Isaiah 14

Isaiah 14:1

Isaiah: God controls the nations God’s plans for Judah, Assyria and Egypt An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Isaiah chapters 10 to 20 www.easyenglish.info Norman Hillyer This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

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Chapter 14 The *Lord’s people will come home v1 The *Lord will pity the people from Israel. He will again choose them to be his special people. He will bring them back to their own country. And now foreigners will want to join them as part of the *Lord’s special people. v2 Foreigners will lead the people back home to Israel. And the people from Israel will use the foreigners as male and female slaves in the *Lord’s country. The people from Israel will now have authority over those who once ruled them so cruelly.

Verse 1

The people from Israel had suffered because they did not obey the *Lord. But now their punishment is complete. So now the *Lord will again choose the people from Israel to have a special relationship with him. The *Lord will arrange for their return home to their own land. Babylon had merely been God’s agent to punish Israel. Babylon’s end will mean freedom for God’s people.

Verse 2

Former slaves (the people from Israel) will exchange roles with their former masters (the people from Babylon). The fate of the king of Babylon v3 The *Lord will bring relief from pain to his people. He will bring them relief from what they suffered as slaves. v4 Then they will laugh at the powerful king of Babylon when they sing this song:

  ‘See how that cruel criminal has come to his end!

 He will never attack us again.’

v5-6 The *Lord has broken the power of the evil rulers. They struck whole nations with angry blows. They never stopped their cruelty to the inhabitants. v7 Everywhere there is now peace. All nations are singing with joy. v8 Even the great trees in Lebanon seem to be glad. Since the king died, nobody has chopped them.

v9 *Sheol is very excited. The spirits of dead rulers know that the spirit of the dead king of Babylon is coming to join them. v10 They will say to him, ‘Now you are just as weak as any of us! v11 Your proud power and your music have ended here in *Sheol. You lie on a bed of *worms. And *worms cover you like a blanket. v12 How you have fallen from the sky, you bright Morning Star! In the past you overcame other nations. Now you have suffered the same fate. God has chopped you to the ground, just as men cut down a tree.

v13 You proudly said to yourself, “I shall climb up to heaven. I shall place my royal seat above the highest stars. I shall sit with the gods, far away in the north. v14 I shall be above the clouds, just like God Most High.”

v15 But instead, God has sent you to the deepest part of *Sheol.’

v16 Those who see you will stare at you. This is the man who made the world tremble. This is the man who shook countries. v17 He overcame cities. He made the earth a desert. He is the cruel king who refused to let prisoners go home.

v18 When kings die, men bury them with honour in a splendid royal grave. v19 But nobody will bury you. You will be just another dead body, like a dead branch on the ground. You will be like dead soldiers after a battle. People throw the bodies into a hole, one on top of another. v20 Men will not bury you with honour, as they have buried other kings. Because it was your own land that you ruined. It was your own people that you murdered.

No son of yours will ever be king. v21 We shall kill your sons. We shall make them pay for the crimes of their father. Your sons will never *seize the world. They will not build new cities everywhere, as you did. v22-23 The *Lord will ruin the city called Babylon, so that it is merely a home for wild animals. And he will flood the country that surrounds the city.

Verse 8

The evil rulers had been using masses of wood for fuel and when they attacked the walls of cities. They had no consideration for the future. Trees need years to grow.

Verse 11

The ‘music’ of those who had been wicked rulers refers to their former comfortable life of luxury. Instead of magnificent meals, the body of the king will himself become food for *worms.

Verses 12-15

Many readers have seen in these verses a reference to the future punishment of Satan (the devil).

Verse 12

The ‘Morning Star’ is far brighter than anything else in the sky at dawn. This impressive description shows the proud ambition of the king of Babylon. He wanted to be as great as God in heaven.

Verse 13

‘Far away in the north’ refers to the sacred mountain called Zephon in northern Syria. The former inhabitants of *Canaan believed that all the gods met there. The proud king of Babylon thought that he was as great as any god. He supposed himself to be a god because he was the most important king in the world.

Verse 14

The king of Babylon’s determination to *seize complete power made him act madly. He even stole the property of his own people. And he killed anyone who tried to oppose him.

Verse 21

The king’s own sons would suffer because of their father’s wicked behaviour (see Exodus 34:7). God will also punish Assyria v24 The *Lord (commander of heaven’s armies) makes a serious promise. ‘All will happen, *exactly as I have arranged. What I have decided to do, I shall certainly carry out. v25 I shall break up the *Assyrians who have been occupying my special land. They shall become like dirt upon my mountains. And my people shall never again be their slaves. v26 This is the plan that I have decided for the whole earth. I have raised my hand against all nations.’ v27 The *Lord (commander of heaven’s armies) has prepared his plan. Nobody can stop it. He lifts his hand. He is ready to strike. Nobody can oppose him.

Verse 25

This probably refers to the intention of the *Assyrian army to attack Judah in 701 *BC (see 2 Kings chapter 19).

Verses 26-27

‘Lifts his hand’: see my note on 9:12. God will also punish the *Philistines v28 A special message from God came to Isaiah in the year when Ahaz king of Judah died. v29 Do not be glad, all you *Philistines! Once it seemed as if a heavy stick was striking you. You are glad because now that heavy stick has broken. But that heavy stick will become like a poisonous snake. And that snake will turn into something *fiery that flies. v30 The very poorest of my people will live in safety. And they will be able to feed their sheep in my green fields.

But you *Philistines will starve. And I shall kill any that remain. v31 Cry aloud in the city! Shout for help! All the *Philistines tremble with fear! A cloud of dust is coming from the north. Another powerful army is approaching.

Every enemy soldier is ready to attack. v32 What shall we say to *messengers that come to us from the *Philistines? Tell them that *Jerusalem is the *Lord’s foundation. Even the poorest of his people will find safety and security there.

Verse 28

Ahaz died in 716 *BC.

Verse 29

The ‘heavy stick’ is a picture in words of an enemy’s attack. God warns the *Philistines that something even worse than the *Assyrian attack is coming.

Verse 32

People will never find real safety in great armies. They will only find real safety in the great *Lord God.

© 2006-2007, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

February 2007

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var w2 = new Array;w2[0]=’<b%3ELord</b%3E ~ God’s name in the Bible. In the original language, God’s names mean ‘head over all’ and ‘God always’.’;w2[1]=’<b%3ESheol</b%3E ~ the place where Jews thought that dead persons went.