Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

ISAIAH 47:13KJV
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Isaiah 47:13 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 47:13 mean?

Isaiah 47:13 describes how Babylon has exhausted itself by seeking advice from many sources, especially from astrologers and those who claim to predict the future, but none of these advisers can save Babylon from the disaster that is coming. The verse highlights the futility of relying on such practices for deliverance.

In this verse, the prophet Isaiah is speaking God’s message to Babylon, a powerful nation known for its pride and reliance on occult practices. The verse mocks Babylon’s dependence on astrologers and fortune-tellers, challenging them to try to save the nation from the judgment that God is about to bring. The tone is both ironic and dismissive, underlining that human wisdom and magical arts are powerless against God’s plans.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 47:13

  • "Wearied" (לָאָה, lāʾāh, H3811) means to be tired or exhausted. Here, it emphasizes how Babylon has worn itself out seeking advice and guidance from many sources, showing desperation and futility.
  • "Astrologers" (חָבַר שָּׁמַיִם, ḥābar shamayim, H1895, H8064) literally means "dividers of the heavens." This phrase refers to those who study the stars to predict events, highlighting Babylon’s trust in astrology.
  • "Stargazers" (הָרֹאִים בַּכּוֹכָבִים, haro’im bakkokhavim, H2374, H3556) means "those who look at the stars." This points to people who try to read the future by observing the stars, a common practice in Babylon.
  • "Monthly prognosticators" (מוֹדִיעִים לַחֳדָשִׁים, modia’im lakhodashim, H2320, H3045) refers to those who announce or predict what will happen each month, likely based on lunar cycles. This detail shows how Babylon sought guidance for every new month, relying on regular predictions.

Why Isaiah 47:13 matters

  • Isaiah 47:13 clears up the idea that spiritual insight or safety can be found in astrology or fortune-telling, showing that these practices are powerless in the face of true judgment.
  • The verse emphasizes Babylon’s desperation and the emptiness of its many counselors, setting up a contrast between human schemes and God’s authority.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by building up to Babylon’s downfall, showing that none of its traditional sources of wisdom or power can prevent what God has decreed.

Where else these words appear

“wearied” Hebrew H3811 · used in 18 verses

  • Genesis 19:11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
  • Psalms 68:9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
  • Jeremiah 9:5 And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

“stargazers” Hebrew H2374 · used in 22 verses

  • 2 Samuel 24:11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
  • 2 Chronicles 19:2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.
  • Isaiah 29:10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.

“stargazers” Hebrew H3556 · used in 37 verses

  • Genesis 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
  • 1 Chronicles 27:23 But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.
  • Ecclesiastes 12:2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

“counsels” Hebrew H6098 · used in 85 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:28 For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.
  • Job 21:16 Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
  • Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;