It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.

ISAIAH 13:20KJV
Know the Bible

Isaiah 13:20 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 13:20 mean?

Isaiah 13:20 says that the place being described will never again have people living in it, not even for a short time or across generations. Even nomads and shepherds, who usually live in temporary shelters and move around, will not stay or set up camp there.

The prophet Isaiah is speaking about Babylon, warning that its destruction will be so complete that no one—neither settled people nor wandering groups—will live there anymore. This verse is part of a larger prophecy where Isaiah announces God’s judgment on Babylon, showing that the city’s fall will be total and irreversible.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 13:20

  • "never" (נֵצַח, nêtsach): This word often means "forever" or "perpetually," emphasizing that the desolation is not temporary but will last for all time.
  • "Arabian" (עֲרָבִי, ʿaravi): This refers to nomadic peoples who lived in tents and traveled through the region. Mentioning them highlights that even those who usually dwell in remote or harsh places will avoid this area.
  • "tent" (אֹהֶל, ohel): The word for "tent" points to the temporary shelters used by nomads. The verse stresses that not even these short-term dwellers will stay there.
  • "shepherds" (רָעָה, raʿah) and "fold" (רָבַץ, ravats): "Shepherds" are those who tend flocks, and "fold" refers to a place where animals rest. The prophecy says that even shepherds, who often use deserted places for their animals, will not use this land.

Why Isaiah 13:20 matters

  • Isaiah 13:20 clarifies that the destruction of Babylon is not just about losing its city life but about a complete and lasting emptiness, even for those who usually live in the most desolate places.
  • The verse uses specific groups—nomads and shepherds—to show that the land’s ruin is absolute, not just for city dwellers but for anyone.
  • This detail connects to the broader prophecy in Isaiah 13, where the focus is on the certainty and totality of Babylon’s downfall, making the warning more vivid and memorable.

Where else these words appear

“tent” Hebrew H167 · used in 3 verses

  • Genesis 13:12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
  • Genesis 13:18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

“Arabian” Hebrew H6163 · used in 9 verses

  • 2 Chronicles 17:11 Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and tribute silver; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he goats.
  • 2 Chronicles 22:1 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead: for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.
  • Nehemiah 4:7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

“fold” Hebrew H7257 · used in 30 verses

  • Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
  • Deuteronomy 33:13 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,
  • Isaiah 27:10 Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.

“never” Hebrew H5331 · used in 42 verses

  • 1 Samuel 15:29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
  • Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
  • Proverbs 21:28 A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.