Amplified Bible
Isaiah 14:17
17Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not permit his prisoners to return home?’
Isaiah 14:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
- New International Version (NIV)the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?'
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’
Context of Isaiah 14:17
15But [in fact] you will be brought down to Sheol, To the remote recesses of the pit (the region of the dead). 16Those who see you will gaze at you, They will consider you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not permit his prisoners to return home?’ 18All the kings of the nations, all of them lie [dead] in glorious array, Each one in his own sepulcher. 19But you [king of Babylon] have been cast out of your tomb (denied burial) Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced by the sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit [into which carcasses are thrown], Like a dead body trampled [underfoot].
Read all of Isaiah 14Isaiah 14:17 word by word
שָׂ֥ם תֵּבֵ֛ל כַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר וְעָרָ֣יו הָרָ֑ס אֲסִירָ֖יו לֹא־פָ֥תַח בָּֽיְתָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- madeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- the worldתֵּבֵלtêbêl · worldH8398
- as a wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- and destroyedהָרַסhâras · to overthrowH2040
- the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- openedפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
- not the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- of his prisonersאָסִיר'âsîyr · prisonerH615
Cross-references for Isaiah 14:17
- Isaiah 13:19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.
- Isaiah 64:10Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
- Ezekiel 6:14And I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land a more desolate waste than the wilderness toward Diblah [the Moabite city], throughout all the places where they live; and they will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord.” ’ ”
- Joel 2:3Before them a fire devours, And behind them a flame burns; Before them the land is like the Garden of Eden, But behind them a desolate wilderness; And nothing at all escapes them.
- Zephaniah 2:13And the Lord will stretch out His hand against the north And destroy Assyria, And He will make Nineveh a desolation [a wasteland], Parched as the desert.
- Isaiah 45:13I have stirred up Cyrus and put him into action in righteousness [to accomplish My purpose] And I will make all his ways smooth; He will build My city and let My exiles go, Without any payment or reward,” says the Lord of hosts.
- Isaiah 58:6[Rather] is this not the fast which I choose, To undo the bonds of wickedness, To tear to pieces the ropes of the yoke, To let the oppressed go free And break apart every [enslaving] yoke?
- 2 Chronicles 28:8And the sons of Israel led away captive 200,000 of their kinsmen [of Judah]—women, sons, and daughters—and they also took a great quantity of spoil from them and brought it to Samaria.
- Ezra 1:2“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Commentaries on Isaiah 14:17
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17That made the world as a wilderness - That made cities and kingdoms desolate. That opened not the house of his prisoners - This is a description of his oppression and cruelty. Of course many prisoners would be taken in war. Instead of giving them liberty, he threw them into prison and kept them there. This may be rendered, his prisoners he did not release that they might return home‘ (see the Margin). The Chaldee renders it, To his prisoners he did not…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-17This is a restatement of 14:9–11. The spirits in the place of the dead will be surprised and amazed that the Babylonian king, who ruled the world with his merciless might, has absolutely no power in death.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. opened not ... house ... prisoners--But Maurer, as Margin, "Did not let his captives loose homewards."Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 14:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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