Isaiah 5 14

Isaiah 5:14 kjv

Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

Isaiah 5:14 nkjv

Therefore Sheol has enlarged itself And opened its mouth beyond measure; Their glory and their multitude and their pomp, And he who is jubilant, shall descend into it.

Isaiah 5:14 niv

Therefore Death expands its jaws, opening wide its mouth; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers.

Isaiah 5:14 esv

Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure, and the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude will go down, her revelers and he who exults in her.

Isaiah 5:14 nlt

The grave is licking its lips in anticipation,
opening its mouth wide.
The great and the lowly
and all the drunken mob will be swallowed up.

Isaiah 5 verses

Isaiah 5 14 Meaning

Isaiah 5:14 portrays a dire consequence for the people of Judah, specifically due to their widespread sin and moral corruption previously denounced. It describes Sheol, the realm of the dead, as an insatiable monster that has opened its mouth wide and enlarged its capacity without limit, ready to swallow the very essence of Jerusalem’s society. This includes their glory, their multitude, their joyous celebrations, and their revelry, signifying a profound and pervasive destruction of their pride, population, and pleasure. It emphasizes a complete descent into death and oblivion as divine judgment.

Isaiah 5 14 Context

Isaiah chapter 5 presents the "Song of the Vineyard," where God likens Israel (specifically Judah) to a vineyard He meticulously cultivated but which yielded only wild, worthless grapes. This allegory sets the stage for God's impending judgment. The preceding verses (5:8-23) pronounce six "woes" against the moral failings of Judah's society: covetousness and greed (v. 8-10), excessive revelry and drunkenness, accompanied by disregard for God's work (v. 11-13), distortion of truth and morality (v. 18-20), arrogance and self-wisdom (v. 21), and injustice by corrupted officials (v. 22-23). Verse 14 is a direct pronouncement of judgment primarily on the excesses and self-indulgence of those described in verses 11-13, but also encompassing the broader society. The judgment implies a significant loss of life, dignity, and joy for the entire nation, due to their moral decay and rebellion against the Lord. Historically, this prophecy would be fulfilled through military invasions and ultimately, the Babylonian exile, leading to widespread death and the desolation of Jerusalem. The passage served as a stark warning to the proud and prosperous elites of Jerusalem that their perceived security was illusory.

Isaiah 5 14 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵ֛ן - lāḵēn): This conjunction clearly indicates a consequence, connecting the preceding sins—particularly the rampant revelry and indifference to God (Isa 5:11-13)—to the imminent divine judgment. It emphasizes a direct cause-and-effect relationship established by God.
• Sheol (שְׁאוֹל - Shĕ’ol): Not merely a physical grave, but the underworld, the realm of the dead, personified as a ravenous entity. In Hebrew thought, it is a shadowy place of no return, characterized by darkness and silence. Its portrayal here as an actively consuming entity amplifies the horror of the judgment. This vivid personification draws on ancient Near Eastern imagery of the underworld as a gaping mouth.
• has enlarged (הִרְחִ֧יב - hirḥîv): From the root רָחַב (rachav), meaning "to be broad" or "to enlarge." It implies that Sheol has stretched its capacity, making itself more spacious or voracious. This suggests an unusual or unnatural expansion, indicative of the extraordinary number of those destined to enter it.
• its appetite (נַפְשָׁ֗הּ - naphšāh): Lit. "its throat" or "its soul." "Nephesh" often refers to the living essence, soul, or breath, but can also mean "throat" or "appetite" when speaking of consumption. Here, it refers to Sheol's ravenous hunger, depicting it as having an insatiable "throat" ready to devour.
• and opened (פָּצְתָ֥ה - pāṣtâ): From פָּצָה (pātsāh), meaning "to open wide" or "to gape open." This strong verb paints a picture of a vast, yawning maw, not just a normal opening, but a terrifying chasm prepared for massive intake.
• its mouth (פִּיהָ - pîhā): Referring directly to the opening used for consuming, reinforcing the image of a devouring entity. The repeated emphasis on "throat" and "mouth" underlines the rapacious nature of death.
• beyond measure (בְּלִי־חֹֽק - bəlî-ḥōq): Lit. "without statute/limit" or "without decree." This signifies boundlessness and unrestrained capacity. Sheol will not be sated or confined; it will consume relentlessly and indiscriminately, surpassing any expected limit of death or destruction. This directly counters human attempts to control or define their fate apart from God.
• and the glory (וַֽהֲדָרָ֖הּ - va·hăḏārah): "Hadar" refers to splendor, majesty, honor, or glory. This encompasses the outward manifestation of dignity, wealth, status, and beauty of Jerusalem and its elite. It speaks of the loss of their cherished reputation and revered position.
• of Zion's nobility (הֲדָרָ֖הּ וַֽהֲמֹונָ֥הּ - hăḏārāh va·hămōnāh, literally 'her glory and her multitude'): "Zion" refers to Jerusalem, especially as the holy city and seat of Davidic rule. The "nobility" (often implied through 'glory') and "multitude" refer to the city's distinguished persons, leaders, and general populous who were swept up in these vices.
• and multitude (וַֽהֲמֹונָ֥הּ - va·hămōnāh): Meaning "crowd," "throng," "multitude." This points to the sheer number of people, indicating that the judgment will be widespread, affecting a significant portion of the population, not just a few individuals.
• all her jollity (וּשְׁאֹונָ֛הּ - ū·šə’ōnāh): From שָׁאוֹן (sha’on), meaning "noise," "uproar," "tumult," especially the joyful sounds of celebration, revelry, or boisterous living. It speaks of the cessation of their lively, pleasure-seeking activities.
• and revelry (וְעָלַ֥ץ - wə‘ālas): From עָלַץ (‘alaṣ), meaning "to exult," "to rejoice," "to revel." This specifically denotes their joyous celebration, often self-congratulatory and rooted in worldly pleasures, which were a hallmark of their lifestyle. The pairing with "jollity" underscores the loss of their carefree, celebratory atmosphere.
• will go down into it (וְיָרַד֩ בָּֽהּ - wəyāraḏ bāh): The verb יָרַד (yarad) means "to go down" or "descend." This is a clear statement of their inevitable fate: their pride, their people, and their pleasure will all descend into the consuming maw of Sheol, emphasizing the totality and finality of the judgment.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure": This vivid anthropomorphic description personifies Sheol as a ravenous monster, explicitly linking it to the consequences of Judah's sins. The hyperbolic language (enlarged appetite, opened mouth, beyond measure) signifies the extraordinary scale of the coming death and destruction, far exceeding any ordinary human tragedy. It emphasizes God's sovereign control over even death itself, making it an agent of His judgment. This imagery communicates terror and the inescapable nature of their doom.
• "and the glory of Zion’s nobility and multitude, all her jollity and revelry": This phrase directly identifies the targets and substance of the judgment. "Glory" points to their pride, status, and perhaps military strength. "Nobility" and "multitude" refer to the people themselves, from the distinguished to the common, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the impending doom. The emphasis on "jollity and revelry" links back to the "woe" pronounced in verse 11-13, showing that the very things they pursued and found delight in, to the exclusion of God, will be precisely what Sheol consumes. It underscores the poetic justice: their life of excessive pleasure leads to their downfall.

Isaiah 5 14 Bonus section

The personification of Sheol in this verse draws heavily on ancient Near Eastern cosmology, where the underworld was often depicted as a living entity or a beast with a voracious appetite. This common motif would have immediately resonated with Isaiah's original audience, intensifying the impact of the prophecy. Unlike some modern interpretations of death as merely a natural cessation, the biblical concept, particularly in passages like this, imbues it with agency as a force under God's control, serving as His instrument of judgment against wickedness.

The passage not only condemns the individual sins but also critiques the social fabric that enabled and even celebrated such decadence. The "glory," "multitude," "jollity," and "revelry" represent not just isolated acts but a societal norm among the affluent of Judah, indicating systemic corruption that invited collective doom. The specific inclusion of "jollity and revelry" implies that judgment falls precisely on the things from which the people derived their pleasure apart from God, suggesting a reversal of their fortune where their greatest comforts become the path to their demise. This is a common theme in prophetic literature, where the very symbols of rebellion are targeted by divine wrath.

Isaiah 5 14 Commentary

Isaiah 5:14 serves as a grim climax to the woes pronounced against Judah's sin-laden society. It vividly pictures divine judgment not as an abstract concept, but as the tangible, terrifying expansion of Sheol itself, eagerly awaiting its unprecedented feast. The imagery of Sheol, the underworld, transforming into an insatiable, gaping maw, personifies the all-consuming nature of death and destruction that awaited the nation. This was no ordinary demographic decline but a cataclysmic emptying of the land, driven by divine decree.

The verse directly confronts the pervasive sin of pride, self-indulgence, and apathy towards God's work, which marked Judah's leadership and populace. Their "glory," which encompassed their perceived invincibility, national honor, and luxurious lifestyle, was precisely what would be stripped away. The "multitude" points to the widespread nature of the judgment; it wouldn't spare the masses, but rather consume them in droves. Most poignantly, their "jollity and revelry"—the very source of their comfort and fleeting happiness derived from their corrupt and opulent lives—would cease. The sounds of their feasts and drunken merriment, a symbol of their disregard for the Lord, would be replaced by the silence of death.

This prophecy communicates that earthly delights and worldly glory, when pursued without regard for God or justice, are ultimately transient and lead to a devastating end. It functions as a warning that material prosperity and social prominence offer no immunity from God's righteous wrath. The vastness of Sheol's appetite highlights the profound scale of destruction that Judah was about to experience, serving as a solemn reminder of the serious consequences of spiritual rebellion and moral decay.