Babylon’s fall

The Persian King Cyrus was at times designated “King of Anshan”—Anshan being a region or city in Elam. The Israelites of Isaiah’s day—the eighth century B.C.E.—may have been unfamiliar with Persia, whereas they would have known of Elam.

This may explain why Isaiah here names Elam instead of Persia.

Many Bible commentators think that the words “anoint the shield” refer to the ancient military practice of oiling leather shields before battle so that most blows will glance off. While this is a possible interpretation, it should be noted that on the night the city fell, the Babylonians barely had time to put up a fight, let alone prepare for battle by greasing their shields!

Isaiah’s prophecy regarding Babylon’s fall is so accurate that some Bible critics have theorized that it must have been written after the event. But as Hebrew scholar F. Delitzsch notes, such speculation is unnecessary if we accept that a prophet might be inspired to foretell events hundreds of years in advance.