stubble, the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. No coal for warming oneself is this, no fire to sit before!

15 Such to you are those with whom you have labored, who have trafficked with you from your youth; they all wander about in their own paths; there is no one to save you.

Footnotes

• [a]. Meaning of Heb uncertain
• [b]. Gk Syr Compare Vg: Heb [from what]