And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

ISAIAH 13:8KJV
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Isaiah 13:8 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 13:8 mean?

Isaiah 13:8 describes people being struck with intense fear and pain, comparing their distress to the agony of a woman in labor. The verse paints a vivid picture of shock and terror, with people looking at each other in astonishment and their faces burning with fear or anguish.

In this passage, the prophet Isaiah is speaking about the coming judgment on Babylon. He uses strong imagery to show how overwhelming and unavoidable the terror will be for those experiencing it. The comparison to childbirth highlights how sudden, intense, and inescapable their suffering will feel.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 13:8

  • "afraid" (בָּהַל, bahal): This word often means to be terrified or thrown into sudden panic. The verse emphasizes not just worry, but a deep, overwhelming fear.
  • "pangs" (צִיר, tsir) and "sorrows" (חֶבֶל, chevel): Both words are used for the pains of childbirth, underlining the severity and inevitability of the distress.
  • "pain" (חול, chul) and "travaileth" (יָלַד, yalad): These words reinforce the labor imagery, focusing on suffering that is both physical and emotional.
  • "faces" (פָּנִים, panim) "as flames" (לֶהָבָה, lehabah): This phrase suggests faces flushed or burning with fear, possibly even pale or glowing from shock, capturing the visible impact of terror.

Why Isaiah 13:8 matters

  • Isaiah 13:8 clarifies that the judgment described is not just physical destruction but also deep emotional and psychological distress.
  • The verse’s labor imagery connects to other prophetic writings, where sudden and unstoppable pain signals the arrival of a decisive event.
  • Understanding the intensity of fear and amazement described here helps readers grasp the seriousness of the warning Isaiah is giving to Babylon and, by extension, to any nation facing divine judgment.

Where else these words appear

“amazed” Hebrew H8539 · used in 8 verses

  • Genesis 43:33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.
  • Psalms 48:5 They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.
  • Isaiah 29:9 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

“flames” Hebrew H3851 · used in 10 verses

  • Judges 3:22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
  • Job 41:21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
  • Isaiah 66:15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

“pangs” Hebrew H6735 · used in 11 verses

  • 1 Samuel 4:19 And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.
  • Proverbs 26:14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.
  • Isaiah 57:9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.

“afraid” Hebrew H926 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 45:3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
  • Job 4:5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
  • Psalms 90:7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.