ישעיהו, פרק מ״ז, פסוק י״ב

As the mighty Babylonian empire faces its impending downfall, the prophetic voice addresses the nation through the poetic image of a desperate woman. She is urged to summon all the hidden wisdom and witchcraft that have been the foundation of her society throughout history in a final attempt to save herself. However, this call is far from genuine advice. It is a sharp, mocking challenge, highlighting the absolute uselessness of these mystical practices when confronted with true reality [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].

The empire is sarcastically encouraged to stand firm and face the looming danger by relying on her vast array of spells, astrology, and sorcery—the very hallmarks of Chaldean culture. The prophet points out the immense effort she has poured into these practices since her youth. The primary approach among commentators understands this youth as a metaphor for the dawn of the Babylonian nation, a culture that has invested its energy into the occult since its earliest days. Alternatively, this can be understood quite literally, noting that the Babylonians actually taught the dark arts to their boys from childhood [רד״ק]. Either way, having dedicated so much time and energy to these pursuits over the centuries, the nation is cynically told to hold fast to them in her ultimate moment of crisis.

The sarcastic challenge concludes by questioning what these dark arts might actually achieve. The desperate hope is that the magic might bring some practical benefit and salvation, or perhaps give the nation the sheer strength to overcome its attackers. One perspective breaks this hope down into two distinct stages of potential rescue. First, the witchcraft might provide the benefit of keeping the enemy forces from ever breaching the city gates. If that initial defense fails, the magic might at least grant the empire the strength and cunning needed to defeat the enemy in face-to-face combat within the city itself [מלבי״ם].