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isaiah 14:4-23

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Isaiah 14:4-23

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”

— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

4. That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! 5. The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, [and] the sceptre of the rulers. 6. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, [and] none hindereth. 7. The whole earth is at rest, [and] is quiet: they break forth into singing. 8. Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, [and] the cedars of Lebanon, [saying], Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. 9. Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet [thee] at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, [even] all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. 10. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? 11. Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, [and] the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. 12. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13. For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, [and] consider thee, [saying, Is] this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17. [That] made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; [that] opened not the house of his prisoners? 18. All the kings of the nations, [even] all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. 19. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, [and as] the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. 20. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, [and] slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. 21. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. 22. For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD. 23. I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah 14:4-23 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Isaiah 14:4

Theological / Devotional

Proverb. Heb. mashal, a word rendered “proverb” 19 times and “parable” 18 times (see Vol. III p. 945). In view of the fact that mashal here applies to the entire section, vs. 4-28, and not to the exclamation of v. 4 alone, the translation “parable” is preferable (see Num. 23:7; Job 29:1; Eze. 17:2). For the application of this section to literal Babylon, compare Isa. 13:1 with ch. 14:28 (see on chs. 13:4; 14:1). Upon deliverance from captivity (ch. 14:1-3) God’s people would take up this taunt against their former oppressor. For the application to mystical Babylon see on ch. 13:4.

The king of Babylon. The one primarily responsible for Babylonian policy. For “the king of Babylon” as a figurative designation for Lucifer, see on v. 12.

Golden city. The translation of the Heb. madhebah, “golden,” assumes that the word is derived from the Aramaic dahab, “gold.” However, the Hebrew word for “gold” is zahab, and it has been thought unlikely that the Hebrews would derive a word for “golden” from the Aramaic rather than from their own word for “gold.” It has therefore been suggested that madhebah should read marhebah, “terror,” Hebrew letters for r and d being practically identical (see p. 14), and the one therefore easily mistaken for the other. The LXX, the Syriac, and the Targums all support the reading “terror,” as does also the Dead Sea scroll lQIs. A related form of the word is translated “overcome” in of S. of Sol. 6:5. It therefore seems probable that the last clause should read “the terror ceased!” This would make it parallel to “the oppressor ceased!” See on ch. 13:19; see Additional Note on Dan. 4.

By SdaBc

Isaiah 14:4-23 | Faith Online