Isaiah 14:18 kjv
All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.
Isaiah 14:18 nkjv
"All the kings of the nations, All of them, sleep in glory, Everyone in his own house;
Isaiah 14:18 niv
All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb.
Isaiah 14:18 esv
All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb;
Isaiah 14:18 nlt
"The kings of the nations lie in stately glory,
each in his own tomb,
Isaiah 14 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 14 | Even the kings of nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb. | Isa 14:18 (Original verse for comparison) |
| Psalms 49 | For I know their rebellion and their sins; they are tormenting themselves with them. | Ps 49:5 (Focus on worldly gain and futility) |
| Psalms 89 | What man can live and not see death? Who can deliver himself from the power of the grave? | Ps 89:47 (Universalality of death) |
| Ecclesiastes 2 | What happens to the foolish happens also to me; why then have I been so very wise? | Eccl 2:16 (Wisdom doesn't prevent death) |
| Ecclesiastes 3 | All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. | Eccl 3:20 (Common destiny of mankind) |
| Ecclesiastes 9 | For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they no longer have any reward. | Eccl 9:5 (State of the dead, absence of consciousness) |
| Job 21 | Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? | Job 21:7 (Prosperity of wicked contrasted with end) |
| Job 17 | His children are for the sword, and his seed are beggars. | Job 17:13 (The dead and their tombs) |
| Jeremiah 22 | Therefore, march against him, O Babylon, and let her rest in her grave. | Jer 22:6 (Babylon's doom and burial) |
| Ezekiel 31 | So shall all the trees of Eden, the choicest of Lebanon, all that drink water, be comforted in the earth. | Ezek 31:16 (Downfall of mighty empires) |
| Ezekiel 32 | And when I shall put you out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. | Ezek 32:7 (Imagery of divine judgment) |
| Matthew 6 | No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. | Matt 6:24 (No ultimate power besides God) |
| Luke 12 | But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; and whose will these things be which you have accumulated?’ | Luke 12:20 (Futility of earthly riches without God) |
| Revelation 6 | They were calling to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb," | Rev 6:16 (Universal fear before judgment) |
| Romans 14 | For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. | Rom 14:10 (All accountable to God) |
| 1 Corinthians 15 | For death is the last enemy to be destroyed. | 1 Cor 15:26 (Finality of death overcome by Christ) |
| 1 Timothy 6 | For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. | 1 Tim 6:10 (Attachment to worldly things) |
| Hebrews 9 | and just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, | Heb 9:27 (Dying once, followed by judgment) |
| 1 Peter 4 | For the time has come for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? | 1 Pet 4:17 (Judgment beginning with believers) |
| Revelation 20 | Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. | Rev 20:14 (Ultimate defeat of death) |
Isaiah 14 verses
Isaiah 14 18 Meaning
Isaiah 14:18 states, "All the kings of the nations, indeed all of them, lie in glory, each in his own tomb." This verse declares that even the most powerful kings, regardless of their achievements, ultimately share the same fate of death and are laid to rest in their own burial places. It signifies the ultimate leveling effect of mortality.
Isaiah 14 18 Context
This verse is part of a larger prophecy in Isaiah concerning the downfall of the king of Babylon. The chapter famously describes the "morning star, son of the dawn" (Lucifer) in his prideful fall. The surrounding verses depict the complete desolation and ignominy that will befall the king of Babylon. After exalting himself and seeking god-like status, he will be cast down to the realm of the dead. This particular verse serves as a powerful contrast, highlighting that even this exceedingly proud and powerful ruler will not escape the universal destiny of mortality and burial, a fate shared by all human kings, regardless of their earthly glory.
Isaiah 14 18 Word Analysis
All (כָּל - kol): Universality, totality. Emphasizes that no exception is made, even for the most powerful rulers.
the kings (מַלְכֵי - malchei): Plural of king (מֶלֶךְ - melek). Refers to the rulers of nations.
of the nations (הַגּוֹיִם - haggoim): The gentile nations. Highlights the extent of his dominion and pride.
indeed (גַּם - gam): Also, even. Adds emphasis to the totality already stated.
all of them (כֻּלָּם - kullam): Again stressing complete inclusion. No king is exempt from this reality.
lie (שָׁכְבוּ - shachvu): Third person masculine plural, past tense of שָׁכַב (shachav), to lie down, to lie in death, to be buried. Implies being laid to rest in death.
in glory (בְּכָבֹוד - bechavod): In honor, splendor, magnificence. Even in death, there's a recognition of their past status. However, in the context of judgment, this glory is ultimately temporary and earthly.
each (אִישׁ - ish): Every man, each one. Further individualizes the universal fate.
in his own (בְּמִקְדָּשׁ - bemikdash): In his own sepulcher, his own place of burial. Each king has his designated resting place.
tomb (וּקְבָרֹו - uqvaro): And his grave, his burial place. The place where the physical body is interred. The possessive "his own" suggests a personal, individual grave, reinforcing the universality of death experienced individually.
Group of words analysis:
- "All the kings of the nations, indeed all of them": This phrasing strongly emphasizes the comprehensive scope of mortality. It debunks any notion that royal power or national influence can offer exemption from death. The repetition of "all" stresses this point unyieldingly.
- "lie in glory, each in his own tomb": This combination is poignant. "In glory" refers to the pomp and circumstance surrounding their earthly reigns and possibly their funerary rites. However, this glory is juxtaposed with the ultimate reality of being confined "in his own tomb," highlighting the finite nature of earthly honor and the finality of death’s embrace for all. The individual tomb underscores that each soul meets death personally.
Isaiah 14 18 Bonus Section
The fallen "king of Babylon" depicted in this chapter is often interpreted as a precursor or a symbolic representation of Lucifer (Satan) and his rebellion against God, as seen in the verses preceding Isaiah 14:18. The utter downfall and confinement to the "pit" or "grave" in Isaiah’s prophecy echoes the eventual and eternal judgment of the adversary. While the immediate context is earthly kings, the broader theological application points to the futility of any power or pride that opposes God's sovereignty. The "glory" in their tomb can also be seen as the memory or historical record of their reign, which eventually fades, or it could refer to their expensive funeral arrangements which provided a final outward display of earthly prestige before their complete descent into the underworld. The Hebrew word for tomb (קֶבֶר - qeber) also implies being confined and brought low.
Isaiah 14 18 Commentary
This verse offers a sobering perspective on earthly power and status. It demonstrates that despite their thrones, armies, and influence, kings are subject to the same ultimate reality as everyone else: death and burial. The "glory" mentioned here is earthly and temporal, contrasting sharply with the eternal state of being. It serves as a reminder of human frailty and the vanity of seeking ultimate significance in worldly achievements or positions, which are temporary. Even the most celebrated rulers will ultimately find their resting place in their individual tombs, their earthly grandeur reduced to stone and earth. The verse is a testament to the divine decree that all humanity, regardless of rank, will eventually face mortality.