Isaiah 14 22

Isaiah 14:22 kjv

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.

Isaiah 14:22 nkjv

"For I will rise up against them," says the LORD of hosts, "And cut off from Babylon the name and remnant, And offspring and posterity," says the LORD.

Isaiah 14:22 niv

"I will rise up against them," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will wipe out Babylon's name and survivors, her offspring and descendants," declares the LORD.

Isaiah 14:22 esv

"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.

Isaiah 14:22 nlt

This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says:
"I, myself, have risen against Babylon!
I will destroy its children and its children's children,"
says the LORD.

Isaiah 14 verses

Isaiah 14 22 meaning

Isaiah 14:22 declares a comprehensive and absolute judgment from God upon Babylon. It proclaims that the Lord of hosts will actively intervene to utterly destroy Babylon, eradicating its name, remaining population, and all future descendants. This signifies not merely a defeat but a complete and permanent annihilation of Babylon's memory, lineage, and national identity, leaving nothing to survive or revive its influence. The divine pronouncements underscore the certainty and severity of this decree.

Isaiah 14 22 Context

Isaiah chapter 14 begins with a promise of compassion for Israel and their return from captivity (vv. 1-2), leading into a "taunt" or lament over the fallen king of Babylon (vv. 3-21). This taunt, initially aimed at the specific monarch, expands to encompass the entire Babylonian empire, contrasting its previous pride and tyrannical rule with its catastrophic downfall. Verse 22 functions as a solemn, divine declaration that seals the fate foretold in the preceding verses. It reassures Israel of Babylon's utter demise, confirming God's sovereign control over global powers and His ultimate justice, following earlier prophecies of judgment against various nations in chapters 13-23. Historically, this prophecy was made long before Babylon's zenith, highlighting its predictive nature and Yahweh's unparalleled foresight, which stands in stark contrast to the short-sighted and fallible claims of Babylonian divinities.

Isaiah 14 22 Word analysis

• For I will rise up against them (וְקַמְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם - wəqamtî ‘ălêhem):
  • קוּם (qum - rise up): Often signifies an active, decisive, and authoritative intervention. Here, it is God Himself taking action, not just permitting events. It speaks of divine agency and power directly engaging in judgment.
  • על (al - against): Clearly denotes opposition and confrontation, highlighting the direct nature of God's wrath against Babylon.
• declares the Lord of hosts (נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת - nə’um YHWH tsəvâ’ôt):
  • נְאֻם (ne’um - declares): This is a prophetic formula, emphasizing that the preceding and following words are a direct, authoritative utterance from God, not a human opinion. It lends certainty and immutability.
  • יהוה צבאות (YHWH tsəvâ’ôt - Lord of hosts): This title stresses God's absolute sovereignty and power. He is the commander of celestial armies, holding all earthly powers—including military might—in His sway. It implies His unmatched ability to execute His decrees.
• and will cut off (וְהִכְרַתִּי - wəhikrattî):
  • כָּרַת (karath - cut off): A strong verb implying a violent and complete severance or termination. It can denote covenant-making (cutting a covenant) or covenant-breaking, but here, it means to utterly destroy, exterminate, or separate permanently from existence.
• from Babylon name and remnant, and offshoot and posterity (לְבָבֶל שֵׁם וּשְׁאָר וְנִין וָנֶכֶד - ləvâvel shēm ush'ār wənîn wânexed):
  • This phrase signifies an exhaustive and total obliteration. Each term builds on the previous one to emphasize complete eradication from various perspectives.
  • שֵׁם (shem - name): Represents reputation, memory, identity, and the very existence of the nation. To cut off its name is to erase it from history, from memory, and from the map.
  • שְׁאָר (sh'ar - remnant): Refers to any survivors or lingering population after an initial catastrophe. God declares that even this potential fragment will be removed, preventing any future resurgence.
  • נִין (nin - offshoot / descendants, especially children/grandchildren): Literally 'offspring,' a root often found with 'נכד'. This focuses on the direct lineage, ensuring no direct heirs will carry on the name or line.
  • נֶכֶד (nekhed - posterity / progeny, future generations): Refers to grandchildren and further generations. This term extends the judgment to include all future progeny, guaranteeing no future resurrection of Babylon's power or people.

Isaiah 14 22 Bonus section

The double pronouncement of "declares the Lord" (or "declares the Lord of hosts" and then "declares the Lord") surrounding the statement concerning Babylon's utter destruction (Isaiah 14:22-23) serves to amplify the certainty and divine origin of the prophecy. This rhetorical device emphasizes God's unwavering resolve and the impossibility of its annulment. It transforms a warning into a firm, immutable decree, solidifying the message for both the original hearers and for all subsequent generations. The scope of judgment in this verse extends beyond political defeat; it is an act of blotting out a people and their identity, reminiscent of the most severe judgments in the Old Testament, such as the command to utterly destroy Amalek, symbolizing an enemy fundamentally opposed to God's people and plans.

Isaiah 14 22 Commentary

Isaiah 14:22 presents a stark declaration of Yahweh’s unparalleled power and judicial authority over the mightiest of human empires. It underlines the sovereignty of God, who not only permits the rise and fall of nations but actively intervenes to fulfill His righteous purposes. The divine "rising up" signifies an irresistible and comprehensive judgment, ensuring that Babylon's self-exaltation and tyranny would meet a definitive end. The series of terms – "name," "remnant," "offshoot," and "posterity" – is crucial. It moves from public memory and reputation ("name") to any survivors ("remnant"), and then to present and future generations ("offshoot and posterity"), demonstrating an intent for absolute eradication, a finality rarely achieved in history. This total extinction of memory and lineage serves as a divine counter-polemic to the human ambition of eternal renown. It teaches that only God's kingdom and name endure, while even the grandest earthly powers are subject to His decisive will.