47:1-15
What fate awaited Babylon?

The fall of Babylon is predicted in Isaiah 47. Babylon is referred to as “virgin daughter” (47:1), a reference to the fact that as a nation, she was still unconquered. Isaiah boldly prophesied however, that this virgin queen would be removed from her throne, stripped of her royal attire, raped by her conquerors, and be reduced to doing the work of a common slave girl (47:1-4).

God charged the Babylonians with cruel treatment of Jewish prisoners of war, especially the elderly (47:6). This was unnecessary even though they were the chosen instrument of God’s judgment (47:6). Their pride would lead to their downfall (47:7).

The Babylonians however, felt secure (47:8) by virtue of their system of divination (47:9) and their position as a world power (47:10). Their intricate system of divination, spells, and sorceries would be useless to them against the coming judgment of God (47:11-15). There would be none to save Babylon in the day of God’s judgment (47:15).