Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

ISAIAH 13:17KJV
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Isaiah 13:17 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 13:17 mean?

Isaiah 13:17 announces that God will bring the Medes against Babylon. The attackers will not be interested in accepting silver or gold, so Babylon’s wealth will not persuade them to turn away.

God speaks in the first person: “I will stir up.” The Medes were a people from the region east of Babylon. After the frightening account of attack in verse 16, Isaiah names the people who will carry out the assault.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 13:17

  • “stir up” — עוּר (ʿur): The word can mean to awaken or rouse. Here the image presents God as arousing the Medes to action.
  • “regard” — חָשַׁב (ḥashav): The word can carry the sense of considering or valuing something. Its use here emphasizes the attackers’ indifference to silver.

Why Isaiah 13:17 matters

  • The target of the attack is Babylon, not the Medes. The words “against them” refer back to the people facing judgment in the announcement against Babylon that begins in Isaiah 13:1.
  • The mention of both precious metals makes the danger clear: riches offer no bargaining power. The verse says the attackers will neither “regard silver” nor “delight in” gold.
  • The Medes’ lack of interest in treasure sets up the severity of the attack described in verse 18. That verse portrays them as showing no pity on the young.

Where else these words appear

“Medes” Hebrew H4074 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 10:2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
  • Esther 1:14 And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king's face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)
  • Jeremiah 25:25 And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes,

“up” Hebrew H5782 · used in 65 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
  • Psalms 73:20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
  • Isaiah 52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

“delight” Hebrew H2654 · used in 71 verses

  • Genesis 34:19 And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father.
  • Job 13:3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
  • Ecclesiastes 8:3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

“regard” Hebrew H2803 · used in 122 verses

  • Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
  • 2 Chronicles 9:20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
  • Proverbs 27:14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.