Focused Passage

Isaiah 14:1-8

The Fall of Babylon’s King, the LORD’s Unbreakable Purpose, and the Oracle Against Philistia

The chapter moves from the LORD’s compassion and restoration of Jacob, to Israel’s rest from bondage, to a taunt against the king of Babylon, to the descent of the proud oppressor into Sheol, to the exposure of his failed ambition to ascend above God, to his dishonored end, to the LORD’s decree against Babylon’s descendants, to the LORD’s purpose against Assyria, and finally to the warning against Philistia and the security of Zion.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again He will choose Israel and settle them in their own land. The foreigner will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.

2 The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.

3 On the day that the LORD gives you rest from your pain and torment, and from the hard labor into which you were forced,

4 you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended!

5 The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers.

6 It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows; it subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution.

7 All the earth is at peace and at rest; they break out in song.

8 Even the cypresses and cedars of Lebanon exult over you: “Since you have been laid low, no woodcutter comes against us.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

For כִּי֩ H3588 Conjunction the LORD יְהוָ֜ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶֽת־ H853 Direct object marker will have compassion יְרַחֵ֨ם H7355 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular on Jacob יַעֲקֹ֗ב H3290 Noun - proper - masculine singular once again עוֹד֙ H5750 Adverb He will choose וּבָחַ֥ר H977 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Israel בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל H3478 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular and settle them וְהִנִּיחָ֖ם H5117 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural in עַל־ H5921 Preposition their own land אַדְמָתָ֑ם H127 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural The foreigner הַגֵּר֙ H1616 Article | Noun - masculine singular will join them וְנִלְוָ֤ה H3867 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular and unite וְנִסְפְּח֖וּ H5596 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural . . . עַל־ H5921 Preposition with עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם H5921 Preposition | third person masculine plural the house בֵּ֥ית H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct of Jacob יַעֲקֹֽב׃ H3290 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 2

Original words

The nations עַמִּים֮ H5971 Noun - masculine plural will escort [Israel] וּלְקָח֣וּם H3947 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine plural and bring וֶהֱבִיא֣וּם H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine plural it to אֶל־ H413 Preposition its homeland מְקוֹמָם֒ H4725 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Then the house בֵּֽית־ H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular will possess [the nations] וְהִֽתְנַחֲל֣וּם H5157 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine plural as menservants לַעֲבָדִ֖ים H5650 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural and maidservants וְלִשְׁפָח֑וֹת H8198 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural in עַ֚ל H5921 Preposition the LORD’s יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular land אַדְמַ֣ת H127 Noun - feminine singular construct They will make וְהָיוּ֙ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural captives שֹׁבִ֣ים H7617 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural of their captors לְשֹֽׁבֵיהֶ֔ם H7617 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural and rule וְרָד֖וּ H7287 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural over their oppressors בְּנֹגְשֵׂיהֶֽם׃ס H5065 Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 3

Original words

- וְהָיָ֗ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular On the day that בְּי֨וֹם H3117 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular gives you rest הָנִ֤יחַ H5117 Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct . . . לְךָ֔ Preposition | second person masculine singular from וּמִן־ H4480 Conjunctive waw | Preposition your pain מֵֽעָצְבְּךָ֖ H6090 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and torment וּמֵרָגְזֶ֑ךָ H7267 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and from the hard הַקָּשָׁ֖ה H7186 Article | Adjective - feminine singular labor הָעֲבֹדָ֥ה H5656 Article | Noun - feminine singular into which אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative you were forced עֻבַּד־ H5647 Verb - QalPass - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

you will sing וְנָשָׂ֜אתָ H5375 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular this הַזֶּ֛ה H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular song of contempt הַמָּשָׁ֥ל H4912 Article | Noun - masculine singular against עַל־ H5921 Preposition the king מֶ֥לֶךְ H4428 Noun - masculine singular construct of Babylon בָּבֶ֖ל H894 Noun - proper - feminine singular - וְאָמָ֑רְתָּ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular How אֵ֚יךְ H349 Interjection the oppressor נֹגֵ֔שׂ H5065 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular has ceased שָׁבַ֣ת H7673 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular and how his fury מַדְהֵבָֽה׃ H4062 Noun - feminine singular has ended שָׁבְתָ֖ה H7673 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular

BSB notes

  • DSS, LXX, and Syriac; MT the golden city
Verse 5

Original words

The LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular has broken שָׁבַ֥ר H7665 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular the staff מַטֵּ֣ה H4294 Noun - masculine singular construct of the wicked רְשָׁעִ֑ים H7563 Adjective - masculine plural the scepter שֵׁ֖בֶט H7626 Noun - masculine singular construct of the rulers מֹשְׁלִֽים׃ H4910 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Verse 6

Original words

It struck מַכֶּ֤ה H5221 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular the peoples עַמִּים֙ H5971 Noun - masculine plural in anger בְּעֶבְרָ֔ה H5678 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular with unceasing בִּלְתִּ֣י H1115 Preposition . . . סָרָ֑ה H5627 Noun - feminine singular blows מַכַּ֖ת H4347 Noun - feminine singular construct it subdued רֹדֶ֤ה H7287 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular the nations גּוֹיִ֔ם H1471 Noun - masculine plural in rage בָאַף֙ H639 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular with relentless בְּלִ֥י H1097 Adverb . . . חָשָֽׂךְ׃ H2820 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular persecution מֻרְדָּ֖ף H4783 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 7

Original words

All כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the earth הָאָ֑רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular is at peace שָׁקְטָ֖ה H8252 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular and at rest נָ֥חָה H5117 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular they break out פָּצְח֖וּ H6476 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural in song רִנָּֽה׃ H7440 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 8

Original words

Even גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction the cypresses בְּרוֹשִׁ֛ים H1265 Noun - masculine plural and cedars אַרְזֵ֣י H730 Noun - masculine plural construct of Lebanon לְבָנ֑וֹן H3844 Noun - proper - feminine singular exult שָׂמְח֥וּ H8055 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural over you לְךָ֖ Preposition | second person masculine singular Since מֵאָ֣ז H227 Preposition-m | Adverb you have been laid low שָׁכַ֔בְתָּ H7901 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular no לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle woodcutter הַכֹּרֵ֖ת H3772 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular comes יַעֲלֶ֥ה H5927 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular against us עָלֵֽינוּ׃ H5921 Preposition | first person common plural

BSB notes

  • Or pines or junipers or firs

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.