New Living Translation
Isaiah 14:21
21Kill this man’s children! Let them die because of their father’s sins! They must not rise and conquer the earth, filling the world with their cities.”
Isaiah 14:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.
- New International Version (NIV)Prepare a place to slaughter his children for the sins of their ancestors; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers, lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Prepare slaughter for his children Because of the iniquity of their fathers, Lest they rise up and possess the land, And fill the face of the world with cities.”
Context of Isaiah 14:21
19but you will be thrown out of your grave like a worthless branch. Like a corpse trampled underfoot, you will be dumped into a mass grave with those killed in battle. You will descend to the pit. 20You will not be given a proper burial, for you have destroyed your nation and slaughtered your people. The descendants of such an evil person will never again receive honor. Kill this man’s children! Let them die because of their father’s sins! They must not rise and conquer the earth, filling the world with their cities.” 22This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “I, myself, have risen against Babylon! I will destroy its children and its children’s children,” says the Lord. 23“I will make Babylon a desolate place of owls, filled with swamps and marshes. I will sweep the land with the broom of destruction. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”
Read all of Isaiah 14Isaiah 14:21 word by word
הָכִ֧ינוּ לְבָנָ֛יו מַטְבֵּ֖חַ בַּעֲוֹ֣ן אֲבוֹתָ֑ם בַּל־יָקֻ֙מוּ֙ וְיָ֣רְשׁוּ אָ֔רֶץ וּמָלְא֥וּ פְנֵֽי־תֵבֵ֖ל עָרִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Prepareכּוּןkûn · to establish: prepareH3559
- slaughterמַטְבֵּחַmaţbêach · slaughterH4293
- for his childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- for the iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: guiltH5771
- of their fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- that they do notבַּלbal · notH1077
- riseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- nor possessיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: takeH3423
- the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- nor fillמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
- the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
- of the worldתֵּבֵלtêbêl · worldH8398
- with citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- with citiesעָר‛âr · enemyH6145
Cross-references for Isaiah 14:21
- Exodus 20:5You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.
- Leviticus 26:39Those of you who survive will waste away in your enemies’ lands because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors.
- Matthew 23:35As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar.
- Isaiah 27:6The time is coming when Jacob’s descendants will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole earth with fruit!
- Habakkuk 2:8Because you have plundered many nations, now all the survivors will plunder you. You committed murder throughout the countryside and filled the towns with violence.
Commentaries on Isaiah 14:21
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Prepare slaughter for his children - That is, cut them off not only from inheriting the honor of their father, but from life. This command seems to be directed to the Medes and Persians, and denotes that they would thus cut off his children. For the iniquity of their fathers - On account of the crimes of their ancestors - the pride, haughtiness, and oppression of the kings of Babylon. This is the statement of a general principle of the divine…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21As another sign of disgrace, the king of Babylon would have no children to continue his legacy. Because of their father's sins, God considers individuals in relation to their families and people. Here, the Babylonian king's children shared responsibility for their father's actions (see also Deuteronomy 5:9–10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2321. Prepare, &c.--charge to the Medes and Persians, as if they were God's conscious instruments. his children--Belshazzar's (Ex 20:5). rise--to occupy the places of their fathers. fill ... with cities--Maurer translates, "enemies," as the Hebrew means in 1Sa 28:16; Psa 139:20; namely, lest they inundate the world with their armies. Vitringa translates, "disturbers." In English Version the meaning is, "lest they fill the land with such cities" of pride as…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 14:21
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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