Isaiah 14:17
15 But you will be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.
16 Those who see you will stare; they will ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made the kingdoms tremble,
who turned the world into a desert and destroyed its cities, who refused to let the captives return to their homes?”
18 All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb.
19 But you are cast out of your grave like a rejected branch, covered by those slain with the sword, and dumped into a rocky pit like a carcass trampled underfoot.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- who turned the world into a desert and destroyed its cities, who refused to let the captives return to their homes?”
- KJV
- That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
- WEB
- who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities, who didn’t release his prisoners to their home?”
- ASV
- that made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof; that let not loose his prisoners to their home?
- DARBY
- [that] made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof; [that] dismissed not his prisoners homewards?
- BLB
- setting the world as a wilderness; its cities he has broken down; his captives he has not released to [their] house?”
- ÅB
- som gjorde jorderike til en ørken og rev ned dets byer, og som ikke slapp sine fanger hjem?
- OTB
- som gjorde verden til en ødemark, som styrtet dens byer og ikke lot sine fanger dra hjem?"
- B1930
- som gjorde jorderike til en ørken og rev ned dets byer, og som ikke slapp sine fanger hjem?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Joel 2:3
Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland— surely nothing will escape them.
Read in contextEzekiel 6:14
I will stretch out My hand against them, and wherever they live I will make the land a desolate waste, from the wilderness to Diblah. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”
Read in contextIsaiah 58:6
Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke?
Read in contextIsaiah 13:19–22
And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
Read in contextEzra 1:2–4
“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah.
Read in contextIsaiah 45:13
I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild My city and set My exiles free, but not for payment or reward, says the LORD of Hosts.”
Read in contextZephaniah 2:13–14
And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert.
Read in context2 Chronicles 28:8–15
Then the Israelites took 200,000 captives from their kinsmen—women, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a great deal of plunder and brought it to Samaria.
Read in context