Isaiah 13 · Verse 17

Isaiah 13:17

Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
Isaiah 13:17, King James Version

Isaiah 13:17 in other translations

BSBBehold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold.
WEBBehold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.
ASVBehold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not regard silver, and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
YLTLo, I am stirring up against them the Medes, Who silver esteem not, And gold--they delight not in it.
DARBYBehold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who do not regard silver, and as for gold, they have no delight in it.
BBESee, I am driving the Medes against them, who put no value on silver and have no pleasure in gold.
WebsterBehold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

What does Isaiah 13:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. Medes--(Is 21:2; Jr 51:11, 28). At that time they were subject to Assyria; subsequently Arbaces, satrap of Media, revolted against the effeminate Sardanapalus, king of Assyria, destroyed Nineveh, and became king of Media, in the ninth century B.C. not regard silver--In vain will one try to buy his life from them for a ransom. The heathen Xenophon (Cyropædia, 5,1,10) represents Cyrus as attributing this characteristic to the Medes, disregard of riches. A curious confirmation of this prophecy.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 Which shall not regard silver "Who shall hold silver of no account" - That is, who shall not be induced, by large offers of gold and silver for ransom, to spare the lives of those whom they have subdued in battle; their rage and cruelty will get the better of all such motives. We have many examples in the Iliad and in the Aeneid of addresses of the vanquished to the pity and avarice of the vanquishers, to induce them to spare their lives. Est domus alta: jacent penitus defossa talenta Caelati argenti: sunt auri ponders facti Infectique mihi: non hic victoria Teucrum Vertitur; aut anima una dalbit discrimina tanta. Dixerat: Aeneas contra cui talia reddit: Argenti atque auri memoras quae multa talenta Gnatis parce tuis. Aen. 10:526. "High in my dome are silver talents rolled, With piles of labored and unlaboured gold. These, to procure my ransom, I resign; The war depends not on a life like mine: One, one poor life can no such difference yield, Nor turn the mighty balance of the field. Thy talents, (cried the prince), thy treasured store Keep for thy sons." Pitt. It is remarkable that Xenophon makes Cyrus open a speech to his army, and in particular to the Medes, who made the principal part of it, with praising them for their disregard of riches. Ανδρες Μηδοι, και παντες οἱ παροντες, εγω ὑμας οιδα σαφως, ὁτι ουτε χρηματων δεομενοι συν εμοι εξελθετε· "Ye Medes, and others who now hear me, I well know that you have not accompanied me in this expedition with a view of acquiring wealth." - Cyrop. lib. v.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 13:6-18

We have here the terrible desolation of Babylon by the Medes and Persians. Those who in the day of their peace were proud, and haughty, and terrible, are quite dispirited when trouble comes. Their faces shall be scorched with the flame. All comfort and hope shall fail. The stars of heaven shall not give their light, the sun shall be darkened. Such expressions are often employed by the prophets, to describe the…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 13:6-18 →

Isaiah 13:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הִנְנִ֛יhi.Nihere IH2005
מֵעִ֥ירme.'Ir[am] about to rouseH5782
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם'a.lei.Hemon themH5921
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מָדָ֑יma.DaiMediaH4074
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whoH834
כֶּ֙סֶף֙ke.sefsilverH3701
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יַחְשֹׁ֔בוּyach.Shouthey valueH2803
וְזָהָ֖בve.za.Havand goldH2091
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
יַחְפְּצוּ\־yach.pe.tzu-they delightH2654
בֽוֹ\׃voin it

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 13:17

  • Daniel 5:28-31

    PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

  • Jeremiah 51:11

    Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the Lord hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance of his temple.

  • Jeremiah 50:9

    For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain.

  • Isaiah 41:25

    I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.

  • Jeremiah 51:27-28

    Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers. Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion.

  • Isaiah 13:3-5

    I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

  • Proverbs 6:34-35

    For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

  • Isaiah 21:2

    A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I will.
3-5; 21:2; 41:25; Jer 50:9; 51:11,27,28; Da 5:28-31
shall not regard.
Pr 6:34,35

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 13:16

    Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

  • Isaiah 13:17

    Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

  • Isaiah 13:18

    Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.

Read all of Isaiah 13

Isaiah 13:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		He aquí que yo despierto contra ellos á los Medos, que no curarán de la plata, ni codiciarán oro.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Voici, je réveille contre eux les Mèdes, qui n’estiment pas l’argent, et, quant à l’or, n’y prennent pas de plaisir.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Siehe, ich erwecke wider sie die Meder, welche Silber nicht achten und an Gold kein Gefallen haben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ecce ego suscitabo super eos Medos, qui argentum non quærant, nec aurum velint;