God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 14:9
9Sheol below wakes up to meet you when you come. It wakes up the ghosts of the dead, all who were leaders on earth. It raises all who were kings of the nations from their thrones.
Isaiah 14:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Hell from beneath is moved for thee to 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.
- New International Version (NIV)The realm of the dead below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you— all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones— all those who were kings over the nations.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come; it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth; it raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Hell from beneath is excited about you, To meet you at your coming; It stirs up the dead for you, All the chief ones of the earth; It has raised up from their thrones All the kings of the nations.
Context of Isaiah 14:9
7The whole earth rests and is peaceful. It breaks out into shouts of joy. 8Even the cypresses rejoice over you. The cedars of Lebanon say, “Since you have fallen, no lumberjack has come to attack us.” Sheol below wakes up to meet you when you come. It wakes up the ghosts of the dead, all who were leaders on earth. It raises all who were kings of the nations from their thrones. 10All of them will greet you, “You also have become weak like us! You have become like one of us!” 11Your pride has been brought down to Sheol along with the music of your harps. Maggots are spread out ⌞like a bed⌟ under you, and worms cover you.
Read all of Isaiah 14Isaiah 14:9 word by word
שְׁא֗וֹל מִתַּ֛חַת רָגְזָ֥ה לְךָ֖ לִקְרַ֣את בּוֹאֶ֑ךָ עוֹרֵ֨ר לְךָ֤ רְפָאִים֙ כָּל־עַתּ֣וּדֵי אָ֔רֶץ הֵקִים֙ מִכִּסְאוֹתָ֔ם כֹּ֖ל מַלְכֵ֥י גוֹיִֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Hellשְׁאוֹלshe'ôl she'ôl · hell: SheolH7585
- from beneath is movedרָגַזrâgaz · to trembleH7264
- for thee to meetקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
- at thy comingבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- it stirreth upעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
- the deadרְפָאִיםrâphâ' · shadeH7496
- all the chief onesעַתּוּד‛attûd ‛attûd · goatH6260
- of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- it hath raised upקוּםqûm · to arise: raiseH6965
- from their thronesכִּסֵּאkissê' kissêh · throneH3678
- all the kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
Cross-references for Isaiah 14:9
- Proverbs 15:24The path of life for a wise person leads upward in order to turn him away from hell below.
- Ezekiel 32:21The mightiest warriors will say to Pharaoh from the grave, ‘You and your defenders have come down, and you now lie with the godless people who were killed in battle.’
- Jeremiah 50:8“Run away from Babylon. Leave the land of the Babylonians. Be like the male goats that lead the flock.
Commentaries on Isaiah 14:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee - That is, Nebuchadnezzar. "It (hell) hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the earth; - the ghosts (rephaim) of all the mighty ones, or goats, (עתודי attudey ), of the earth - all the oppressors of mankind." What a most terrible idea is here! Tyrannical kings who have oppressed and spoiled mankind, are here represented as enthroned in hell; and as taking a Satanic pleasure in seeing others of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Hell from beneath - The scene is now changed. The prophet had represented the people of all the subject nations as rejoicing that the king of Babylon had fallen, and had introduced even the trees of the forest as breaking forth into joy at this event. He now transfers the scene to the mournful regions of the dead; follows the spirit of the departed king of Babylon - the man who once gloried in the magnificence of his kingdom and his court, and who was…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9The Babylonians viewed the place of the dead, called Sheol in Hebrew, as a place from which no one returns. rise from their thrones: The thrones represent the Babylonian belief that the afterlife continues like the present life. It seems the other kings are honoring Babylon's great king, but the following verses reveal a different story.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. moved--put into agitation. for thee--that is, "at thee"; towards thee; explained by "to meet thee at thy coming" [Maurer]. chief ones--literally, "goats"; so rams, leaders of the flock; princes (Zec 10:3). The idea of wickedness on a gigantic scale is included (Eze 34:17; Mt 25:32, 33). Magee derives "Rephaim" (English Version, "the dead") from a Hebrew root, "to resolve into first elements"; so "the deceased" (Is 26:14) "ghosts" (Pr 21:16). These…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 14:9
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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