Isaiah 14:21
in Isaiah 14Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the iniquities of their forefathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or cover the earth with their cities.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Prepare ye slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers, that they rise not up, and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Isaiah 14
Commentary
11 notes on this verse(Verse 21.) The seed of evildoers will not be called forever. Prepare his children for slaughter because of the iniquity of their fathers: they will not rise, nor will they inherit the land, nor will they fill the faces of the cities. All histories agree that after the killing of Balthasar, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, and the succession of Darius to the kingdom of the Chaldeans, no one from the offspring of Nebuchadnezzar ruled thereafter.
This site's exposition
not join them in burial
on Isaiah 14:20-23
"The offspring of the wicked will never again be mentioned" closes the reason for the king's denied burial. The slaughter prepared for his sons carries "the iniquities of their forefathers" onto them. Babylon swept "with the broom of destruction" returns to the desolation of the chapter before.
This site's exposition
Prepare a place to slaughter his sons
Gill takes the command as spoken to the Medes and Persians, and names Belshazzar's house as the sons in view. Henry sets the slaughter beside Psalm 137 and Babylon's little ones. The king who slaughtered his own people loses his own sons.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Verecundus of JuncaCOMMENTARY ON THE CANTICLE OF MANASSES 7:6 · Written before 552.
proposed
God's warning is twofold, one directed toward the submissive and the other toward obstinate minds. As was said about the submissive: "I will punish their crimes with a rod and their sins with a whip, but I will not remove my mercy from them or …
(Verse 21, 22.) The seed of the wicked, prepare your sons for the slaughter of the sins of their fathers: they will not rise nor inherit the land, nor fill the face of the cities of the world. And I will rise up against them, says the Lord of hosts: and I will destroy the name and remnants of Babylon, and its seed, and its offspring, says the Lord of hosts.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, the killing of his sons by the Medes and Persians: prepare his children for slaughter in the iniquity, that is, for the iniquity, of their fathers. Third, the impossibility of recovery, they shall not rise up; the face of the world, that is, of …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The little ones of Babylon must be dashed against the stones, Ps. cxxxvii. These orders sound very harshly; but, (1.) They must suffer for the iniquity of their fathers, which is often visited upon the children, to show how much God hates sin and is displeased at it, and to deter sinners from it, which is the end of punishment.
Prepare slaughter for his children,.... These words are directed to the Medes and Persians, to prepare instruments of slaughter, and make use of them; and prepare themselves for the slaughter of the whole royal family, Belshazzar and all his children.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
A confirmation of the prophecy of the destruction of Babylon, which was a thing at a distance, is here given in the prophecy of the destruction of the Assyrian army that invaded the land, which happened not long after,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Prepare, &c.--charge to the Medes and Persians, as if they were God's conscious instruments. his children--Belshazzar's (Ex 20:5). rise--to occupy the places of their fathers. fill . . . with cities--MAURER translates, "enemies," as the Hebrew means in 1Sa 28:16; Ps 139:20; namely, lest they inundate the world with their armies.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Prepare slaughter for his children - That is, cut them off not only from inheriting the honor of their father, but from life. This command seems to be directed to the Medes and Persians, and denotes that they would thus cut off his children. For the iniquity of their fathers - On account of the crimes of their ancestors - the pride, haughtiness, and oppression of the kings of Babylon.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הָכִ֧ינוּ | hakhinu | prepare | H3559 → | 217 times |
| לְבָנָ֛יו | levanav | for sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מַטְבֵּ֖חַ | matbeach | a place of slaughter | H4293 → | |
| בַּעֲוֹ֣ן | baavon | in [the] iniquity of | H5771 → | 233 times |
| אֲבוֹתָ֑ם | ʾavotam | ancestors their | H1 → | 1212 times |
| בַּל־ | bal- | not | H1077 → | 73 times |
| יָקֻ֙מוּ֙ | yakumu | they will arise | H6965 → | 628 times |
| וְיָ֣רְשׁוּ | veyareshu | and they will take possession of | H3423 → | 231 times |
| אָ֔רֶץ | ʾaretz | [the] earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וּמָלְא֥וּ | umalu | and they will fill | H4390 → | 249 times |
| פְנֵֽי־ | fenei- | [the] surface of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| תֵבֵ֖ל | tevel | [the] world | H8398 → | 36 times |
| עָרִֽים׃ | ʾarim | cities | H5892 → | 1090 times |
הָכִ֧ינוּprepare
hakhinuH3559 →217 times
לְבָנָ֛יוfor sons his
levanavH1121 →4930 times
מַטְבֵּ֖חַa place of slaughter
matbeachH4293 →
בַּעֲוֹ֣ןin [the] iniquity of
baavonH5771 →233 times
אֲבוֹתָ֑םancestors their
ʾavotamH1 →1212 times
בַּל־not
bal-H1077 →73 times
יָקֻ֙מוּ֙they will arise
yakumuH6965 →628 times
וְיָ֣רְשׁוּand they will take possession of
veyareshuH3423 →231 times
אָ֔רֶץ[the] earth
ʾaretzH776 →2504 times
וּמָלְא֥וּand they will fill
umaluH4390 →249 times
פְנֵֽי־[the] surface of
fenei-H6440 →2123 times
תֵבֵ֖ל[the] world
tevelH8398 →36 times
עָרִֽים׃cities
ʾarimH5892 →1090 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 20:5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 5:9
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth…
- Numbers 14:18
‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon…
- Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
- Exodus 34:14
For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
- Joshua 24:19
But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins.
- Deuteronomy 5:9
Through
Matthew 23:35And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 24:20–22
Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments…
- Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he…
- 2 Chronicles 24:20–22
Through
Isaiah 27:6In the days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit.
it leads to
- Isaiah 37:31
And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root below and bear fruit above.
- Isaiah 37:31
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah and Verecundus of Junca, COMMENTARY ON THE CANTICLE OF MANASSES 7:6.