Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.

ISAIAH 47:1KJV
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Isaiah 47:1 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 47:1 mean?

Isaiah 47:1 describes a command for Babylon, pictured as a proud and untouched young woman, to come down from her throne and sit in the dust, losing her royal status and comfort. The verse announces that Babylon will no longer be called tender or delicate, signaling a dramatic fall from luxury and power.

The prophet Isaiah is speaking God's message to Babylon, using the image of a "virgin daughter" to highlight how untouched and secure Babylon once seemed. The call to "sit in the dust" and "on the ground" instead of a throne shows a reversal of fortune, as Babylon (also called the daughter of the Chaldeans) faces humiliation and loss of status. This verse sets the stage for a prophecy about Babylon's coming judgment and downfall.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 47:1

  • "Virgin" (בְּתוּלָה, bĕtulah): This word means an unmarried young woman, often implying purity or untouched status. Here, it emphasizes Babylon's former sense of security and pride, as if nothing bad could happen to her.
  • "Sit" (יָשַׁב, yashav): Used twice, this word means to dwell or remain. The shift from sitting on a throne to sitting in the dust or on the ground highlights Babylon's loss of authority and dignity.
  • "Dust" (עָפָר, afar): Sitting in the dust is a sign of mourning, humiliation, or defeat in the ancient world, underlining how low Babylon will be brought.
  • "Tender" (רַךְ, rakh) and "Delicate" (עָנֹג, anog): These words describe softness, luxury, and pampered living. The verse declares that Babylon will lose this reputation completely.

Why Isaiah 47:1 matters

  • Isaiah 47:1 clears up that Babylon's fall is not just military defeat but a total reversal of her identity, from pampered royalty to humbled captive.
  • The verse uses vivid imagery to connect Babylon's fate to the wider theme of God's judgment on proud nations in Isaiah's prophecies.
  • Understanding the original words for "virgin," "dust," and "delicate" helps readers see how the verse stresses both Babylon's former glory and the depth of her coming humiliation.

Where else these words appear

“delicate” Hebrew H6028 · used in 3 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:54 So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave:
  • Deuteronomy 28:56 The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,

“tender” Hebrew H7390 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 18:7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
  • Deuteronomy 28:56 The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,
  • Job 41:3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?

“virgin” Hebrew H1330 · used in 50 verses

  • Genesis 24:16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
  • Esther 2:2 Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
  • Jeremiah 31:13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

“Chaldeans” Hebrew H3778 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 11:28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
  • Jeremiah 32:5 And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the LORD: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper.
  • Jeremiah 50:1 The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.