Focused Passage

Isaiah 14:16-23

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

16 Those who see you will stare; they will ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made the kingdoms tremble,

17 who turned the world into a desert and destroyed its cities, who refused to let the captives return to their homes?”

18 All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb.

19 But you are cast out of your grave like a rejected branch, covered by those slain with the sword, and dumped into a rocky pit like a carcass trampled underfoot.

20 You will not join them in burial, since you have destroyed your land and slaughtered your own people. The offspring of the wicked will never again be mentioned.

21 Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the iniquities of their forefathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or cover the earth with their cities.

22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will cut off from Babylon her name and her remnant, her offspring and her posterity,” declares the LORD.

23 “I will make her a place for owls and for swamplands; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 16

Original words

Those who see you רֹאֶ֙יךָ֙ H7200 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular will stare יַשְׁגִּ֔יחוּ H7688 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural - אֵלֶ֣יךָ H413 Preposition | second person masculine singular they will ponder יִתְבּוֹנָ֑נוּ H995 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine plural your fate אֵלֶ֖יךָ H413 Preposition | second person masculine singular Is this הֲזֶ֤ה H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular the man הָאִישׁ֙ H376 Article | Noun - masculine singular who shook מַרְגִּ֣יז H7264 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular the earth הָאָ֔רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular [and] made the kingdoms מַמְלָכֽוֹת׃ H4467 Noun - feminine plural tremble מַרְעִ֖ישׁ H7493 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Verse 17

Original words

who turned שָׂ֥ם H7760 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular the world תֵּבֵ֛ל H8398 Noun - feminine singular into a desert כַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר H4057 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular and destroyed הָרָ֑ס H2040 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular its cities וְעָרָ֣יו H5892 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular who refused לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to let פָ֥תַח H6605 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular the captives אֲסִירָ֖יו H615 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular return to their homes בָּֽיְתָה׃ H1004 Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Verse 18

Original words

All כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the kings מַלְכֵ֥י H4428 Noun - masculine plural construct of the nations גוֹיִ֖ם H1471 Noun - masculine plural . . . כֻּלָּ֑ם H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural lie שָׁכְב֥וּ H7901 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural in state בְכָב֖וֹד H3519 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular each אִ֥ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular in his own tomb בְּבֵיתֽוֹ׃ H1004 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Hebrew house
Verse 19

Original words

But you וְאַתָּ֞ה H859 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singular are cast out הָשְׁלַ֤כְתָּ H7993 Verb - Hofal - Perfect - second person masculine singular of your grave מִֽקִּבְרְךָ֙ H6913 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular like a rejected נִתְעָ֔ב H8581 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular branch כְּנֵ֣צֶר H5342 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular covered לְב֥וּשׁ H3830 Noun - masculine singular construct by those slain הֲרֻגִ֖ים H2026 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural . . . מְטֹ֣עֲנֵי H2944 Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine plural construct with the sword חָ֑רֶב H2719 Noun - feminine singular and dumped יוֹרְדֵ֥י H3381 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct into אֶל־ H413 Preposition a rocky אַבְנֵי־ H68 Noun - feminine plural construct pit ב֖וֹר H953 Noun - masculine singular like a carcass כְּפֶ֥גֶר H6297 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular trampled underfoot מוּבָֽס׃ H947 Verb - Hofal - Participle - masculine singular
Verse 20

Original words

You will not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle join them תֵחַ֤ד H3161 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular . . . אִתָּם֙ H854 Preposition | third person masculine plural in burial בִּקְבוּרָ֔ה H6900 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular since כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction you have destroyed שִׁחַ֖תָּ H7843 Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular your land אַרְצְךָ֥ H776 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular and slaughtered הָרָ֑גְתָּ H2026 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular your own people עַמְּךָ֣ H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular The offspring זֶ֥רַע H2233 Noun - masculine singular construct of the wicked מְרֵעִֽים׃ H7489 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural will never again לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle . . . לְעוֹלָ֖ם H5769 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular be mentioned יִקָּרֵ֥א H7121 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 21

Original words

Prepare הָכִ֧ינוּ H3559 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural a place to slaughter מַטְבֵּ֖חַ H4293 Noun - masculine singular his sons לְבָנָ֛יו H1121 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular for the iniquities בַּעֲוֺ֣ן H5771 Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct of their forefathers אֲבוֹתָ֑ם H1 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural They will never בַּל־ H1077 Adverb rise up יָקֻ֙מוּ֙ H6965 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural to possess וְיָ֣רְשׁוּ H3423 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural a land אָ֔רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular or cover פְנֵֽי־ H6440 Noun - masculine plural construct the earth תֵבֵ֖ל H8398 Noun - feminine singular with their וּמָלְא֥וּ H4390 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural cities עָרִֽים׃ H5892 Noun - feminine plural
Verse 22

Original words

I will rise up וְקַמְתִּ֣י H6965 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular against them עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם H5921 Preposition | third person masculine plural declares נְאֻ֖ם H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָא֑וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural I will cut off וְהִכְרַתִּ֨י H3772 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular from Babylon לְבָבֶ֜ל H894 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular her name שֵׁ֥ם H8034 Noun - masculine singular and her remnant וּשְׁאָ֛ר H7605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular her offspring וְנִ֥ין H5209 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular and her posterity וָנֶ֖כֶד H5220 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 23

Original words

I will make her וְשַׂמְתִּ֛יהָ H7760 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular a place לְמוֹרַ֥שׁ H4180 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct for owls קִפֹּ֖ד H7090 Noun - masculine singular and for swamplands וְאַגְמֵי־ H98 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct . . . מָ֑יִם H4325 Noun - masculine plural I will sweep her away וְטֵֽאטֵאתִ֙יהָ֙ H2894 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular with the broom בְּמַטְאֲטֵ֣א H4292 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of destruction הַשְׁמֵ֔ד H8045 Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute declares נְאֻ֖ם H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָאֽוֹת׃פ H6635 Noun - common plural

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.