Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Isaiah 13:22 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 22. 22And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The oracle concerning Zion and the nations carries the next action, claim, image, or measurement through “And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant…” at Isaiah 13:22 as part of “Imperial Splendor Becomes an Uninhabited Ruin.”
Babylon's beauty is measured against Sodom and then emptied
This verse is one part of that explanation in Isaiah 13:19–22. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Isaiah 13:19–22
Read Isaiah 13:22 with 13:19–22. By itself, “And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant…” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, historical horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: Babylon's beauty is compared with Sodom and Gomorrah as wild creatures occupy a city stripped of enduring human settlement.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within the same chapter, this unit advances from “The Day of the LORD Terrifies Babylon” into “Imperial Splendor Becomes an Uninhabited Ruin.” Its non-interchangeable movement is: Babylon's beauty is compared with Sodom and Gomorrah as wild creatures occupy a city stripped of enduring human settlement. This verse's placement is specific: The oracle concerning Zion and the nations carries the next action, claim, image, or measurement through “And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant…” at Isaiah 13:22 as part of “Imperial Splendor Becomes an Uninhabited Ruin.”
What Remains True
No nation is beyond moral scrutiny, and no people is reducible to the wrongdoing of rulers or the rhetoric of an oracle. In Isaiah 13:22, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The oracle concerning Zion and the nations carries the next action, claim, image, or measurement through “And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant…” at Isaiah 13:22 as part of “Imperial Splendor Becomes an Uninhabited Ruin.”
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Isaiah 13:19–22 — Imperial Splendor Becomes an Uninhabited RuinSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Isaiah 13:19–22, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Isaiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology at the exact unit, without treating morphology as apparatus, lexicon, composition history, or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Isa.xml, OSIS 13:19–22 with Hebrew/KJV versification difference checked
Open the fixed Hebrew Isaiah file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible Notes: Isaiah
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2016; current official PDF
Supports: Verse-level controls for Hebrew, syntax, poetry, older KJV language, chronology, names, textual issues, and material translation alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Isaiah PDF, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Isaiah 13:19–22 in the complete 205-page book PDF
Open the official NET Isaiah PDF ↗