Isa 13:5 | NETfull | STEP | They come from a distant land, from the horizon. It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment, coming to destroy the whole earth.

Isaiah 13:5

5 They come from a distant land,
from the horizon. ^{▼▼ Heb “from the end of the sky.”}
It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment, ^{▼▼ Or “anger”; cf. KJV, ASV “the weapons of his indignation.”}
coming to destroy the whole earth. ^{▼▼ Or perhaps, “land” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NLT). Even though the heading and subsequent context (see v. 17) indicate Babylon’s judgment is in view, the chapter has a cosmic flavor that suggests that the coming judgment is universal in scope. Perhaps Babylon’s downfall occurs in conjunction with a wider judgment, or the cosmic style is poetic hyperbole used to emphasize the magnitude and importance of the coming event.}