Isaiah 13:15

Isa 13:15 Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined [unto them] shall fall by the sword.

Ver. 15. Every one that is found shall be thrust through.] This maketh them flee for it. Quis enim vult mori? prorsus nemo. Life is sweet, and men will rather flee than die.

Every one that is joined unto them.] Or, That is decrepid, worn out with old age. See 2Ch 36:17.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

found--in the city.

joined--"intercepted" [MAURER]. "Every one that has withdrawn himself," namely, to hide in the houses [GESENIUS].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 15. Every one that is found - "Every one that is overtaken"] That is, none shall escape from the slaughter; neither they who flee singly, dispersed and in confusion; nor they who endeavour to make their retreat in a more regular manner, by forming compact bodies: they shall all be equally cut off by the sword of the enemy. The Septuagint have understood it in this sense, which they have well expressed: -

Ὁς γαρ αν ἁλῳ ἡττηθησεται,

Και οἱτινες συνηγμενοι εισι πεσουνται μαχαιρα.

"Whosoever is caught shall be overthrown,

And all that are collected together shall fall by the sword."

Where, for ηττηθησεται, MS. Pachom has εκκενθησεται, et οιγ Cod. Marchal. in margine, et MS. I. D. II. εκκεντηθησεται, which seems to be right, being properly expressive of the Hebrew.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(15) Every one that is joined unto them.—Better, every one that is caught. The first clause of the verse refers to those that are in the city at the time of its capture, the second to those who are taken as they endeavour to escape.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. Every one that is found] Chiefly the natives of Babylon, who had no land to flee to. The phrase ‘every one that is joined unto them’ is better translated, every one that is caught.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Every one that is found shall be thrust through,.... With a sword, spear, or lance, and be slain; that is, everyone that is found in the city of Babylon; and so the Targum adds,

"and everyone that is found in it shall be slain;''

so Kimchi, in the midst of it, or without; in the street, as Jarchi. The orders of Cyrus (h) were, that those that were found without (in the streets) should be slain; and to proclaim in the Syriac language, that those that were within doors should continue there, but, if they were found without, they should be put to death; which orders were executed, and well agrees with this prophecy:

and everyone that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword; or "added" unto them; any of other nations that joined them as auxiliaries, see Rev 18:4 or "that is gathered"; so the Septuagint, "they that are gathered"; that are gathered together in a body to resist the enemy, and defend themselves. Some render the word, "every one that is consumed", with age; neither old nor young, as follows, should be spared. The Targum is,

"everyone that enters into the fortified cities,''

flees there for safety and protection.

(h) Xenophon. Cyropaedia, l. 7. sect. 23.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Every one that is found - In Babylon, or that is overtaken in fleeing from it. This is a description of the capture of the city, and of the slaughter that would ensue, when the invaders would spare neither age nor sex.

Every one that is joined unto them - Their allies and friends. There shall be a vast, indiscriminate slaughter of all that are found in the city, and of those that attempt to flee from it. Lowth renders this, ‘And all that are collected in a body;’ but the true sense is given in our translation. The Chaldee renders it, ‘And every one who enters into fortified cities shall be slain with the sword.’

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

That is found in Babylon, at the taking of it; the expectation whereof made them flee away with all speed.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Every one that is found... every one that is joined unto them; i.e. all the population, both native and foreign.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Found - In Babylon, at the taking of it.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

"Every one that is found is pierced through, and every one that is caught falls by the sword." By "every one that is found," we understand those that are taken in the city by the invading conquerors; and by "every one that is caught," those that are overtaken in their flight (sâphâh, abripere, Isa 7:20). All are put to the sword. - The third and fourth disasters are plunder and ravage. Isa 13:16 "And their infants are dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses plundered, and their wives ravished." Instead of tisshâgalnâh, the keri has the euphemistic term tisshâcabnâh (concubitum patientur), a passive which never occurs in the Old Testament text itself. The keri readings shuccabt in Jer 3:2, and yishcâbennâh in Deu 28:30, also do violence to the language, which required עם שכב and את (the latter as a preposition in Gen 19:34) for the sake of euphemism; or rather they introduce a later (talmudic) usage of speech into the Scriptures (see Geiger, Urschrift, pp. 407-8). The prophet himself intentionally selects the base term shâgal, though, as the queen's name Shegal shows, it must have been regarded in northern Palestine and Aramaean as by no means a disreputable word. In this and other passages of the prophecy Knobel scents a fanaticism which is altogether strange to Isaiah.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

The flight of the strangers from Babylon is not without reason, for every one found (there) shall be stabbed (or thrust through), and every one joined (or joining himself to the Babylonians) shall fall by the sword. All interpreters agree that a general massacre is here described, although they differ as to the precise sense and connection of the clauses.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Every one who is found will be killed ... every one who is captured will die by the sword

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. This can be stated in active form. AT: "The enemy will kill with the sword everyone they find" (See: Parallelism and Active or Passive)

Their infants also will be dashed in pieces

This can be stated in active form. AT: "The enemy will also dash their infants to pieces" or "The enemy will beat their infants until they die" (See: Active or Passive)

before their eyes

Here the people are represented by their "eyes" to emphasize what they see. It can be stated clearly that the parents are unable to help their infants. AT: "in front of them" or "while their parents helplessly watch" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information and Synecdoche)

Their houses will be plundered

This means that everything valuable will be stolen from their houses. This can be stated in active form. AT: "The enemy will plunder the people's houses" or "The enemy will steal everything valuable from the people's houses" (See: Active or Passive)

their wives raped

This means that the enemies will attack the women and force them to have sex with them. The words "will be" are understood. This can also be expressed with an active form. AT: "their wives will be raped" or "their enemies will rape their wives" (See: Ellipsis and Active or Passive)

translationWords

sword

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Everyone who is found outside, shall be stabbed.

and anyone who takes refuge with the people of the city to be included with them in the siege, shall fall by the sword when the city capitulates. נִסְפֶּה is an expression similar to (Deut. 29:18): “To add the unintentional sins to the lustful ones (סְפוֹת)”; (infra 29:1) “Add year upon year (סְפוּ)”; (Jer. 7:21) “Add (סְפוּ) to your sacrifices.” [akojjlir in O.F.], to join.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

He will be pierced. He will find no mercy.

נספה That is joined. Participle Niphal.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.