Isaiah 14:9-32

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 14:4-23

The kings of Babylon, successively, were the great enemies and oppressors of God's people, and therefore the destruction of Babylon, the fall of the king, and the ruin of his family, are here particularly taken notice of and triumphed in. In the day that God has given Israel rest they shall take up this proverb against the king of Babylon. We must not rejoice when our enemy falls, as ours; but when Babylon, the common enemy of God and his Israel, sinks, then rejoice over her, thou heaven, and... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 14:24-32

The destruction of Babylon and the Chaldean empire was a thing at a great distance; the empire had not risen to any considerable height when its fall was here foretold: it was almost 200 years from this prediction of Babylon's fall to the accomplishment of it. Now the people to whom Isaiah prophesied might ask, ?What is this to us, or what shall we be the better for it, and what assurance shall we have of it?? To both questions he answers in these verses, by a prediction of the ruin both of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 14:9

Hell from beneath is moved for thee ,.... Or the "grave", or the place and state of the dead, and particularly of the damned, meaning those that are in such a place and state; and the sense is, that not only the inhabitants of the earth, and the trees upon it, express their joy at the fall of the king of Babylon, but those that are under the earth, in the grave, or in hell, are affected with it, and moved on account of it, not with fear and dread, as they were in his and their life time, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 14:10

All they shall speak, and say unto thee ,.... So they would say, could they speak, and are here represented as if they did: art thou become also weak as we ? who had been more powerful than they, had been too many for them, and had subdued them, and ruled over them, and was not only looked upon as invincible but as immortal, yea, as a deity; and yet now was become "sick", as the word F2 חלית a חלה "aegrotuss fuit". signifies, or by sickness brought to death, and by death... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 14:11

Thy pomp is brought down to the grave ,.... Or "hell"; all the state and majesty in which he appeared, when sitting on the throne of his kingdom, with a glittering crown on his head, a sceptre in his hand, clad in the richest apparel, and attended by his princes and nobles with the utmost reverence and submission; all this, with much more, followed him to the regions of the dead, and there it left him; see Psalm 49:17 , and the noise of thy viols ; or musical instruments, even all of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 14:12

How art thou fallen from heaven ,.... This is not to be understood of the fall of Satan, and the apostate angels, from their first estate, when they were cast down from heaven to hell, though there may be an allusion to it; see Luke 10:18 but the words are a continuation of the speech of the dead to the king of Babylon, wondering at it, as a thing almost incredible, that he who seemed to be so established on the throne of his kingdom, which was his heaven, that he should be deposed or fall... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 14:13

For thou hast said in thine heart ,.... Which shows the pride and haughtiness that were in his heart; and were the cause and reason of his fall, for pride goes before a fall; it was the cause of the fall of angels, and of Adam, and of many kings and kingdoms; see Proverbs 16:18 with this compare Revelation 18:7 , I will ascend into heaven ; be above all men, rule over the whole world; and so the Targum. "I will ascend on high;' unless by it is meant the temple at Jerusalem, where... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 14:14

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds ,.... Which are the chariots of God, and in which he rides, and so this proud monarch affected to be as he; perhaps some reference is had to the cloud in which Jehovah dwelt in the temple. The Targum is, "I will ascend above all people,' compared to clouds for their multitude. In the mystical sense, the true ministers of the word may be meant, so called for their height, motion, swiftness, and fulness of Gospel doctrine, compared to rain; see... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 14:15

Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell ,.... Into a very low and miserable condition; see Matthew 11:23 instead of ascending to heaven: or "to the grave"; though, inasmuch as afterwards a burial is denied him, the word may be taken for the infernal pit, and so is, as much as can be, opposed to heaven; and this will be true of antichrist, when the beast and false prophet will be cast alive into the lake of fire, Revelation 19:20 , to the sides of the pit ; instead of being on the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 14:16

They that see thee ,.... These are the words of the dead, speaking of the living, who when they should see the carcass of the king of Babylon lying on the ground, shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee ; whether it is he or not, not knowing at first sight who he was, the alteration being so great; he that was but just now on his throne of glory, with all the ensigns of majesty about him, and on him, now cast to the earth, deprived of life, besmeared with blood, and so... read more

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