Tyndale Open Study NotesIsaiah 14

This message for Israel separates two prophecies of judgment against Babylon (Isaiah 13; 14:3–23).

• The Hebrew word translated as mercy uses the image of a mother's care for her child to show God's merciful love for his people (see also Isaiah 49:15; 66:13).

• God chose Israel as his special people when he called Abraham (see Isaiah 41:8; Genesis 12:1–3). Although their status did not change during the exile in Babylon, they faced God's anger like any other wicked nation because they rejected him.

• settle them in their own land: This promise began to be fulfilled in 538 BC (see Ezra 1:1–11).

• People from many nations would join Israel as the people of God (see also Isaiah 2:3–4; 11:11–12; 19:18–25; 60:1–14).

• Just as Israel was subject to the Lord, the nations of the world would also submit to the Lord through Israel (Isaiah 45:14; 49:7, 23; 60:12, 14; 66:23).

• The oppressed nation of Israel will rule over its enemies and gain power and favor with God.

This taunting song about the king of Babylon is written like a funeral song. It speaks as if the king has already died.

The song mocks him and announces his downfall (compare Revelation 18).

The LORD gives … rest (repose; Isaiah 28:12; see Deuteronomy 25:19; 2 Samuel 7:11) from the sorrow, fear, slavery, and chains that Israel experienced under foreign oppressors (see Isaiah 9:4).

A song of contempt is a mocking song. It makes fun of someone by comparing that person to something else.

In this case, the king of Babylon is compared to a dead man going down to the place of the dead. The song imagines him entering that realm in defeat.

• The land and people will be peaceful and calm because the oppression has ended and the king of Babylon has died.

• All of creation will join in praise, able to sing again (see also Isaiah 42:11; 44:23; compare Romans 8:22).

• The 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.

weak, as we are: The Babylonian king had no power over anyone after death and could not leave Sheol. The Israelites will mock this great king who seemed strong on earth but had no weaknesses.

• Babylon's strength, power, and music from the harp ended, and its greatness was destroyed (see also Revelation 18:22).

• Maggots and worms represented death and decay (Isaiah 66:24).

• fallen from heaven, O day star: These words refer to a well-known Canaanite story. In that story, the god Helel rebelled against the god El, who was the chief god of the Canaanite people. Helel was cast down from heaven.

  Isaiah uses this image to describe the fall of the king of Babylon. Some interpret the fall of the king of Babylon as symbolizing the fall of Satan (see Ezekiel 28; Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:9). However, there is little evidence that Isaiah meant this directly. He was speaking about the historical king of Babylon.

• son of the dawn: This refers to the morning star, which appears briefly at dawn and then disappears as the sun rises. In the Latin Vulgate, this term is translated Lucifer, which means “morning star.” In later Christian tradition, Lucifer became a name for Satan. However, the Hebrew text here does not clearly refer to Satan.

This verse refers to a Canaanite belief about the gods. The Canaanites believed that their chief god, El, ruled from Mount Zaphon. This mountain was in the north (see Psalm 48:2; in the New Testament, similar language appears in Matthew 11:23; Luke 10:15).

Most High: See Genesis 14:19–22.

This 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.

The absence of a proper burial was a sign of great shame and dishonor. Unlike other kings, the king of Babylon would be disgraced in judgment.

As 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).

Isaiah summarized the earlier taunt (Isaiah 14:3–21) with this prophecy, spoken in the first person. God declares that Babylon will be destroyed and left in ruins.

This prophecy continues to declare judgment on Assyria (see Isaiah 10). Placing this prophecy after the judgment against Babylon suggests a close connection between Assyria and Babylon.

I have planned … I have purposed: No nation can stop or resist God's plans to judge Assyria or his plans overall. The prophets understood and shared God's plan so his people could respond properly.

This prophecy told what would happen when Sennacherib attacked Hezekiah some years later in 701 BC (see Isaiah 36–37).

The Lord’s power over Assyria is just one example of his sovereignty over the whole earth.

• The king who attacked Philistia was probably Ahaz (Isaiah 14:28).

• a viper: This probably refers to one of the later Assyrian kings, either Sennacherib (701 BC), Esarhaddon (680 BC), or Ashurbanipal (668 BC).

The advancing army, probably Assyria, would stir up clouds of dust like smoke that were ominously visible in the north.

The LORD has founded Zion: God was fully willing and capable of defending Judah, and he did not want the kingdom to make alliances with nations such as the Philistines to protect themselves from the invading Assyrians.