Isaiah 14:17

17 the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”

Isaiah 14:17 in Other Translations

17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?'

17 Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world’s greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?’

17 turned earth to a moonscape, Wasted its cities, shut up his prisoners to a living death?"

17 that made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof; that let not loose his prisoners to their home?

17 who made the world like a desert and tore down its cities, who didn't let his prisoners go home?"

17 who turned the world into a wilderness, who trampled its cities and would not release the prisoners to return home?"

17 Did he turn the world into a desert? Did he destroy its cities? Did he refuse to let his prisoners go home?'

Isaiah 14:17 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 14:17

[That] made the world as a wilderness
Both by destroying the inhabitants of it, and by laying waste cities, towns, villages, fields, vineyards, gardens, and all places improved and cultivated, wherever he came, as it follows: and destroyed the cities thereof;
as the Assyrian kings had done, some of which are mentioned in ( Isaiah 10:9 ) ( Isaiah 37:11-13 Isaiah 37:18 ) : [that] opened not the house of his prisoners;
the prison house, in, which they were held; or,

``the gate to his prisoners,''

as the Targum; or rather the words may be rendered, "that opened not to his prisoners", that they might go "home"; or as De Dieu, in short, yet fully, expresses it, "that did not dismiss his prisoners home"; he not only cruelly and inhumanly put many to the sword, but such as surrendered, and were taken captives, he detained them in prison, and would not loose their bonds, but let them die there; which was an instance of great cruelty and inhumanity.

Isaiah 14:17 In-Context

15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.

16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble,

17 the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”

18 All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb.

19 But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot,

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 15:6; Joel 2:3
• 2. Psalms 52:7
• 3. Exodus 7:14; S 2 Kings 15:29; Jeremiah 50:33; Revelation 18:18