God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 14:17
17who made the world like a desert and tore down its cities, who didn’t let his prisoners go 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 you’ve been brought down to Sheol, to the deepest part of the pit. 16Those who see you stare at you; they look at you closely and say, “Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook the kingdoms, who made the world like a desert and tore down its cities, who didn’t let his prisoners go home?” 18All the kings of the nations, all of them, have been buried with honor, each in his own tomb. 19But you are thrown out of your tomb like a rejected branch. You are covered with those who were killed in battle. You go down to the stones of the pit like a trampled corpse.
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 13:19Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the proud beauty of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed them.
- Isaiah 64:10Your holy cities have become a desert. Zion has become a desert. Jerusalem is a wasteland.
- Ezekiel 6:14I will use my power against them and destroy the land, from the desert to Diblah. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
- Joel 2:3In front of this army a fire burns. Behind it flames are blazing. In front of it the land is like the garden of Eden. Behind it the land is like a barren desert. Nothing escapes it!
- Zephaniah 2:13The Lord will use his power against the north and destroy Assyria. He will turn Nineveh into a deserted ruin, a dried up wasteland like the desert.
- Isaiah 45:13I prepared Cyrus for my righteous purpose. I will make all his roads straight. He will build my city and let my exiles go free without any payment or any reward, says the Lord of Armies.
- Isaiah 58:6This is the kind of fasting I have chosen: Loosen the chains of wickedness, untie the straps of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke.
- 2 Chronicles 28:8The Israelites captured 200,000 women, boys, and girls from their relatives ⌞the Judeans⌟. They also took a lot of goods from Judah and brought them to Samaria.
- Ezra 1:2This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the world. Then he ordered me to build a temple for him in 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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