Isaiah Chapters 14/Commentary

Isaiah Chapter 14

This section is a continuation of Chapter 13 and concerns the fall of Babylon, especially of the judgment that will come upon the Babylonian kings.

14:1-3 The destruction of Babylon will be followed by the restoration of Israel to the land, and this historically took place in Ezra 1:1-4. Notice that this restoration will be undeserved, and will simply be an act of God’s compassion or grace. “Then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob”: “The extent of which foreigners joined themselves to the house of Israel is not known; however, it is recorded in the Book of Esther that ‘many from among the peoples of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews was fallen upon them’ (Esther 8:17)” (Hailey p. 136). In addition, when the gospel is preached in the book of Acts the apostles encounter many Gentiles who were attending the Jewish synagogues (Acts 2:9-11; Acts 17:4,17). “Even foreigners will assist Israel in returning to Palestine (Ezra 1:4,6; Nehemiah 2:7-8), and the Hebrew’s prominence would become such that they would appear as victors instead of refugees” (Jackson p. 33).

14:2 “They will take their captors captive”: This was probably fulfilled in the sense that the former oppressors of the Israelites will be taken captive

by God’s truth. Gentiles would be impressed and captivated by the God of the Jews and especially in the New Covenant, many would come and serve God (Philippians 1:13).

14:4 Hailey argues that the expression king of Babylon does not refer to any particular individual; rather, the term is used as a kind of symbol of the forces hostile to God and His people” (p. 137). This taunting song is taken up against all the rulers who had oppressed God’s people, that is, the 1

various wicked kings who had ruled Babylon. In addition, this song would also be true of such kings as Sennacherib, who tried to take Jerusalem, who proclaimed himself king of Assyria as well as king over Babylon.

Sennacherib was assassinated (2 Kings 19:37) eight years after he destroyed Babylon, and 12 years after he had tried to destroy Judah in 701 B.C. Yet this song is specifically sung after the fall of Babylon the empire and after the Jews returned from captivity, and does appear to have a reference to a specific king or type of king, i.e., a tyrant.

14:4 “Take up this taunt”: A taunting song in triumph. “This is not a song of rejoicing at the misfortune of another, but a rejoicing in the work of God” (Hailey p. 137). It is the rejoicing that a cruel oppressor of God’s people has been judged. “How fury has ceased”: The fury or anger of evil men eventually ceases.

14:5 “Jehovah has broken both the staf used by the tyrant against His people and the scepter, the symbol of the power by which the Babylonian king had cast down peoples throughout the world” (Hailey p. 137). Even a world superpower cannot resist God’s judgment.

14:6 Here we are given a picture of the ruthless nature of this kingdom.

“The king’s rapacious conquests, the fierceness of his army, and the inability of other nations to restrain him” (Hailey p. 138). Compare this section to Habakkuk 1:5-17. This is an empire that had terrorized the nations. “When a great tyrant reigns in Mesopotamia, all the little nations cower in constant fear, like dogs fearing the boot of a cruel master” (Gaebelein p. 105).

14:7-8 The fall of Babylon not only will benefit Israel, but the entire earth enjoys a rest, at least for a season. “Sharing in the jubilation are the fir trees and the cedars of Lebanon, the majestic giants of the forest which had suffered so violently at the lands of the Babylonian monarchs” (Hailey p.

138). No longer are such trees cut down for tribute to Babylon or to fuel the Babylon military machine. “The monarchs of Assyria and Babylon were greedy for wood, and their woodcutters stripped whole districts of their trees” (Gaebelein p. 105).

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14:9 Sheol or Hades, the realm of the dead is excited about the arrival of such cruel monarchs. “The fall of such a power has raised up the great of the unseen realm to meet him as he comes to take his place with them” (Hailey p. 138). Carefully note that the Babylonian king, now dead, still exists, and is still conscious! “It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; it raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones”: That is, all former leaders, and all former kings who had felt the cruel oppression of the king of Babylon now arise to give him a mocking welcome as he enters the realm of the dead. “To rise from one’s seat is a token of respect in many cultures. It is probable, therefore, that it indicates not only surprise but also mock homage on the part of those whose submission had been all too real, though unwilling, during their lifetime” (Gaebelein p. 105).

People in this life forget that they will eventually meet up again with the people they abused, hurt, and took advantage of. We tend to forget that men to who lead others astray, such as Mohammed or Joseph Smith will have to face all the souls that they lead to ruin. Murders, child abusers, and rapists will face their victims.

14:10 “’Even you have been made weak as we, you have become like us”: What had happened to all the previous tyrants of the world, happened to Babylon as well. “This is the ultimate destiny of all the great who leave God out of their thinking and living. Egypt, Assyria, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, Edom---all who terrorize and destroy with the sword are there (Ezekiel 32:17-31). Therefore, Babylon should not be surprised to find all other nations there; likewise, those who are already there should not be surprised at his coming” (Hailey p. 138). This verse reminds me that all the critics of the Bible, all the prominent and vocal atheists throughout the ages all end up together. People think that they will escape God’s judgment, but in the end they end up with all others from times past who thought the same thing. In a very real sense, every day another defiant voice enters the Haden realm only to be taunted.

14:11 “Instead of the kingly robes with which the monarch had been clothed and the luxury of his resting place, his pallet and covering will now be worms and maggots. What a contrast!” (Hailey p. 138). “They had heard

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the sound of the Babylonian harpers making music for the king as they were brought trembling into his court. All the pomp and circumstance have disappeared. His palace would have been replete with soft couches and lush carpets to give him all the comfort he could desire, but the maggots and decomposition had taken over” (Gaebelein p. 105).

14:12 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn!”

At this point many people have thought that this is a reference Satan’s fall and ejection from heaven. Instead of the term star of the morning, the KJV here has the word Lucifer. The term actually refers to the morning star, the harbinger of a new day, which is at its brightest just before dawn. I do not see this as a reference to Satan, because Satan is not the subject of this taunt song, rather, the subject is the king of Babylon. “As the morning star fades with the dawning of the day, even so the haughty king, conqueror of nations, is cut down (14:12). The Babylonian ruler has acted quite arrogantly, as though he were God Himself; indeed, he had ambitions to be like the Most High (14:13-14)” (Jackson p. 33).

Apparently the reason why the KJV used the word Lucifer here is because that term means literally “light-bearing”, lux (light) and ferre (to bear). In poetry the term was used for Venus, the morning star. Therefore, the English word Lucifer meant a light-bearer long before it evolved in the English language into a name for Satan.

14:13 Here are revealed the true ambitions of the Babylonian monarchs. In their heart this was their purpose and desire. “In his quest for power and glory the king desired to storm and take heaven as he had stormed and taken the cities and thrones of men” (Hailey p. 139). We see this same attitude in other nations when the various kings or emperors had themselves declared “divine” and thus insisted that people worship them as God. “The brilliance of a star in the early dawn suddenly vanishes when the sun rises. In the ancient Near East, kings had supreme power; many were deified by their subjects. The people taunting this tyrant pictured him ascribing godlike characteristics to himself” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p.

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1062). “In the recesses of the north”: That is, the sacred mountain. This may be a reference the belief common among Semitic peoples that the gods lived on mount Zaphon, and that the king of Babylon aspired to be worshipped along with the other pagan deities.

“It is a strange paradox that nothing makes a being less like God than the urge to be His equal, for he who was God stepped down from the throne of His glory to display to the wondering eyes of men the humility of God” (Philippians 2:5-8) (Gaebelein p. 106).

14:14-15 Man often arrogantly asserts that nothing is impossible for him.

Like many before him, the Babylonian monarchs had set their eyes on becoming supreme rulers in the universe, only to fail as all previous tyrants.

Notice the emphasis on the “I will” in these verses. Man does not have unlimited potential and man cannot do anything that he sets his mind upon. “I will make myself like the Most High”: Equality with God or liberation from God’s jurisdiction is the “heaven” imagined by the rebellious. “In this state of exaltation he would be subject neither to God nor to man; but like the Most High, he would rule in all realms” (Hailey pp.

139-140).

14:16 “Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms”: Carefully note that the individual who ends up in Sheol is not Satan, but “the man”. This surprise and amazement demonstrates the fact that the dead are conscious, and that the dead have a vivid memory of past experiences on the earth. These souls know who this man is and what he had done on the earth! “The leveling power of death is again underlined.

The death of such a great one in worldly terms causes people to think hard.

The writer of Ecclesiastes was right: there are more lessons to be learned about the meaning of existence at the place of death than at the place of birth (Eccl. 7:1-4). Only God really has the right to make the earth tremble.

Human tyranny can go too far, and God acts against it from His all-sovereign throne (Isaiah 40:23-24)” (Gaebelein p. 106).

14:17-18 Here we are given a description of the Babylonian war machine.

They toppled kingdoms, destroyed large fertile areas of land, overthrew

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entire cities, and took people away from their homelands and did not allow them to return.

14:18-20 Typically when a ruler dies he is given a royal burial, but not so with this ruler or the rulers who are like this. “We know from the Egyptian pyramids and other royal tombs how much stress was put on proper burial.

How horrifying to a great king of Babylon and to many of his contemporaries would be the prospect of his lying out in the open (19), unburied, his royal body undistinguished and perhaps undistinguishable from those of his soldiers, to be thrown into a common burial plot” (Gaebelein p. 106).

14:20 “You will not be united with them burial”: This seems to indicate that while other Babylonian kings were given honorable burials, this king would not have such an honor. “Because you have ruined your country”: Tyrants throughout the ages, whether this king or Hitler, always tend to destroy the nation they are governing. Such tyrants, in order to stay in power must also murder their own people (14:20), that is, get rid of anyone that they think is a threat to their longevity. Evil rulers are equally paranoid and suspicious.

14:22 “No throne, no tomb, no progeny, no cities—in all these ways the Lord abases those who seek self-exaltation” (Gaebelein p. 106). Jackson notes, “The death of the Babylonian king Belshazzar conforms remarkably to this prophecy (Daniel 5:1ff)” (p. 34).

14:22-23 “It is thus announced that the posterity of the Babylonians will ultimately be cut off. Their ambition at world conquest will be terminated.

The site of the once proud city will become a place of quiet pools and wild creatures. Ancient travelers have commented upon the stagnant pools amongst the ruins of this locale” (Jackson p. 34). Thus the royal line of Babylonian kings would end, the empire would end, and finally, there would be no Babylonians left on the face of the earth. “I will sweep it with the broom of destruction”: The Hebrew word rendered “broom” in this verse refers to a small broom used to sweep out corners and clear out the trash.

“So it has ever been. When a nation reaches the point of such corruption and wickedness that it is unfit to continue, God brings it to an end” (Hailey p. 141). Compare with Jeremiah 18:1ff.

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Judgment upon Assyria 14:24 “Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand” While the Assyrians would plan to take Jerusalem, that plan would be thwarted, but God’s plans cannot be hindered or stopped. “Somewhat surprisingly, Assyria is again introduced at this point. Remember, however, that at the time Isaiah was writing, Assyria was still the dominant world power. Only her destruction would allow Babylon to rise to greatness. The destruction of Assyria would be an assurance to Jehovah’s suffering people that He would likewise destroy Babylon” (Hailey p. 142). The destruction of Assyria was also a token of the fate that would befall other nations as well.

If God could bring down the mighty Assyrian Empire than obviously He would deal with lesser nations, such as the Philistines (14:28-32).

14:29 King Ahaz died in 715 B.C. Judgment upon the Philistines 14:28-32 It appears that the Philistines rejoiced either at the death of Ahaz, the Judean king, or that the Assyrian threat had been temporarily removed.

This rejoicing was premature, in 711 B.C., only four years after this message, Assyria would conquer the Philistine city of Ashdod and made Philistia an Assyrian province. In addition, even after the Assyrian Empire ended, it would be replaced by another empire, the Babylonians, who would also conquer this nation. “It is significant to note that during the reign of Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, the Philistine cities were captured. Rulers and citizens alike were deported, resulting in the permanent end of the Philistine nation” (Jackson p. 34).

14:32 Even though all these nations would be destroyed, Zion would stand.

This was true during the Assyrian invasion in 701 B.C, but more importantly, the Zion that has truly stood throughout the ages, is the spiritual Zion, the faithful remnant. “There is also an implication that Judah must avoid any

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involvement in Philistine affairs; rather, she should seek refuge in Jehovah’s Zion” (Jackson p. 34).

Various Notes  The chapters that follow (15-24) contain various judgments upon the surrounding nations of the time, indicating that all men are accountable to God and His moral standards.  Ar the capital of Moab, and Kir, the chief fortress will be destroyed (15:1). “So great was the suffering and anguish as the people flee from Moab’s cities, even Isaiah’s heart crieth out (15:5)” (Jackson p.

35).  The Israelites are encouraged to help the refugees from Moab as they stand at the border (16:3-4). In addition, verses 16:4-5 seems to point to the Messiah, that is, the Moabites will find refuge in Jesus Christ.  But the barrier between Moab and safety is her arrogance (16:6).

Arrogance would prevent many of them from seeking refuge in Israel, therefore destruction was bound to come. Carefully note in this section how Isaiah weeps and sympathizes with the victims of this calamity (16:8).  “Just as a hireling counts the time of his labor, so Moab could compute the time of their coming desolation. It would be three years. For centuries travelers have observed the utter desolation of the Moabite territory” (Jackson p. 36).  17:1-14 The judgment is coming upon Damascus, the capital of Syria and the northern Israelite tribes.  18:1-7 Ethiopia is called the land of “whirring wings”. “The language may suggest a place of many insects, it may be an allusion to a swarming population, or be a figure for the numerous sailing vessels 8

of the Ethiopian waters” (Jackson p. 39). It appears that Ethiopia had sent envoys to Israel for the purpose of forming an alliance (18:2).

The people are called “tall and smooth”, possibly, meaning “cleanshaven”.  Notice that God is not at all panicky about the coming Assyrian invasion (18:4). “He is still (calm), watching the entire affair from His heavenly dwelling place. His majesty glows like shimmering heat in the sunshine and His benevolence is as a dewy mist in the heat of harvest time” (Jackson p. 38). The Assyrians will be pruned (18:5), and their dead bodies will be eaten by the birds (6). As a result, the Ethiopians will learn something about the true God (18:7). Compare with 2 Chronicles 32:22-23; Acts 8:27. “Ancient history records the fact that Judaism did make a significant impact in Ethiopia” (Jackson p. 38).

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