The Fall of Babylon's King
Study note
This is one of the most dramatic passages in the Bible. When God gives Israel rest from suffering, they will sing a mocking song over the fallen king of Babylon. The whole earth celebrates when the oppressor falls. Even the trees rejoice that no one comes to cut them down anymore. The scene shifts to the underworld where dead kings rise from their thrones to greet Babylon's king, mocking his fall. The king had boasted that he would climb above the stars and be like God himself, but instead he is cast down to the depths of the grave. Many scholars see verses 12-15 as also describing the fall of Satan, who similarly tried to exalt himself above God.
4 you will sing this mocking song about the king of Babylon: "Well, look at that! The tyrant is finished! His reign of terror is over!" That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!
5 The Lord has snapped the rod of the wicked ruler in two. He has broken the scepter of the oppressor. The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.
6 He hammered the nations in rage, blow after blow. He crushed peoples under his angry rule and never let up. Now he is the one under attack. No one steps in to stop it. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.
7 The whole earth can finally rest in peace. Everywhere, people burst out singing! The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.
8 Even the cypress trees and cedars of Lebanon cheer. They say, "Now that you have fallen, no one comes to chop us down!" Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.
9 The world of the dead below gets all stirred up to welcome you when you arrive. It rouses the spirits of dead rulers to greet you — all the former kings of the nations rise from their thrones. 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.
10 They all speak up and say to you, "So you have become just as weak as us! You are no different from us now!" All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?
11 All your pride and prestige have been dragged down to the grave, along with the music of your harps. Now worms are your mattress and maggots are your blanket. Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
12 Look how you have crashed down from the sky, you shining morning star! You have been hurled to the ground, you who once brought whole nations to their knees! How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 You told yourself, "I will climb all the way up to heaven. I will set my throne above God's stars. I will sit on the mountain where the gods gather, at the very top of the sacred mountain." For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 "I will soar above the highest clouds. I will make myself equal to the Most High God." I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 But instead, you have been thrown all the way down to the world of the dead, to the very deepest pit. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
16 Those who see you will stare and wonder: "Is this truly the man who made the earth tremble and made kingdoms shake with fear?" They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
17 "Is this the one who turned the world into a wasteland and leveled its cities? Is this the one who never let his prisoners go back home?" That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
18 All the other kings of the earth were buried with dignity, each in their own tomb. All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.
19 But you were thrown out of your grave like a worthless stick. You are covered by the bodies of dead soldiers. You were tossed into a rocky pit and stepped on like a dead body in the dirt. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.
20 You will not be buried alongside other kings, because you destroyed your own country and murdered your own people. The descendants of someone that evil will never be remembered again. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.
21 Get ready to kill his sons for their father's crimes. They must never rise up, take over the land, and fill the world with their cities. 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.
22 "I will rise up against them," says the Lord who commands heaven's armies. "I will erase Babylon completely — its name, its survivors, its children, and every last descendant," says the Lord. For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.
23 "I will turn Babylon into a swampy home for wild birds. I will sweep it clean with the broom of destruction," says the Lord who commands heaven's armies. I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.
God's Plan for Assyria
Study note
God swears an oath that what he has planned will happen. He will crush the Assyrian army in his own land. No nation can stop God's plans or turn back his hand. This passage reminds the people that the same God who will eventually destroy Babylon is also in control of the current Assyrian threat.
24 The Lord who commands heaven's armies has given his word with an oath: "What I have planned will happen. What I have decided will be carried out." The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
25 "I will crush the Assyrians right here in my land. I will stomp them flat on my mountains. Their yoke will be pulled off my people, and their heavy load will be lifted from my people's shoulders." That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.
26 This is the plan God has decided for the entire earth. This is the hand he has stretched out over every nation. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.
27 When the Lord who commands heaven's armies has made his plan, who is going to stop it? When his hand is stretched out, who is going to push it back? For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
Warning to Philistia
Study note
In the year King Ahaz died, around 715 BC, Isaiah delivers a message to the Philistines. They should not celebrate just because one enemy has fallen, because a worse one is coming. While the poorest of God's people will be fed and safe, the Philistines will face famine and destruction. When messengers come from Philistia, the answer they will receive is that God has established Zion as a place of safety for his suffering people.
28 This message came the same year King Ahaz died. In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.
29 Do not celebrate, Philistines, because the rod that used to beat you is broken. From that snake, an even deadlier snake will come. And from that one will come a flying serpent with a fatal bite. Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.
30 The poorest of the poor will find good pasture, and people in need will rest safely. But I will starve your people to death with famine, and your survivors will be destroyed. And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.
31 Wail, you gates! Weep, you cities! Tremble with fear, all you Philistines! A thick cloud of smoke is coming from the north, and every soldier in the enemy's ranks marches in perfect step. Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.
32 What will you say when messengers come from that nation? Tell them that the Lord has built up Zion, and his suffering people will find their safety there. What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.