Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 14

Verse 1

14:1 For {a} the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers {b} shall be joined with them, and they shall 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.

Verse 2

14:2 And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for {c} servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, 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 .

Verse 6

14:6 He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, [and] {d} none hindereth.

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

Verse 7

14:7 The whole earth is at {e} rest, [and] is quiet: they break forth into singing.

(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.

Verse 9

14:9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to {f} meet [thee] at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, [even] all the chief ones of the earth; it hath 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.

Verse 11

14:11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, [and] the noise of thy viols: the worm {g} is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

(g) Instead of your costly carpets and coverings.

Verse 12

14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O {h} Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

(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.

Verse 13

14:13 For thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the {i} north:

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

Verse 16

14:16 They that see thee shall narrowly {k} look upon thee, [and] consider thee, [saying, Is] this the man that made the earth to tremble, that shook kingdoms;

(k) In marvelling at you.

Verse 17

14:17 [That] made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed its cities; [that] opened not {l} the house of his prisoners?

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

Verse 19

14:19 But thou art {m} cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, [and as] the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

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

Verse 21

14:21 {n} Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they may not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

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

Verse 25

14:25 {o} That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off {p} them, and his burden depart from off 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.

Verse 28

14:28 In the year that king Ahaz died was this {q} burden.

(q) Read Geneva "Isaiah 13:1"

Verse 29

14:29 Rejoice not thou, all {r} Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth an adder, and his fruit [shall be] a fiery flying serpent.

(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.

Verse 30

14:30 And the {s} firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and {t} he shall slay thy remnant.

(s) The Israelites who were brought to most extreme misery.

(t) That is, my people.

Verse 31

14:31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, all Palestina, [art] dissolved: for there shall come from the {u} north a smoke, and none [shall be] {x} alone in his appointed times.

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

Verse 32

14:32 What shall [one] then answer the {y} messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded {z} Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

(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.