Isaiah 13:2
New International Version
Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.

New Living Translation
“Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop. Call up an army against Babylon. Wave your hand to encourage them as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty.

English Standard Version
On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles.

Berean Standard Bible
Raise a banner on a barren hilltop; call aloud to them. Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

King James Bible
Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

New King James Version
“Lift up a banner on the high mountain, Raise your voice to them; Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

New American Standard Bible
Lift up a flag on the bare hill, Raise your voice to them, Wave the hand that they may enter the doors of the nobles.

NASB 1995
Lift up a standard on the bare hill, Raise your voice to them, Wave the hand that they may enter the doors of the nobles.

NASB 1977
Lift up a standard on the bare hill, Raise your voice to them, Wave the hand that they may enter the doors of the nobles.

Legacy Standard Bible
Lift up a standard on the bare hill, Heighten your voice at them, Wave the hand that they may enter the doors of the nobles.

Amplified Bible
Lift up a signal banner on the bare mountain, Summon them [the Medes and Persians] with a loud voice, Wave the [beckoning] hand so that they may enter the doorways of the [Babylonian] nobles.

Christian Standard Bible
Lift up a banner on a barren mountain. Call out to them. Signal with your hand, and they will go through the gates of the nobles.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Lift up a banner on a barren mountain. Call out to them. Wave your hand, and they will go through the gates of the nobles.

American Standard Version
Set ye up an ensign upon the bare mountain, lift up the voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
On a mountain clearing take a standard, lift up to them a voice, beckon by the hand; the Rulers shall enter inside your gates

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Lift up a standard on the mountain of the plain, exalt the voice to them, beckon with the hand, open the gates, ye rulers.

Contemporary English Version
From high on a barren hill give a signal, shout the orders, and point the way to enter the gates of Babylon's proud rulers.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Upon the dark mountain lift ye up a banner, exalt the voice, lift up the hand, and let the rulers go into the gates.

English Revised Version
Set ye up an ensign upon the bare mountain, lift up the voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Raise a banner on the bare mountaintop. Call loudly to them. Signal them with your hand to enter the nobles' gates.

Good News Translation
On the top of a barren hill raise the battle flag! Shout to the soldiers and raise your arm as the signal for them to attack the gates of the proud city.

International Standard Version
"Raise a banner on a bare hilltop! Cry out loud to them! Give a wave of the hand, signaling for them to enter the gates of the nobles.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Set ye up an ensign upon the high mountain, Lift up the voice unto them, Wave the hand, that they may go Into the gates of the nobles.

Literal Standard Version
“Lift up an ensign on a high mountain, | Raise the voice to them, wave the hand, | And they go into the openings of nobles.

Majority Standard Bible
Raise a banner on a barren hilltop; call aloud to them. Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

New American Bible
Upon the bare mountains set up a signal; cry out to them, Beckon for them to enter the gates of the nobles.

NET Bible
On a bare hill raise a signal flag, shout to them, wave your hand, so they might enter the gates of the princes!

New Revised Standard Version
On a bare hill raise a signal, cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles.

New Heart English Bible
Set up a banner on the bare mountain. Lift up your voice to them. Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

Webster's Bible Translation
Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice to them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

World English Bible
Set up a banner on the bare mountain! Lift up your voice to them! Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

Young's Literal Translation
'On a high mountain lift ye up an ensign, Raise the voice to them, wave the hand, And they go in to the openings of nobles.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
An Oracle Concerning Babylon
1This is the burden against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz received: 2Raise a banner on a barren hilltop; call aloud to them. Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles. 3I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph.…

Cross References
Psalm 60:4
You have raised a banner for those who fear You, that they may flee the bow. Selah

Isaiah 5:26
He lifts a banner for the distant nations and whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Behold--how speedily and swiftly they come!

Isaiah 10:32
Yet today they will halt at Nob, shaking a fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.

Isaiah 19:16
In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble with fear beneath the uplifted hand of the LORD of Hosts, when He brandishes it against them.

Isaiah 31:9
Their rock will pass away for fear, and their princes will panic at the sight of the battle standard," declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 45:1
This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates will not be shut:

Jeremiah 50:2
"Announce and declare to the nations; lift up a banner and proclaim it; hold nothing back when you say, 'Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is shattered, her images are disgraced, her idols are broken in pieces.'


Treasury of Scripture

Lift you up a banner on the high mountain, exalt the voice to them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

lift ye up

Isaiah 5:26
And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

Isaiah 11:12
And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Isaiah 18:3
All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.

upon the high

Jeremiah 51:25
Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.

shake

Isaiah 10:32
As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

Isaiah 11:15
And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.

go into

Isaiah 45:1-3
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; …

Jeremiah 51:58
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.

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Aloud Banner Bare Beckon Clear Cry Directions Doors Ensign Enter Exalt Flag Gates Great Hand High Hill Lift Mountain Mountain-Top Nobles Ones Outcry Raise Shake Shout Signal Standard Voice Wave
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Aloud Banner Bare Beckon Clear Cry Directions Doors Ensign Enter Exalt Flag Gates Great Hand High Hill Lift Mountain Mountain-Top Nobles Ones Outcry Raise Shake Shout Signal Standard Voice Wave
Isaiah 13
1. God musters the armies of his wrath
6. He threatens to destroy Babylon by the Medes
19. The desolation of Babylon














(2) Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain . . .--Strictly speaking, a bare mountain. where there were no trees to hide the standard round which the forces that the prophet sees were to rally. The word and thought are the same as in Isaiah 5:26; but there the summons lies for the invaders of Israel, here for its avengers. The voice that summons is, as the next verse shows, that of Jehovah. The "shaking the hand" is, as in Isaiah 10:32, the act of the generals pointing with emphatic gesture to the city that is to be destroyed.

The gates of the nobles.--The word is used to heighten the contrast between the greatness of the city to be destroyed, with its gates that had witnessed for centuries the entrance of kings and princes, and the wild roughness of the barbarian destroyers.

Verse 2. - Lift ye up a banner; rather, a standard - "an ensign," as in Isaiah 5:26: 11:12. "Ensigns" were used both by the Assyrians and the Egyptians. "Banners," or flags, do not seem to have been employed in the ancient world. Upon the high mountain; rather, upon a bare mountain - one that was clear of trees, so that the signal might be the better seen from it. God's army having to be summoned against Babylon, the summons is made in three ways:

(1) by a signal or ensign lifted up on a high hill;

(2) by a loud call or shout; and

(3) by waving or beckoning with the hand. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Raise
שְֽׂאוּ־ (śə·’ū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

a banner
נֵ֔ס (nês)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5251: A flag, a sail, a flagstaff, a signal, a token

on
עַ֤ל (‘al)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

a barren
נִשְׁפֶּה֙ (niš·peh)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8192: To abrade, bare

hilltop;
הַר־ (har-)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

call aloud
הָרִ֥ימוּ (hā·rî·mū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7311: To be high actively, to rise, raise

to them.
לָהֶ֑ם (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

Wave
הָנִ֣יפוּ (hā·nî·p̄ū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 5130: To move to and fro, wave, sprinkle

your hand,
יָ֔ד (yāḏ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

that they may enter
וְיָבֹ֖אוּ (wə·yā·ḇō·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

the gates
פִּתְחֵ֥י (piṯ·ḥê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6607: An opening, door, entrance way

of the nobles.
נְדִיבִֽים׃ (nə·ḏî·ḇîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 5081: Voluntary, generous, magnanimous, a grandee


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 13:2 Set up a banner on the bare (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 13:1
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