Isaiah 14:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," declares the Lord of hosts.

NIV: "I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland; I will sweep her with the broom of destruction," declares the Lord Almighty.

NASB: I will also make it the property of the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it away with the broom of destruction,' declares the Lord of armies.

CSB: "I will make her a swampland and a region for herons, and I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction." This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

NLT: 'I will make Babylon a desolate place of owls, filled with swamps and marshes. I will sweep the land with the broom of destruction. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!'

KJV: I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts.

NKJV: “I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, And marshes of muddy water; I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says the Lord of hosts.

The Lord has spoken about the future of Babylon's kings after the conclusion of Isaiah's taunt-song. In short, God has declared that Babylon in its current form is done. He has promised to cut off every part of Babylon's future. It will never rise to become a threat to the world again. Especially not with the descendants of the king who has just been defeated. Those descendants will not survive this defeat (Isaiah 14:20–22).

Instead, The Lord will give the city and surrounding area to the "hedgehog and to pools of water." He will sweep the city with utter destruction. This fits with Isaiah's oracle against Babylon in Chapter 13. He concluded that oracle by describing the vacant city and, homes. As well as the towers becoming the homes of wild animals, including ostriches, wild goats, and jackals (Isaiah 13:21–22).

Chapter 14:3–23 contains a mocking, sarcastic dirge for the fallen king of Babylon. The song imitates the respects otherwise paid to honor a fallen king. Instead, this song describes celebration of both people and trees at his death. The fallen kings in Sheol rise to mock the man for his weakness. The king is sarcastically referred to as the "Day Star"—leading to speculation that this is also a description of Satan's fall from heaven. The fallen one had ambition to become like the Most High among the gods, but instead was cut down to nothing in his death.

After the oracle against Babylon in the previous chapter, Isaiah briefly describes what will follow for Judah. In compassion, the Lord will choose His people once more. He will return them to their homeland. They will sing a mocking taunt-song against the fallen king of Babylon. Isaiah pronounces oracles from the Lord against Assyria and Philistia. The Lord will break the Assyrians in His land. With heavy symbolism, Isaiah seems to prophecy that the Assyrians will defeat the Philistines with a siege four years before it happens. God's people will find refuge in Zion.

Chapter 14 follows the oracle about the destruction of Babylon with a brief encouragement to the people of Judah. The Lord will restore them to the land. They will taunt the fallen Babylonian king, using phrases many also associate with the fall of Satan. Isaiah pronounces oracles from the Lord against Assyria and Philistia. He declares that He will break the Assyrians in His land, freeing His people from their oppression. Philistia will fall at the Lord's hand to a famine inflicted on them by a power from the north. Next, Isaiah's prophecy will turn to Moab.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).