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Isaiah 14:12

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Isaiah 14:12 in Multiple Translations

Berean Standard Bible BSB

How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations.

King James Version KJV

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!

American Standard Version ASV

How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations!

Bible in Basic English BBE

How great is your fall from heaven, O shining one, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the earth, low among the dead bodies!

Free Bible Version FBV

Morning star, son of the dawn, how you have fallen from heaven! Destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground!

Geneva Bible 1599 GNV

How art thou fallen from heauen, O Lucifer, sonne of the morning? and cutte downe to the grounde, which didest cast lottes vpon the nations?

Young's Literal Translation YLT

How hast thou fallen from the heavens, O shining one, son of the dawn! Thou hast been cut down to earth, O weakener of nations.

World English Bible WEB

How you have fallen from heaven, shining one, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low!

Noah Webster Bible WBS

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!

Douay-Rheims 1899 DRV

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? how art thou fallen to the earth, that didst wound the nations?

Translation for Translators T4T

You have disappeared from the earth like [MET] a star which has fallen from the sky; you were very well-known like [MET] the morning star which is seen by everyone; you destroyed many nations, but now you have been destroyed.

Study Highlights

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Berean Amplified Bible — Isaiah 14:12

BAB
Word Study

Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.

Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.

Isaiah 14:12 Interlinear (Deep Study)

BIB
HEB אֵ֛יךְ נָפַ֥לְתָּ מִ/שָּׁמַ֖יִם הֵילֵ֣ל בֶּן שָׁ֑חַר נִגְדַּ֣עְתָּ לָ/אָ֔רֶץ חוֹלֵ֖שׁ עַל גּוֹיִֽם
אֵ֛יךְ ʼêyk H349 how? Part
נָפַ֥לְתָּ nâphal H5307 to fall V-Qal-Perf-2ms
מִ/שָּׁמַ֖יִם shâmayim H8064 heaven Prep | N-mp
הֵילֵ֣ל hêylêl H1966 Day Star N-ms
בֶּן bên H1121 son N-ms
שָׁ֑חַר shachar H7837 dawn N-ms
נִגְדַּ֣עְתָּ gâdaʻ H1438 to cut down/off V-Niphal-Perf-2ms
לָ/אָ֔רֶץ ʼerets H776 land Prep | N-cs
חוֹלֵ֖שׁ châlash H2522 to weaken V-Qal
עַל ʻal H5921 upon Prep
גּוֹיִֽם gôwy H1471 Gentile N-mp
Hebrew Word Study

Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.

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Hebrew Word Reference — Isaiah 14:12

אֵ֛יךְ ʼêyk H349 "how?" Part
In the Bible, this word means 'how' or 'where', like in Genesis when God asks Adam 'where are you'. It's also used to express surprise or excitement.
Definition: interrog adv how?
Usage: Occurs in 74 OT verses. KJV: how, what. See also: Genesis 26:9; Ecclesiastes 2:16; Psalms 11:1.
נָפַ֥לְתָּ nâphal H5307 "to fall" V-Qal-Perf-2ms
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to fall, and it's used in many ways, like falling down, failing, or being defeated. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah. God's people often fell away from Him, but He always offered a way back.
Definition: : fall/drop/fail 1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to fall 1a2) to fall (of violent death) 1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before 1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of 1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result 1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to 1a7) to lie, lie prostrate 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate 1b2) to overthrow 1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot 1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.) 1b5) to cause to fall 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to throw or prostrate oneself, throw oneself upon 1c2) to lie prostrate, prostrate oneself 1d) (Pilel) to fall
Usage: Occurs in 403 OT verses. KJV: be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for H6419 (פָּלַל)), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be ([idiom] hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, [idiom] surely, throw down. See also: Genesis 2:21; 1 Samuel 17:52; Esther 9:3.
מִ/שָּׁמַ֖יִם shâmayim H8064 "heaven" Prep | N-mp
The Hebrew word for heaven or sky, it refers to the visible universe and the abode of God. It is often used in the Bible to describe the dwelling place of celestial bodies.
Definition: 1) heaven, heavens, sky 1a) visible heavens, sky 1a1) as abode of the stars 1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc 1b) Heaven (as the abode of God) Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)
Usage: Occurs in 395 OT verses. KJV: air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s). See also: Genesis 1:1; 1 Samuel 2:10; Job 28:21.
הֵילֵ֣ל hêylêl H1966 "Day Star" N-ms
The Hebrew word for the morning star, also known as Lucifer, which means 'light-bearer'. It is used to describe the king of Babylon and Satan. In the KJV, it is translated as 'lucifer'.
Definition: Lucifer = "light-bearer" 1) shining one, morning star, Lucifer 1a) of the king of Babylon and Satan (fig.) 2) (TWOT) 'Helel' describing the king of Babylon
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: lucifer. See also: Isaiah 14:12.
בֶּן bên H1121 "son" N-ms
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Definition: : child/son
Usage: Occurs in 3653 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. See also: Genesis 3:16; Genesis 23:3; Genesis 34:18.
שָׁ֑חַר shachar H7837 "dawn" N-ms
Dawn, or the beginning of a new day, is described in the Bible as a time of new light and hope. It first appears in Genesis 1:5, describing the first day of creation. This concept is also used figuratively to describe a new beginning.
Definition: 1) dawn 1a) dawn 1b) at dawn (as adverb)
Usage: Occurs in 24 OT verses. KJV: day(-spring), early, light, morning, whence riseth. See also: Genesis 19:15; Psalms 108:3; Psalms 22:1.
נִגְדַּ֣עְתָּ gâdaʻ H1438 "to cut down/off" V-Niphal-Perf-2ms
This Hebrew word means to cut down or destroy something, like a tree. It is used in various forms throughout the Bible.
Definition: 1) to cut, hew, chop, cut down, hew down, hew off, cut off, cut in two, shave off 1a) (Qal) to hew, chop in two 1b) (Niphal) to be chopped off, be hewn off 1c) (Piel) to cut off or down in two, hew off or down in two 1d) (Pual) to chop down, hew down
Usage: Occurs in 22 OT verses. KJV: cut (asunder, in sunder, down, off), hew down. See also: Deuteronomy 7:5; Isaiah 10:33; Psalms 75:11.
לָ/אָ֔רֶץ ʼerets H776 "land" Prep | N-cs
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Definition: : soil 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth 1e) (almost wholly late in usage) 1e1) lands, countries 1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
Usage: Occurs in 2190 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 42:13.
חוֹלֵ֖שׁ châlash H2522 "to weaken" V-Qal
To weaken means to make someone or something frail, like disabling an enemy in war. It can also mean to decay or waste away over time.
Definition: 1) to be weak, be prostrate 1a) (Qal) to be prostrate 2) to weaken, disable, prostrate 2a) (Qal) to disable, prostrate
Usage: Occurs in 3 OT verses. KJV: discomfit, waste away, weaken. See also: Exodus 17:13; Job 14:10; Isaiah 14:12.
עַל ʻal H5921 "upon" Prep
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Definition: prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative)
Usage: Occurs in 4493 OT verses. KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 24:13; Genesis 41:33.
גּוֹיִֽם gôwy H1471 "Gentile" N-mp
This word refers to a Gentile, someone who is not Hebrew or Israeli. It can also describe a large group of animals or a nation of people, emphasizing their unity and shared identity.
Definition: 1) nation, people 1a) nation, people 1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people 1a2) of descendants of Abraham 1a3) of Israel 1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.) 1c) Goyim? = "nations" Also named: ethnos (ἔθνος "Gentiles" G1484)
Usage: Occurs in 511 OT verses. KJV: Gentile, heathen, nation, people. See also: Genesis 10:5; Judges 4:16; Psalms 2:1.

Study Notes — Isaiah 14:12

Show Verse Quote Highlights

Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1 Ezekiel 28:13–17 You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold, prepared on the day of your creation. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for I had ordained you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones. From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways— until wickedness was found in you. By the vastness of your trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mountain of God, and I banished you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart grew proud of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor; so I cast you to the earth; I made you a spectacle before kings.
2 Revelation 12:7–10 Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels. And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down— he who accuses them day and night before our God.
3 Luke 10:18 So He told them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
4 Revelation 8:10 Then the third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star burning like a torch fell from heaven and landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.
5 Isaiah 34:4 All the stars of heaven will be dissolved. The skies will be rolled up like a scroll, and all their stars will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like foliage from the fig tree.
6 2 Peter 1:19 We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
7 Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”
8 Revelation 2:28 And I will give him the morning star.
9 Isaiah 14:4–6 you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended! The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers. It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows; it subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution.
10 2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;

Isaiah 14:12 Summary

This verse is talking about the fall of Satan, who was once a beautiful and glorious angel in heaven. But because of his pride and desire to be like God, he was cast down to the ground, as also described in Luke 10:18 and Revelation 12:9. This serves as a warning to us about the dangers of pride and the importance of humility, as seen in Proverbs 16:18 and 1 Peter 5:6. By remembering Satan's fall, we can be mindful of our own tendency towards pride and seek to humble ourselves before God, as seen in James 4:10.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the 'day star, son of the dawn' in Isaiah 14:12?

The 'day star, son of the dawn' refers to Satan, the fallen angel, as also described in Ezekiel 28:12-19 and Revelation 12:7-9. This title signifies his original beauty and glory before his fall from heaven.

What does it mean to be 'cut down to the ground'?

Being 'cut down to the ground' means to be brought low and humbled, as seen in the downfall of Satan and other proud nations, such as in Daniel 4:37 and Proverbs 16:18.

Why is Satan called the 'destroyer of nations'?

Satan is called the 'destroyer of nations' because he works to bring about the downfall and chaos of nations, as seen in his influence over worldly kingdoms, such as in 1 John 5:19 and Revelation 20:3.

How does this verse relate to the rest of the chapter?

This verse is part of a larger passage that describes the fall of Babylon and the pride of its king, but it also has a deeper application to the fall of Satan, as seen in the parallels between Isaiah 14:13-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-19.

Reflection Questions

  1. What are some ways that I have seen Satan's influence as the 'destroyer of nations' in my own world and community?
  2. How can I avoid the same kind of pride and arrogance that led to Satan's fall from heaven, as described in 1 Timothy 3:6?
  3. In what ways can I practically 'resist the devil' and his schemes, as described in James 4:7 and 1 Peter 5:8-9?
  4. What does it mean for me to 'humble myself before God' and avoid the kind of pride that leads to a fall, as seen in Proverbs 22:4 and Matthew 23:12?

Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 14:12

How art thou fallen from heaven,.... This is not to be understood of the fall of Satan, and the apostate angels, from their first estate, when they were cast down from heaven to hell, though there

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 14:12

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! -The Jews address him again as a fallen once-bright star.

Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 14:12

From heaven; from the height of thy glory and royal majesty. As kings are sometimes called gods in Scripture, so their palaces and thrones may be fitly called their heavens. O Lucifer; which properly is a bright and eminent star, which ushers in the sun and the morning; but is here metaphorically taken for the high and mighty king of Babylon. And it is a very usual thing, both in prophetical and in profane writers, to describe the princes and potentates of the world under the title of the sun or stars of heaven. Some understand this place of the devil; to whom indeed it may be mystically applied; but as he is never called by this name in Scripture, so it cannot be literally meant of him, but of the king of Babylon, as is undeniably evident from the whole context, which certainly speaks of one and the same person, and describes him as plainly as words can do it. Son of the morning: the title of son is given in Scripture not only to a person or thing begotten or produced by another, but also in general to any thing which is any way related to another; in which sense we read of a son of stripes, , the son of a night, , a son of perdition, , and, which is more agreeable to the present case, the sons of Arcturus, .

Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 14:12

Isaiah 14:12 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!Ver. 12. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer!] That is, not O Belzeebub, as some ancients, but, O Belshazzar rather, called Lucifer here, or the morning star, for his beauty and brightness; and as much wonder it was to see the Chaldean monarch at such an under, as to have seen Lucifer, the sun’ s constant companion, fallen from heaven. He was the terror of the world, and, as he thought, superior to fortune; yet a sudden and dismal change befell him. In the chariot of the Roman triumpher, there hung up a little bell and a whip, to put him in mind he might one day be whipped as a slave, or as an offender lose his head. Nemo confidat mimium secundis. Let no one rely on the least favours.

Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 14:12

(12) How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!—The word for Lucifer is, literally, the shining one, the planet Venus, the morning star, the son of the dawn, as the symbol of the Babylonian power, which was so closely identified with astrolatry. “Lucifer” etymologically gives the same meaning, and is used by Latin poets (Tibull. i., 10, 62) for Venus, as an equivalent for the phôsphoros of the Greeks. The use of the word, however, in mediæval Latin as a name of Satan, whose fall was supposed to be shadowed forth in this and the following verse, makes its selection here singularly unfortunate. Few English readers realise the fact that it is the king of Babylon, and not the devil, who is addressed as Lucifer. While this has been the history of the Latin word, its Greek and English equivalents have risen to a higher place, and the “morning star” has become a name of the Christ (Revelation 22:16).

Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 14:12

Verse 12. O Lucifer, son of the morning] The Versions in general agree in this translation, and render הילל heilel as signifying Lucifer, Φωσφωρος, the morning star, whether Jupiter or Venus; as these are both bringers of the morning light, or morning stars, annually in their turn. And although the context speaks explicitly concerning Nebuchadnezzar, yet this has been, I know not why, applied to the chief of the fallen angels, who is most incongruously denominated Lucifer, (the bringer of light!) an epithet as common to him as those of Satan and Devil. That the Holy Spirit by his prophets should call this arch-enemy of God and man the light-bringer, would be strange indeed. But the truth is, the text speaks nothing at all concerning Satan nor his fall, nor the occasion of that fall, which many divines have with great confidence deduced from this text. O how necessary it is to understand the literal meaning of Scripture, that preposterous comments may be prevented! Besides, I doubt much whether our translation be correct. הילל heilel, which we translate Lucifer, comes from ילל yalal, yell, howl, or shriek, and should be translated, "Howl, son of the morning;" and so the Syriac has understood it; and for this meaning Michaelis contends: see his reasons in Parkhurst, under הלל halal.

Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 14:12

4b—21. The song of triumph over the king of Babylon is one of the finest specimens of Hebrew poetry which the Old Testament contains. A division into five strophes, each containing seven long lines, is distinctly recognisable, and the occasional deviations from strict symmetry of form are probably due to defects in the text.

Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 14:12

How art thou fallen from heaven - A new image is presented here. It is that of the bright morning star; and a comparison of the once magnificent monarch with that beautiful star.

Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 14:12

12. Fallen from heaven — A new image is now introduced, but felicitously appropriate, on account of the early date of Babylonian culture, reaching into far primeval times, and of a predominant astrological character.

Sermons on Isaiah 14:12

SermonDescription
Major Ian Thomas Man as You Are by Major Ian Thomas In this sermon, the preacher begins by discussing man in his innocence and perfection, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ. However, the focus of the sermon shifts to man as he is, hig
Chuck Smith (The Word for Today) Isaiah 14:12 - Part 1 by Chuck Smith In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith discusses the importance of standing up for righteousness in a fallen world. He uses the example of Daniel from the book of Daniel in the Bible,
Chuck Smith (The Word for Today) Isaiah 14:12 - Part 3 by Chuck Smith In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith discusses the importance of standing up for righteousness in a fallen world. He uses the example of Daniel, a young man who took a stand for God
Major Ian Thomas Adam's Conversion by Major Ian Thomas In this sermon, the preacher describes the human spirit as a royal residence created by God. The human personality, consisting of the mind, emotion, and will, is compared to a musi
J. Vernon McGee (Genesis) Genesis 1:2 by J. Vernon McGee In this sermon, the speaker discusses the belief that a great catastrophe occurred between verses 1 and 2 of the Bible. They argue that there is evidence to support this, as the ea
Norman Grubb Where We Begin by Norman Grubb In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of slavery and how it has been the eternal purpose of God. He explains that as humans, we have been enslaved to our flesh and hav
Major Ian Thomas Adam's Conversion - the Fall of Man by Major Ian Thomas In this sermon, the preacher describes the human spirit as a royal residence created by God. The human personality, consisting of the mind, emotion, and will, is compared to a musi
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