Isaiah 14

Compassion for Jacob

1 The LORD will have compassion on Jacob, will again choose Israel, and will give them rest in their own land. Immigrants will join them, and attach themselves to the house of Jacob.

2 The peoples will take them and will bring them to their own place. The house of Israel will possess them as male and female slaves in the LORD's land, making captives of their captors and ruling their oppressors.

Mockery of a tyrant

3 When the LORD has given you rest from pain and trouble and from the hard labor that you perform,

4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased! How the flood has receded!

5 The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of tyrants

6 that struck peoples in rage with ceaseless blows, that ruled nations with anger, with relentless aggression.

7 All the earth rests quietly, then it breaks into song.

8 Even the cypresses rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon: "Since you were laid low, no logger comes up against us!"

9 The underworld beneath becomes restless to greet your arrival. It awakens the ghosts, all the leaders of earth; it makes the kings of the nations rise from their thrones.

10 All of them speak and say to you: "Even you've become weak like we are! You are the same as us!"

11 Your majesty has been brought down to the underworld, along with the sound of your harps. Under you is a bed of maggots, and worms are your blanket.

12 How you've fallen from heaven, morning star, son of dawn! You are cut down to earth, helpless on your back!

13 You said to yourself, I will climb up to heaven; above God's stars, I will raise my throne. I'll sit on the mount of assembly, on the heights of Zaphon.

14 I'll go up to the cloud tops; I'll be like the Most High!

15 But down to the underworld you are brought, to the depths of the pit.

16 Those who see you will stare at you; they will examine you closely: "Is this the man who rattled the earth, who shook kingdoms,

17 who made the world a wasteland and tore down its cities, and wouldn't let his prisoners go home?"

18 All the kings of the nations lie down honored, all of them, each in his own tomb.

19 But you are cast away from your own grave like a rejected branch, covered by the dead and those pierced by the sword— who go down to the stony pit— like a trampled corpse.

20 You won't join them in burial, for you destroyed your own land; you killed your own people. Such evil offspring will never be mentioned again!

21 Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the guilt of their father. Don't let them arise to take over the earth or fill the world with cities.

22 I will arise against them, says the LORD of heavenly forces. I will cut off Babylon's renown and remnant, offshoot and offspring.

23 I will make it the home of herons, a swampland. I will sweep it away with the broom of destruction, says the LORD of heavenly forces.

Promise for oppressed Judah

24 The LORD of heavenly forces has promised: As I intended, so it will be; and as I have planned, so it will happen:

25 I will break Assyria in my land; on my mountains I will trample it and remove its yoke from my people; his burden will be taken from their shoulders.

26 This is the plan that has been made for all the earth; this is the hand extended over all the nations.

27 The LORD of heavenly forces has created a plan; who can stop it? God's hand is extended; who will stop it?

An oracle concerning the Philistines

28 This oracle came in the year of King Ahaz's death:

29 Don't rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken, because from the snake's root a viper will grow, and it will produce a winged creature.

30 The oldest offspring of the poor will graze; their needy will lie down secure. But he will starve your offspring to death, and murder all who remain.

31 Wail, gate! Cry out, city! Melt in terror, all you Philistines! Smoke is coming from the north; there is no straggler in its ranks.

32 What will one say to that nation's messengers? The LORD has founded Zion; the oppressed among God's people will find refuge there.

Isaiah 14 Commentary

Chapter 14

The destruction of Babylon, and the death of its proud monarch. (1-23) Assurance of the destruction of Assyria. (24-27) The destruction of the Philistines. (28-32)

Verses 1-23 The whole plan of Divine Providence is arranged with a view to the good of the people of God. A settlement in the land of promise is of God's mercy. Let the church receive those whom God receives. God's people, wherever their lot is cast, should endeavour to recommend religion by a right and winning conversation. Those that would not be reconciled to them, should be humbled by them. This may be applied to the success of the gospel, when those were brought to obey it who had opposed it. God himself undertakes to work a blessed change. They shall have rest from their sorrow and fear, the sense of their present burdens, and the dread of worse. Babylon abounded in riches. The king of Babylon having the absolute command of so much wealth, by the help of it ruled the nations. This refers especially to the people of the Jews; and it filled up the measure of the king of Babylon's sins. Tyrants sacrifice their true interest to their lusts and passions. It is gracious ambition to covet to be like the Most Holy, for he has said, Be ye holy, for I am holy; but it is sinful ambition to aim to be like the Most High, for he has said, He who exalts himself shall be abased. The devil thus drew our first parents to sin. Utter ruin should be brought upon him. Those that will not cease to sin, God will make to cease. He should be slain, and go down to the grave; this is the common fate of tyrants. True glory, that is, true grace, will go up with the soul to heaven, but vain pomp will go down with the body to the grave; there is an end of it. To be denied burial, if for righteousness' sake, may be rejoiced in, ( Matthew 5:12 ) . But if the just punishment of sin, it denotes that impenitent sinners shall rise to everlasting shame and contempt. Many triumphs should be in his fall. God will reckon with those that disturb the peace of mankind. The receiving the king of Babylon into the regions of the dead, shows there is a world of spirits, to which the souls of men remove at death. And that souls have converse with each other, though we have none with them; and that death and hell will be death and hell indeed, to all who fall unholy, from the height of this world's pomps, and the fulness of its pleasures. Learn from all this, that the seed of evil-doers shall never be renowned. The royal city is to be ruined and forsaken. Thus the utter destruction of the New Testament Babylon is illustrated, ( Revelation 18:2 ) . When a people will not be made clean with the besom of reformation, what can they expect but to be swept off the face of the earth with the besom of destruction?

Verses 24-27 Let those that make themselves a yoke and a burden to God's people, see what they are to expect. Let those that are the called according to God's purpose, comfort themselves, that whatever God has purposed, it shall stand. The Lord of hosts has purposed to break the Assyrian's yoke; his hand is stretched out to execute this purpose; who has power to turn it back? By such dispensations of providence, the Almighty shows in the most convincing manner, that sin is hateful in his sight.

Verses 28-32 Assurance is given of the destruction of the Philistines and their power, by famine and war. Hezekiah would be more terrible to them than Uzziah had been. Instead of rejoicing, there would be lamentation, for the whole land would be ruined. Such destruction will come upon the proud and rebellious, but the Lord founded Zion for a refuge to poor sinners, who flee from the wrath to come, and trust in his mercy through Christ Jesus. Let us tell all around of our comforts and security, and exhort them to seek the same refuge and salvation.

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb uncertain
• [b]. DSS (1QIsaa), LXX, Syr, Tg; MT fury
• [c]. Heb Sheol
• [d]. Heb Sheol
• [e]. Heb Sheol
• [f]. Or them
• [g]. Heb uncertain

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 14

This chapter contains prophecies of the restoration of the Jews, of the fall of the king of Babylon, and the destruction of the Assyrian empire, and of the ruin of Palestine. The moving cause of the restoration of the Jews, and their settlement in their own land, is the distinguishing mercy of God towards them; the accomplishment of it, proselytes joined unto them; the means, people of other nations, who should bring them into it, and whom they should possess and rule over; and the consequence of it, rest from sorrow, fear, and hard bondage, Isa 14:1-3 upon which they are introduced as taking up a proverb, or a triumphant song, concerning the king of Babylon, wondering at his fall, and ascribing it to the Lord, Isa 14:4,5 representing the inhabitants of the earth, and great men of it, as at peace, and rest, and rejoicing, who before were continually disturbed, and smitten by him, Isa 14:6-8 introducing the dead, and those in hell, meeting him, and welcoming him into their regions, with taunts and jeers; upbraiding him with his weakness, shame, and disgrace he was come into; putting him in mind of his former pomp and splendour, pride, arrogance, and haughtiness, Isa 14:9-15 spectators are brought in, as amazed at the low, mean, and despicable condition he was brought into, considering what he had done in the world, in kingdoms and cities, but was now denied a burial, when other kings lay in their pompous sepulchres, Isa 14:16-20 and then it is foretold that that whole royal family should be cut off, and Babylon, the metropolis of his kingdom, should be utterly destroyed, Isa 14:21-23 all which was settled and fixed by the purpose of God, which could not be made void, Isa 14:24-27 and next follows a prophecy of the destruction of Palestine; the date of the prophecy is given Isa 14:28 the inhabitants of Palestine are bid not to rejoice at the death of one of the kings of Judah, since another should arise, who would be fatal to them, Isa 14:29 and while the Jews would be in safety, they would be destroyed by famine and war, Isa 14:30,31 from all which it would appear, and it might be told the messengers of the nations, or any inquiring persons, that Zion is of the Lord's founding, and under his care and protection, and that his people have great reason and encouragement to trust in him, Isa 14:32.