Isaiah 13:17 is a prophecy that God will stir up the Medes to attack Babylon, a people who will have no interest in the silver and gold that the Babylonians treasured. The verse is part of a larger oracle in which the prophet Isaiah announces God’s judgment on the proud city, and it shows that wealth cannot buy safety when God has decided to act. Isaiah speaks in the name of the Lord, and the words are addressed to the nation of Judah and to the wider world, which needed to understand who really rules history.
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.
Isaiah 13:17 (WEB)
What Isaiah 13:17 Means
The verse begins with God saying “I will stir up,” which means God himself is the one who sets the events in motion. The Medes were a people from the highlands east of Mesopotamia, and in Isaiah’s day they were rising as a military power. Their role here is not to be admired but to be used as an instrument of judgment against Babylon.
The second half of the verse is the striking part. The Medes “will not value silver,” and “as for gold, they will not delight in it.” In the ancient world, plunder was the usual reward of conquest, and metals were the most valuable prize. Isaiah says these invaders will not be motivated by the treasure that drew other armies, which makes clear that the attack is driven by God’s purpose and not by human greed. The verse does not promise anything to the reader directly. It describes how God will bring down a proud power, and it reminds us that the wealth people trust in can count for nothing against his plans.
The Context of Isaiah 13:17
Isaiah 13 is the opening of a collection of oracles against foreign nations, and this one concerns Babylon, which was the dominant empire of Isaiah’s later years and which would eventually destroy Jerusalem. The book of Isaiah is traditionally attributed to the prophet who lived in Jerusalem in the eighth century before Christ, though many scholars see later material added to his work. The first audience was the people of Judah, who needed to know that the mighty empire that seemed unstoppable was accountable to the Lord.
The verses just before and after describe terrible scenes of fleeing, slaughter and the ruin of cities. Verse 17 stands in the middle of this grim picture as the reason why these things will happen: God has decided to raise up the Medes. Verses 19 and 20 then compare Babylon to Sodom and Gomorrah and say it will never be inhabited again. Reading the verse in this setting helps us see that it is not a random display of power but part of a sustained message about divine justice.
Key Phrases in Isaiah 13:17
Psalm 33:16-17
16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a vain thing for safety, neither does he deliver any by his great power.
(WEB)
This psalm states plainly that a king is not saved by a great army and that a warrior is not delivered by great strength, which echoes the warning in Isaiah 13 that human power and wealth fail when God acts. It helps readers see that the trust in military and material might is a recurring theme in Scripture.
Proverbs 11:28
He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.
(WEB)
Proverbs warns that those who trust in their riches will fall, which connects directly to the theme of Isaiah 13:17. Both passages teach that wealth offers an illusion of security and that the righteous are called to place their hope in God rather than in what they own.
A Short Prayer From Isaiah 13:17
Lord, you are the one who stirs up the nations and who brings down the proud, and nothing in the world can stand against your purpose. I confess that I often trust in what I can count, save and control, and I forget how quickly those things can lose their value. Teach me to hold my possessions with open hands and to rest my hope in you alone. When I face situations that seem beyond my power, remind me that you rule over every kingdom and every heart. Give me patience to wait on your justice and faith to trust your timing. Amen.
