Isaiah 13 · Verse 4

Isaiah 13:4

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.
Isaiah 13:4, King James Version

Isaiah 13:4 in other translations

BSBListen, a tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations gathered together! The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing an army for war.
WEBThe noise of a multitude is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! The LORD of Armies is mustering the army for the battle.
ASVThe noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! the noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts is mustering the host for the battle.
YLTA voice of a multitude in the mountains, A likeness of a numerous people, A voice of noise from the kingdoms of nations who are gathered, Jehovah of Hosts inspecting a host of battle!
DARBYThe noise of a multitude on the mountains, as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations assembled together: Jehovah of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.
BBEThe noise of great numbers in the mountains, like the noise of a strong people! The noise of the kingdoms of the nations meeting together! The Lord of armies is numbering his forces for war.
WebsterThe noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations assembled: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.

What does Isaiah 13:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. the mountains--namely, which separate Media and Assyria, and on one of which the banner to rally the hosts is supposed to be reared. tumultuous noise--The Babylonians are vividly depicted as hearing some unwonted sound like the din of a host; they try to distinguish the sounds, but can only perceive a tumultuous noise. nations--Medes, Persians, and Armenians composed Cyrus' army.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Of the battle "For the battle" - The Bodleian MS. has למלחמה lemilchamah. Cyrus's army was made up of many different nations. Jeremiah calls it an "assembly of great nations from the north country," Jer 50:9. And afterwards mentions the kingdoms of "Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz, (i.e. Armenia, Corduene, Pontus or Phrygia, Vitring.), with the kings of the Medes," Jer 51:27, Jer 51:28. See Xenophon. Cyrop.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 13:1-5

The armies of God's wrath. (Is. 13:1-5) The conquest of Babylon. (Is. 13:6-18) Its final desolation. (Is. 13:19-22) Verses 1-5 The threatenings of God's word press heavily upon the wicked, and are a sore burden, too heavy for them to bear. The persons brought together to lay Babylon waste, are called God's sanctified or appointed ones; designed for this service, and made able to do it. They are called God's mighty…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 13:1-5 →

Isaiah 13:4 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.

ק֥וֹלKol[the] sound ofH6963
הָמ֛וֹןha.Mona tumultH1995
בֶּֽהָרִ֖יםbe.ha.Rim[is] on the mountainsH2022
דְּמ֣וּתde.Mut[the] likeness ofH1823
עַם\־'am-a peopleH5971
רָ֑בRavnumerousH7227
ק֠וֹלKol[the] sound ofH6963
שְׁא֞וֹןshe.'onan uproar ofH7588
מַמְלְכ֤וֹתmam.le.Khotkingdoms ofH4467
גּוֹיִם֙go.YimnationsH1471
נֶֽאֱסָפִ֔יםne.'e.sa.FimgatheringH622
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
צְבָא֔וֹתtze.va.'otof hostsH6635
מְפַקֵּ֖דme.fa.Ked[is] musteringH6485
צְבָ֥אtze.Va'an army ofH6635
מִלְחָמָֽה\׃mil.cha.MahbattleH4421

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

Cross references for Isaiah 13:4

  • Joel 3:14

    Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

  • Joel 2:25

    And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

  • Ezekiel 38:3-23

    And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. …

  • Revelation 19:11-21

    And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. …

  • Joel 2:1-11

    Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. …

  • Revelation 9:7-19

    And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. …

  • Isaiah 10:5-6

    O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

  • Zechariah 14:13-14

    And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour. And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.

  • Isaiah 45:1-2

    Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

  • Revelation 18:8

    Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

  • Zechariah 14:1-3

    Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

  • Isaiah 22:1-9

    The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops? Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle. All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far. Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
noise.
22:1-9; Jer 50:2,3,21-46; 51:11,27,28; Eze 38:3-23; Joe 3:14
Zec 14:1-3,13,14; Re 19:11-21
like as. Heb. the likeness of.
Joe 2:4-11; Re 9:7-19
the Lord.
10:5,6; 45:1,2; Jer 50:14,15; 51:6-25; Joe 2:1-11,25; Re 18:8

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

Context

  • Isaiah 13:3

    I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.

  • Isaiah 13:4

    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.

  • Isaiah 13:5

    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.

Read all of Isaiah 13

Isaiah 13:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Murmullo de multitud en los montes, como de mucho pueblo; murmullo de ruido de reinos, de gentes reunidas: Jehová de los ejércitos ordena las tropas de la batalla.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
La voix d’une multitude sur les montagnes, semblable à un grand peuple, la voix d’un tumulte des royaumes des nations rassemblées…: l’ Éternel des armées fait la revue de la milice de guerre.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Horch! ein Getümmel auf den Bergen, wie von einem großen Volke; horch! ein Getöse von Königreichen versammelter Nationen: Jehova der Heerscharen mustert ein Kriegsheer,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Vox multitudinis in montibus, quasi populorum frequentium; vox sonitus regum, gentium congregatarum. Dominus exercituum præcepit militiæ belli,