Isaiah 14
14
XIV
1For Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob,
And will yet choose Israel;
And he will settle them in their own land,
And the stranger shall be joined unto them;
And they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.
2And the people shall take them, and bring them into their own place;
And the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of Jehovah,
As servants, and as handmaids:
And they shall take them captives, whose captives they were;
And they shall rule over their oppressors.
3And it shall come to pass in that day, when Jehovah shall give thee rest from thine affliction, and from thy disquiet, and from the hard labour which was imposed upon thee, 4that thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon; and shalt say:
How hath the oppressor ceased!
She that exacted gold ceased!
5 Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked,
The rod of the tyrants,
6Which smote the people in wrath,
With a smiting without intermission;
That ruled the nations in anger,
With an oppression without restraint
7The whole earth is at rest, it is quiet;
They have burst forth into a joyful shout:
8Even the fir-trees rejoice over thee,
And the cedars of Lebanon, saying:
Since thou art laid down,
No feller hath come up against us.
9Hades from beneath is moved because of thee,
To meet thee at thy coming:
It stirreth up for thee the shades of all the chieftains of the earth;
It maketh to rise from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
10All these shall speak, and say unto thee:
Art thou also become weak as we?
Art thou become like unto us?
11Thy pomp is brought down to Hades,
The sounding of thy viols:
Under thee is spread the worm,
And the maggot is thy covering.
12How art thou fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning! Cut down to the earth,
Thou that didst triumph over the nations!
13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend the heavens;
Above the stars of God will I exalt my throne;
And I will sit upon the mount of the assembly, in the farthest regions of the North:
14I will ascend above the heights of the cloud;
I will be like the Most High.
15Yet thou shalt be brought down to Hades,
To the lowest depths of the pit.
16Those that see thee shall look attentively at thee;
They shall meditate upon thee;
Is this the man that made the earth to tremble?
That shook the kingdoms?
17That made the world like a wilderness,
And destroyed the cities thereof?
That loosed not his prisoners homeward?
18All the kings of the nations, all of them,
Lie down in splendour, each in his own sepulchre:
19But thou art cast away, deprived of thy grave,
As a branch that is abominated;
Covered with the slain, the pierced by the sword,
Who soon go down to the stones of the pit,
As a carcase trodden under foot.
20Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial;
Because thou hast destroyed thy country, hast slain thy people:
The seed of evil doers shall not be named for ever.
21Prepare slaughter for his children,
For the iniquity of their fathers;
Lest they rise, and possess the earth,.
And fill the face of the world with enemies.
22For I will rise up against them, saith Jehovah of hosts,
I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant;
And son and grandson, saith Jehovah.
23And I will make it a place of inheritance for the porcupine, and pools of water;
And I will sweep it away with the besom of destruction, saith Jehovah of hosts.
24 Jehovah of hosts hath sworn, saying,
Surely as I have devised, so shall it be;
And as I have purposed, so it shall stand:
25To crush the Assyrian in my land,
And upon my mountains will I trample him:
Then shall his yoke depart from off them,
And his burden shall be removed from off their shoulder.
26This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth;
And this is the band which is stretched out over all the nations.
27For Jehovah of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it?
And as to his hand that is stretched out, who shall turn it back?
28IN THE YEAR IN WHICH AHAZ THE KING DIED, THIS
ORACLE WAS DELIVERED.
29Rejoice not, O Philistia, through thy extent,
Because the rod which smote thee is broken:
For from the root of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk;
And his fruit shall be a flying serpent.
30And the first-born of the poor shall feed,
And the needy shall lie down in safety:
But I will kill thy root with famine,
And thy remnant shall he slay.
31Howl, O gate! cry out, O city!
O Philistia, thou art altogether agitated!
For from the North cometh a smoke;
And no one standeth aloof from among his troop.
32And what shall one answer the ambassadors of the nations?
That Jehovah hath founded Zion;
And the poor of his people shall take refuge in her.
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Isaiah 14: TEG
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Translated by Rev John Jones (Ioan Tegid).Published at Oxford in 1830, second edition 1842.
Isaiah 14
14
Restoration of Judah
1The Lord Yahweh will most certainly
show tender mercy to the Israelites. # 14:1 Or “to Jacob.” See Rom. 9–11.
He will choose them again and settle them in their own land. # 14:1 See 1 Kings 8:56; Isa. 32:18.
Even foreigners will accompany them
and join with the Jewish people. # 14:1 Or “house of Jacob.” “Foreigners” (gentiles) and Jews make up “the one new race of humanity.” See Eph. 2:11–22.
2Nations will take them back to their own place, # 14:2 See Isa. 49:22; 60:9; 66:20. They will bring them to their own place; that is, into the body of Christ (see John 14:1–3; 1 Cor. 12:18; Eph. 4:16).
and the Jews # 14:2 Or “house of Israel.” will own their enemies # 14:2 Or “possess them as menservants and maidservants.” as their inheritance
in the land Yahweh gave them. # 14:2 See Ps. 126.
They will take their captors captive
and rule over those who once oppressed them. # 14:2 See Isa. 60:14. The oppressors today are Satan (see Rom. 16:20) and the mind of man (see 2 Cor. 10:3–5).
Downfall of the King of Babylon
3In that day, when the Lord Yahweh has given you rest from your pain, trouble, and cruel bondage, # 14:3 See Matt. 11:28–30; Rom. 6:1–14; Heb. 3–4. 4you will jeer at the king of Babylon and recite this proverb: # 14:4 “Proverb” is the Hebrew word mashal, a homonym for both “proverb” (Prov. 1:1) and “to rule [as king],” “to triumph,” or “to take dominion.” The life and power of “Babylon” (confusion) is conquered by the indwelling life of Christ.
“Your oppressor has been stilled and your onslaught is over! # 14:4 Or “the golden city has ceased.”
5The Lord Yahweh has shattered the staff of the wicked,
the brutal rod # 14:5 A “brutal rod,” a metonymy, represents the authority of wicked rulers. of the rulers.
6With their unceasing blows they used it cruelly
to strike down nations.
They subdued nations in anger with unrelenting persecution.
7But now the whole earth rests and is at peace.
It bursts out with singing; # 14:7 With the oppressive tyranny of the systems of Babylon destroyed, the prophet now saw the people break out with rejoicing and singing. See Isa. 44:23; 49:13; 52:9; 54:1; 55:12.
8even the cypresses and cedars of Lebanon # 14:8 In the Christian tradition, the cypress is a symbol of death, life, and resurrection. The cypress supplied boards and timber for doors (see 1 Kings 6:15, 33) and beams for roofing the temple (see 2 Chron. 3:5). The towering cedars of Lebanon speak of God’s anointed servants standing tall and upright, bringing favor to the world (see footnote on Ps. 92:12). join in,
rejoicing over your demise, saying,
‘Now that you were laid low,
no woodsman comes to cut us down.’ ”
The Underworld
9The underworld # 14:9 Or “Sheol,” which represents both the underworld and the personification of the evil it represents. is all astir in preparation,
ready to meet you when you show up.
It rouses the spirits of the dead to greet you!
All the former tyrants # 14:9 Or “great goats,” a likely symbol of tyrants, or “It roused all the giants that ruled the earth” (LXX). and despots # 14:9 Or “kings.” These former rulers are depicted in the underworld (Sheol) as sitting on thrones of darkness.
rise from their thrones!
10One and all will say to you:
“Look at you! You’ve become as weak as we are.
Now you’re just like us!
11Your pompous pride brought you down to the underworld
with the hum of harps. # 14:11 Or “the sound of your harps.” The Hebrew word for “harp” can also be translated “jars” or “pitchers,” with an implication of the noise of clashing jars being broken.
But you will lie on a bed of maggots,
and a blanket of worms will cover you!”
The Son of the Dawn
12“Look how you have fallen from your heavenly place,
O shining one, # 14:12 Or “daystar” or “morning star.” Many scholars and expositors view this passage (vv. 12–21) as not only the fall of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar but also the fall of Satan from heaven (see Luke 10:18). Lucifer, a name for Satan, is the Latin word for “the morning star” or “Venus.” Some view this passage as referring to Adam and the sin of man (see 2 Thess. 2:3–8). son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the ground,
you who conquered nations. # 14:12 Or “laid low the people.”
13You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend into heaven
and exalt my throne above the stars of God. # 14:13 Lucifer wanted to mount up to the heavens. He desired to occupy the highest heavens, to probe the kingdom of the infinite God. His position of favor before God’s throne was not enough. He wanted a throne from which he could exercise final authority and make decisions pertaining to the angelic host (“the stars of God”). He wanted to rule over all the angels.
I will rule on the mountain of the congregation,
on the highest place of the sacred mountain. # 14:13 Or “the summit of Zaphon” or “the farthest reaches of the north” (Ps. 48:1–2). Lucifer desired to be enthroned in the highest place, having all the angelic assemblies in submission to him. He wanted to be the center of attention.
14I will rise past the tops of the clouds
and rival the Most High God!’
15Yet down to the underworld you go—
into the depths of the pit! # 14:15 Or “cistern,” a metaphor for the underworld.
16Everyone will stare at you and ponder your fate, # 14:16 Or “peer at you closely.” saying,
‘Is this the man who shook the earth
and made the kingdoms tremble?
17Is this the man who made the world a desert
and overthrew its cities and refused to free his prisoners
and let them return home?’
18Every king at death lies in state,
each in his crypt of splendor,
19but you are an unburied, trampled corpse,
thrown out of your grave like a rotten stick
and wrapped in the bloody clothing
of those slain by the sword.
20You will not have a burial like them,
because you destroyed both your land and your people.
May your wicked descendants never be mentioned again!
21Prepare to execute his sons because of the sins of their father. # 14:21 As translated from the Syriac and the Septuagint. Hebrew is “fathers [ancestors].” See Ezek. 18:20.
May they never rise to conquer the earth
and cover the world with their cities.”
Utter Extermination of Babylon
22“I will rise up against them,”
declares the Lord Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies.
“I will blot out the name Babylon and her survivors,
her offspring and descendants,” declares the Lord Yahweh.
23“I will turn it into a swampland and a place for wild animals. # 14:23 The meaning of the Hebrew word qippod is uncertain. Some translate it as “hedgehog,” “porcupine,” or “owl.”
Like dirt on the floor I will sweep it away
with the broom of destruction,”
declares the Lord Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies.
The Lord’s Plan for Assyria
24The Lord Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies,
makes this solemn decree:
“Be sure of this: Just as I have planned, # 14:24 Or “imagined it.” so it will be.
Every purpose of my heart will surely come to pass.
25I will crush the Assyrians who invade my land.
I will trample them on my mountains.
Their yoke of slavery will be removed from my people
and their heavy burden from their shoulders.
26This is the plan that I have determined for the entire world.
I will accomplish it by the demonstration of my mighty power # 14:26 Or “the hand stretched out,” a metaphor for God accomplishing by his power.
throughout the earth!”
27For the Lord Yahweh, the Commander of Angel Armies,
has an amazing strategy, and who can thwart him?
When he moves in power, who can stop him? # 14:27 Or “When his hand is stretched out, who will turn it back?”
God’s Judgment of the Philistines
28This prophecy came to Isaiah in the year King Ahaz died: # 14:28 This prophecy is one of three that are dated in the book. See Isa. 6; 20:1–2.
Don’t rejoice too soon, you Philistines, # 14:28 The Hebrew meaning of Philistines is “those who roll in the dust.” They become a picture of believers who are walking in the flesh (see Gal. 5:16) and not living by the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit (see Rom. 8:4).
just because the rod # 14:28 The “rod” is a likely figure of speech for Ahaz, although some see it as a reference to Uzziah, the demise of the Davidic monarchy, or an Assyrian king. that beat you is broken!
29A snake # 14:29 The “snake” is possibly Ahaz’s son, Hezekiah, who would have been like a snake to the Philistines, ready to strike them. will sprout from the root of that serpent,
and his descendant # 14:29 Or “firstfruit.” The oldest commentaries and the Jewish Targums interpret this last clause as a prophecy of the Messiah, who would be “like a flying, fiery, burning one.” The Targum states, “For from the sons of the son of Jesse shall the Messiah come forth and his deeds shall be among you as a deadly serpent” (John Frederick Stenning, The Targum of Isaiah [Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1949], pp. 50–51). He would be more dangerous to the Philistines (a metaphor for the flesh) than any other king. will be like a flying, fiery, burning one. # 14:29 Or “seraph [burning one].” Some see the seraph as a type of fiery serpent, but the meaning of the Hebrew word seraph is clearly “a burning one.” See Isa. 6:6.
30And through him the poorest of the poor will find pasture # 14:30 Or “the firstborn [or firstfruits] of the poor will graze [in my pastures].” The “firstborn of the poor” is likely a figure of speech for “the poorest of the poor.”
and the needy will lie down in peace.
The Lord will starve the root of the Philistines with a famine
that will annihilate your survivors.
31Wail, O gate! Cry out, O city! Melt with fear, Philistia!
For a cloud of smoke # 14:31 The Syriac is “a stout [brave, valiant] one.” comes out of the north,
and there is no straggler among them. # 14:31 The meaning of this Hebrew clause is uncertain. This seems to be a picture of an invading army; however, the Septuagint is “and there is nothing more they need to live.”
32And what will be the answer of the messengers of the nations?
That the Lord has laid the foundation of Zion, # 14:32 See Ps. 118:22; Isa. 28:16; Matt. 21:42; Eph. 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6–7.
and in her his needy ones will find shelter. # 14:32 Or “through him the humble will be saved” (LXX).
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