Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 14 closes the Babylon-oracle and contains the famous 'HOW YOU ARE FALLEN, O DAY STAR, SON OF DAWN' passage (vv. 12–15) — read in Christian-tradition (after Jerome's Vulgate-rendering 'Lucifer') as describing-the-fall-of-Satan. Jesus' 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven' (Luke 10:18) Christologically-extends this-passage.
Notable Variants
14:12 'how you are fallen, O Day Star' → Vulgate 'LUCIFER' tradition; Christological-application via Luke 10:18; 14:13–14 'I will ascend to heaven … I will be like the Most High' the FIVE-FOLD-I-WILLS of pride; 14:25 'break Assyria in my land.'
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 14 = LXX Isaiah 14. 32 verses.
For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel and settle them on their own soil. The foreigner will join himself to them and attach himself to the house of Jacob.
'For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob' tracks MT. SOJOURNERS-JOIN — Gentile-inclusion theology. Romans 11:17–24's olive-tree-grafting parallels.
Peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them on the LORD's soil as male and female servants. They will take captive those who captured them and rule over those who oppressed them.
'And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them' tracks MT.
On the day the LORD gives you rest from your pain and your turmoil and from the hard labor that was forced upon you,
'When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve' tracks MT. REST-FROM-PAIN. Hebrews 4:9–11's 'Sabbath rest' Christologically-extends.
you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon and say: How the oppressor has ended! How the fury has ended!
'You will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased!' tracks MT. TAUNT-SONG against-Babylon-king. Revelation 18 (Babylon-fallen taunts) extends.
The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers —
'The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers' tracks MT.
the one who struck peoples in fury with unceasing blows, who trampled nations in anger with relentless persecution.
'That struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution' tracks MT.
The whole earth rests and is quiet; they break out in joyful song.
'The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing' tracks MT. WHOLE-EARTH-AT-REST — post-tyrant-cosmic-relief.
Even the cypresses rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon: 'Since you were laid low, no woodcutter comes up against us.'
'The cypresses rejoice at you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying: Since you were laid low, no woodcutter comes up against us' tracks MT.
Sheol below is astir for you, ready to greet your arrival. It rouses the shades for you — all the chief rulers of the earth. It raises from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
'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' tracks MT. SHEOL-WELCOMES-BABYLON — underworld-greeting committee.
They all respond and say to you: 'You too have become weak like us! You have become like us!'
'All of them will answer and say to you: You too have become as weak as we! You have become like us!' tracks MT.
Your majesty has been brought down to Sheol, along with the music of your harps. Maggots are spread beneath you; worms are your covering.
'Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps; maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms are your covers' tracks MT. WORMS-AS-BED — death's-equalization.
How you have fallen from the heavens, shining one, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the earth, you who laid nations low!
Masoretic (WLC)
אֵיךְ נָפַלְתָּ מִשָּׁמַיִם הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר נִגְדַּעְתָּ לָאָרֶץ חוֹלֵשׁ עַל־גּוֹיִם
How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
Septuagint (LXX)
πῶς ἐξέπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὁ ἑωσφόρος ὁ πρωὶ ἀνατέλλων συνετρίβη εἰς τὴν γῆν ὁ ἀποστέλλων πρὸς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη
How has Lucifer, the morning star, fallen from heaven! He who sent rulers to all the nations is shattered to the ground
LUCIFER TRADITION. The Hebrew helel ben-shachar ('shining-one, son-of-dawn') refers to-the-morning-star (Venus). The LXX renders heōsphoros ('dawn-bringer / morning-star'). Jerome's Vulgate (4th-century Latin) translates LUCIFER ('light-bearer') — and from Jerome's-text, the term-Lucifer became-the-Christian-name-for-Satan, although-the-text's-immediate-referent is-the-Babylonian-king.
CHRISTOLOGICAL-APPLICATION VIA LUKE 10:18. Jesus' 'I saw Satan FALL LIKE LIGHTNING from heaven' (etheōroun ton Satanan hōs astrapēn ek tou ouranou pesonta) is-traditionally-read-as-applying this-Isaiah-passage to-Satan's-original-fall. Revelation 9:1, 12:8–9 ('the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent') extend.
MORNING-STAR REVERSAL. Christologically — the original-morning-star Lucifer-fell, but Christ-as-the-true-morning-star ascends. 2 Peter 1:19 ('the MORNING STAR rises in your hearts,' phōsphoros) and Revelation 22:16 ('I am … the bright morning star') reclaim-the-morning-star image-for-Christ.
You said in your heart: 'I will ascend to the heavens; above the stars of God I will raise my throne. I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far reaches of the north.'
'You said in your heart: I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north' tracks MT. FIRST AND SECOND I-WILL of pride. The five-fold-I-WILLS (vv. 13–14) catalog-of-arrogance.
'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'
'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High' tracks MT. THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH I-WILL — climax: I-WILL-MAKE-MYSELF-LIKE-THE-MOST-HIGH. The original-sin of-pride. The Christological-contrast: Phil 2:6–7 ('though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself') — Christ-takes-opposite-trajectory.
But you are brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit.
'But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit' tracks MT. BROUGHT-DOWN-TO-SHEOL — the divine-counter to-the-five-I-WILLS.
Those who see you will stare at you, will peer closely at you: 'Is this the man who shook the earth, who made kingdoms tremble?'
'Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms?' tracks MT.
'Who made the world like a desert and tore down its cities, who never released his prisoners to go home?'
'Who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?' tracks MT.
All the kings of the nations — all of them — lie in honor, each in his own tomb.
'All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb' tracks MT.
But you are cast out from your grave like a loathed branch, covered with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit — like a trampled corpse.
'But you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot' tracks MT.
You will not be joined with them in burial, for you destroyed your own land, you slaughtered your own people. The offspring of evildoers will never be named again.
'You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named!' tracks MT.
Prepare a slaughter for his sons because of their fathers' guilt, so they will not rise and possess the earth or fill the face of the world with cities.
'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' tracks MT.
I will rise against them, declares the LORD of Hosts. I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, offspring and posterity, declares the LORD.
'I will rise up against them, declares the LORD of hosts, and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity, declares the LORD' tracks MT.
I will make her a possession of the hedgehog and pools of standing water. I will sweep her with the broom of destruction, declares the LORD of Hosts.
'And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, declares the LORD of hosts' tracks MT. BROOM-OF-DESTRUCTION imagery.
The LORD of Hosts has sworn: 'Surely, as I have planned, so it will be; as I have purposed, so it will stand —
'The LORD of hosts has sworn: As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand' tracks MT. AS-I-HAVE-PLANNED-SO-IT-SHALL-BE — divine-decree formula. Eph 1:11 ('the counsel of his will') extends.
to break Assyria in my land and to trample him on my mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them, and his burden will depart from their shoulders.'
'That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountains trample him underfoot; and his yoke shall depart from them, and his burden from their shoulder' tracks MT. BREAK-ASSYRIAN-IN-MY-LAND — fulfilled in 701 BCE Sennacherib's-defeat (2 Kings 19:35).
This is the plan devised for the whole earth; this is the hand stretched out over all the nations.
'This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations' tracks MT.
For the LORD of Hosts has purposed — and who can thwart it? His hand is stretched out — and who can turn it back?
'For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?' tracks MT.
In the year that King Ahaz died, this oracle came:
'In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle' tracks MT. AHAZ-DIED — c. 715 BCE.
Do not rejoice, all you Philistia, that the rod that struck you is broken. For from the serpent's root a viper will emerge, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.
'Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod that struck you is broken, for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent' tracks MT. PHILISTIA-ORACLE.
The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant he will slay.
'And the firstborn of the poor will graze, and the needy lie down in safety; but I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant it will slay' tracks MT.
Wail, gate! Cry out, city! Melt away, all you Philistia! For smoke comes from the north, and no one breaks rank in his formations.
'Wail, O gate; cry out, O city; melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks' tracks MT.
And what will one answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.
'What will one answer the messengers of the nation? The LORD has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge' tracks MT. AFFLICTED-IN-ZION-FIND-REFUGE. Hebrews 12:22 ('you have come to Mount Zion … the heavenly Jerusalem') Christologically-extends.