Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.

ISAIAH 47:11KJV
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Isaiah 47:11 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 47:11 mean?

Isaiah 47:11 warns that disaster will come upon Babylon unexpectedly, and they will not be able to avoid or stop it. The verse emphasizes that trouble, ruin, and destruction will strike suddenly, leaving them unprepared and unable to defend themselves.

In this verse, the prophet Isaiah is speaking God's message to Babylon, a powerful nation known for its pride and sense of security. The warning is that Babylon's confidence and reliance on its own wisdom will not protect it from the coming judgment. The language highlights how complete and surprising this downfall will be, showing that no human effort will be able to prevent what God has decided.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 47:11

  • "evil" (רָע, raʿ): This word often means calamity or disaster, not just moral evil. Here, it points to a coming catastrophe rather than simply wickedness.
  • "desolation" (שֹׁאָה, shōʾāh): This term means devastation or ruin, painting a picture of total destruction rather than just hardship.
  • "suddenly" (פִּתְאֹם, pitʾom): This word stresses the unexpected nature of the disaster, showing that it will come without warning and catch Babylon off guard.
  • "know" (יָדַע, yadaʿ): The repetition of this word underlines that Babylon will not recognize or anticipate the source or timing of the disaster, highlighting their blindness to what is coming.

Why Isaiah 47:11 matters

  • This verse corrects the idea that powerful nations or people can always foresee or prevent their own downfall; it shows that God's judgment can come in ways no one expects.
  • The verse emphasizes the limits of human wisdom and planning when faced with God's decisions, a key theme in Isaiah's message to Babylon.
  • Isaiah 47:11 connects to the wider passage by showing the reversal of Babylon's fortunes, warning that pride and self-reliance are no protection against divine judgment.

Where else these words appear

“mischief” Hebrew H1943 · used in 2 verses

  • Ezekiel 7:26 Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.

“desolation” Hebrew H7722 · used in 12 verses

  • Job 30:3 For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.
  • Psalms 35:8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
  • Proverbs 3:25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

“riseth” Hebrew H7837 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 19:15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
  • Job 3:9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:
  • Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

“suddenly” Hebrew H6597 · used in 25 verses

  • Numbers 6:9 And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
  • Psalms 64:4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
  • Isaiah 30:13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.