Isaiah Chapter 14

From The Open Bible Project

14:1 For Yahweh will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land. The foreigner will join himself with them, and they will unite with the house of Jacob.

• (a) He shows why God will haste to destroy his enemies, that is, because he will deliver his Church.
• (b) Meaning that the Gentiles will be joined with the Church and worship God.

14:2 The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in Yahweh's land for servants and for handmaids. They will take as captives those whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

• (c) Signifying that the Jews would be superior to the Gentiles and that they would be brought under the service of Christ by the preaching of the Apostles, by which all are brought to the subjection of Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:5).

14:3 It will happen in the day that Yahweh will give you rest from your sorrow, from your trouble, and from the hard service in which you were made to serve,

14:4 that you will take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the oppressor has ceased! The golden city has ceased!"

14:5 Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers,

14:6 who struck the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained.

• (d) That is, he permitted all violence and injuries to be done.

14:7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet. They break out song.

• (e) Meaning that where tyrants reign, there can be no rest or quietness and also how detestable a thing tyranny is, seeing the insensible creatures have opportunity to rejoice at their destruction.

14:8 Yes, the fir trees rejoice with you, with the cedars of Lebanon, saying, "Since you are humbled, no lumberjack has come up against us."

14:9 [11] Sheol [See Isaiah Footnotes 11] from beneath has moved for you to meet you at your coming. It stirs up the dead for you, even all the rulers of the earth. It has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

• (f) As though they feared, lest you should trouble the dead, as you did the living and here he derides the proud tyranny of the wicked, who know not that all creatures wish their destruction, that they may rejoice.

14:10 They all will answer and ask you, "Have you also become as weak as we are? Have you become like us?"

14:11 Your pomp is brought down to [12] Sheol [See Isaiah Footnotes 12], with the sound of your stringed instruments. Maggots are spread out under you, and worms cover you.

• (g) Instead of your costly carpets and coverings.

14:12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low!

• (h) You who thought yourself most glorious and as it were placed in the heaven for the morning star that goes before the sun, is called Lucifer, to whom Nebuchadnezzar is compared.

14:13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north!

• (i) Meaning, Jerusalem of which the temple was of the north side, (Psalms 48:2).

14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!"

14:15 Yet you shall be brought down to [13] Sheol [See Isaiah Footnotes 13], to the depths of the pit.

14:16 Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, "Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms;

• (k) In marvelling at you.

14:17 who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities; who didn't release his prisoners to their home?"

• (l) To set them free, noting his cruelty.

14:18 All the kings of the nations, sleep in glory, everyone in his own house.

14:19 But you are cast away from your tomb like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, who are thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit; like a dead body trodden under foot.

• (m) You were not buried in the sepulchre of your fathers, your tyranny was so abhorred.

14:20 You will not join them in burial, because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. The seed of evildoers will not be named forever.

14:21 Prepare for slaughter of his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities.

• (n) He called to the Medes and Persians, and all those who would execute God’s vengeance.

14:22 "I will rise up against them," says Yahweh of Armies, "and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son's son," says Yahweh.

14:23 "I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water. I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," says Yahweh of Armies.

14:24 Yahweh of Armies has sworn, saying, "Surely, as I have thought, so shall it happen; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

14:25 that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and tread him under foot on my mountains. Then his yoke will leave them, and his burden leave their shoulders.

• (o) As I have begun to destroy the Assyrians in Sennacherib: so will I continue and destroy them wholly, when I will deliver you from Babylon.
• (p) From the Jews.

14:26 This is the plan that is determined for the whole earth. This is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.

14:27 For Yahweh of Armies has planned, and who can stop it? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?"

14:28 This burden was in the year that king Ahaz died.

• (r) He wills the Philistines not to rejoice because the Jews are diminished in their power, for their strength will be greater than it ever was.

14:29 Don't rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent's root an adder will emerge, and his fruit will be a fiery flying serpent.

14:30 The firstborn of the poor will eat, and the needy will lie down in safety; and I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant will be killed.

• (s) The Israelites who were brought to most extreme misery.
• (t) That is, my people.

14:31 Howl, gate! Cry, city! You are melted away, Philistia, all of you; for smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.

• (u) That is, from the Jews or Assyrians: for they were brought to extreme misery.

14:32 What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That Yahweh has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people will take refuge.

• (y) Who will come to enquire of the state of the Church.
• (z) They will answer that the Lord defends his Church and those that join themselves to it.