Literature: The reversals at the end of time continue with the desolation of Babylon. Isaiah describes the “current” Babylon as “the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency,” a paragon of worldly culture, sophistication, wealth, and glamour. However, all of this glory will disappear, and it will become a wilderness. Wild beasts will inhabit its luxurious dwellings. Its wealth and beauty will revert to desolation, but Yahweh will have mercy on the righteous.
Comparison: The Book of Mormon text adds a phrase to verse 22, here in bold: “And 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 day shall not be prolonged. For I will destroy her speedily; yea, for I will be merciful unto my people, but the wicked shall perish.”
This verse’s textual variants in the various manuscripts (the Septuagint and Qumran Isaiah) suggest a problem in the text, but no variant contains all of the elements of the Book of Mormon addition. Tvedtnes argues that the Book of Mormon reading provides a better connection to the next verse, which follows immediately in the Book of Mormon but which falls on the other side of a chapter break in the King James Version.
The addition of Yahweh’s promise to “be merciful unto my people” bridges what might otherwise be an abrupt switch from the condemnations of 23:22 to the mercy of 24:1: “For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land; and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.”
This verse logically concludes this section of the prophecy and should be read with it, rather than with the next chapter where it is currently located. This is the highlight of Isaiah’s prophecy, and the culmination of all the reversals. Israel will return to its right place. Righteous strangers will join with Israel’s righteous. Thus, this verse ends the prophecy of calamities with hope, rather than despair.
Likening: For Isaiah, Yahweh will overthrow Israel’s oppressors. Nephi understood that Yahweh has similar power to overthrow those whom Nephi has seen oppressing his descendants.
Text: The chapter does not end here in the 1830 edition.