Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 14:20
Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, [and] slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.
20. Thou shalt not be joined with them ] i.e. either with the kings of the nations ( Isa 14:18) or (if the transposition mentioned be adopted) with those who lie in stone sepulchres.
thou hast destroyed thy land ] The king has acted as a tyrant not only to Israel but to his own people.
shall never be renowned ] Rather, named (R.V.). Their very names shall be forgotten.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
20, 21. The fifth strophe. The guilt of the king of Babylon, which descends like a curse on his children and leads to their extermination. The impression of textual confusion is confirmed by the fact that this last strophe falls short by about two lines of its proper length.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial – That is, even with those who are slain with the sword in battle, and to whom is granted the privilege of a decent burial.
Hast destroyed thy land – Hast been a cruel, harsh, and oppressive prince.
The seed of evil-doers – The posterity of the wicked.
Shall never be renowned – Hebrew, Shall never be called, or named ( lo’–yqare’); that is, shall never be distinguished, celebrated, or honored. This is a general proposition; but the prophet here possibly designs to apply it to the king of which he is speaking, as having been descended from ancestors that were wicked; or more probably it is a new circumstance, more fully explained in the following verse, that his posterity should be cut off from the honor of succeeding him on the throne, and that they, as well as he, should be loaded with disgrace. The design is to affirm the fact that the Babylonian dynasty would end with him; and that his posterity would be reduced from the honors which they had hoped to have inherited. At the same time, the general proposition is applicable not only to the posterity of the king of Babylon, but to all. It is a great truth pertaining to the divine administration, that the descendants of wicked people shall be dishonored. So it is with the posterity of a traitor, a pirate, a drunkard, a man of profligacy. They are involved in disgrace, poverty, and calamity, as the result of the sin of their ancestor.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. Because thou hast destroyed thy land, c. – “Because thou hast destroyed thy country thou hast slain thy people”] Xenophon gives an instance of this king’s wanton cruelty in killing the son of Gobrias, on no other provocation than that, in hunting, he struck a boar and a lion which the king had missed. Cyrop. iv. 309.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thou shalt not be joined with them; not in place, for so the kings of several nations did not use to be joined in the same sepulchre; but in condition, not be buried as they are.
Thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people; thou hast exercised great tyranny and cruelty, not only to thine enemies, but even to thine own subjects; which it is more than probable Belshazzar did, and it is certain that his parents and predecessors had done, whose sins contributed, together with his, to bring down Gods judgments upon that empire.
The seed of evil-doers, such as Belshazzar was, being descended from that Nebuchadnezzar who had made such horrid slaughters and devastations in the world, merely to gratify his own unsatiable lusts, and who had been so impious towards God and his temple, and so bloody towards his church and people.
Shall never be renowned; or, shall not be renowned for ever. Although I have long borne with thee and thy family, and suffered them to get a great name in the world, yet I will now put a period to the renown of thy family and empire.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. not . . . joined withthemwhereas the princes slain with thee shall be buried, thoushalt not.
thou . . . destroyed . . .landBelshazzar (or Naboned) oppressed his land withwars and tyranny, so that he was much hated [XENOPHON,Cyropdia 4.6, 3; 7.5, 32].
seed . . . never berenownedrather, “shall not be named for ever”; theBabylonian dynasty shall end with Belshazzar; his family shall not beperpetuated [HORSLEY].
Isa14:21-23. GOD’SDETERMINATION TO DESTROYBABYLON.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou shall not be joined with them in burial,…. The kings before mentioned; not that the sense is that he should not be interred in the same place they were, or lie in the same stately monuments they did, for that was never designed by him or others; but that he should not be buried in like manner, be embalmed as they, or have odours burned for him, or lie in such state and pomp, or have a “pyramid” or “mausoleum”, or any rich monument, erected over him; unless this can be understood of his ancestors, the kings that were before him; and the sense be, that he should not have a burial with the kings of Babylon, or be inferred where they were, but, as before said, should be cast out, or be kept from the place of sepulture. The Targum is,
“thou shall not be as one of them in the grave;”
shall not be like them, or equal to them, in the glory and pomp of a funeral, not having the same funeral rites; obsequies, and ornaments they have had. So the whore of Rome shall have no funeral, but the kings of the earth will eat her flesh, and burn her with fire
Re 17:16,
because thou hast destroyed thy land; not only other lands and nations, but also his own, and the inhabitants of it, by his tyrannical government, by levies and exactions, by mulcts and fines, on various pretences: or, “hast corrupted, thy land” g; which phrase is used of mystical Babylon, Re 19:2 see also Re 11:18 whose land or earth is the whole Romish jurisdiction, corrupted by her idolatries, and wasted and destroyed by the various methods used to drain away the substance thereof:
[and] slain thy people; put them to death at pleasure, without any just cause, for trifling matters; which is often done by arbitrary princes. Jarchi and Kimchi apply this to Nebuchadnezzar’s slaying the wise men of Babylon, because they could not tell him his dream, and the interpretation of it. It is true of antichrist slaying such, that would not worship his image, and receive his mark, Re 13:10.
The seed of evildoers shall never be renowned; or, “not for ever”; though they may have a name, and be very famous for a while, yet not always; in process of time their honour is laid in the dust; or, “shall not be called for ever” h; their name and their memory shall not always last; their name shall be cut off, and their memory shall rot; they shall have none to keep up their name, and they shall not be spoken of with respect; such a seed of evildoers were Belshazzar and his family, who descended from Nebuchadnezzar and Evilmerodach, and were at once extinct, as follows:
g “terram tuam corrupisti”, Montanus, Cocceius, Junius, Tremellius, Piscator. h “non nominabitur in seculum”, Forerius; “vocabitur”, Pagninus, Montanus, Munster.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“Thou art not united with them in burial, for thou hast destroyed thy land, murdered thy people: the seed of evil-doers will not be named for ever.” In this way is vengeance taken for the tyrannical manner in which he has oppressed and exhausted his land, making his people the involuntary instruments of his thirst for conquest, and sacrificing them as victims to that thirst. For this reason he does not meet with the same compassion as those who have been compelled to sacrifice their lives in his service. And it is not only all over for ever with him, but it is so with his dynasty also. The prophet, the messenger of the penal justice of God, and the mouthpiece of that Omnipotence which regulates the course of history, commands this.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
20. For thou hast laid thy land desolate. This is the reason why he says that the king of Babylon did not deserve burial. He who has laid the earth desolate does not deserve that the earth shall receive him into its bosom and cover him. As the earth supports the living, so it covers the dead, and keeps them till the coming of Christ. It is therefore a just punishment of cruelty, when the earth refuses to receive into her bosom those who have dishonored her. There is added a threatening still more severe, that the Lord will also inflict on posterity the remainder of the punishment.
The seed of the wicked shall not be continually remembered. There are two ways in which we may explain this clause, either that the remembrance of the seed of the wicked will not be of long duration, or that it will be altogether extinguished. The word לעולם (227) ( legnolam) may be translated in various ways, for it may refer either to the past or to the future. If we refer it to the past, the meaning will be, “Although the seed of the wicked be renowned, לעולם, ( legnolam,) for a time, yet the remembrance of it will at length pass away.” If we refer it to the future, the meaning will be, “God will extinguish the seed of the wicked, so that it shall never again be mentioned.” It usually happens that the Lord curses the seed of the wicked, as, on the other hand, he blesses the seed of the godly, (Pro 10:7😉 and as the righteous shall be held in perpetual remembrance, (Psa 112:6,) so the remembrance of the wicked must be destroyed and cut off. (Psa 34:16.) Though we do not always behold these things with our eyes, yet there are abundant and clear proofs of the fact, by which it is fully confirmed.
But we must attend to the reason of this vengeance. The Lord punishes the pride of wicked men, who wish to spread their name, and to leave a perpetual remembrance of them; for all irreligious men have this for the object of their labors and exertions. On the other hand, the Lord blots out their name and remembrance, which appeared to be inscribed on lasting records; and the result is, that they are not only despised but even abhorred by all men. This happens to all tyrants, that though, while they live, they are universally applauded and flattered, yet after they are dead, they and their posterity are universally abhorred. It is therefore evident that they are detested by God, by angels, and by men.
(227) Bogus footnote
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
THE SEED OF EVILDOERS
Isa. 14:20. The seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.
I. This is the verdict of the Scriptures. They abound in evidence that confirms it. Whatever may be the resources of wicked men, true glory does not lie in their path, and nought they can do will avail to secure honourable memory for their wickedness. On the contrary, their name and deeds will be attended with disaster and covered with shame. And this in spite
1. Of the wealth which may be connected with evil-doing (Job. 21:7-21; Psa. 52:5-7, &c.); or,
2. The power it may have (Psa. 73:3-8; Psa. 73:18-20), even if it be a confederated power (Pro. 11:21); or,
3. The ingenuity with which it may conduct its work (Psa. 36:2-4; Mic. 2:1-3). These are but a few of the declarations of the Bible on this subject.
II. This is also the verdict of human experience. As a matter of fact, we see that a wicked course of life is regarded as a shame. It is held up as a beacon to be avoided, whilst the career of the good is held up as a model to be followed. History is full of examples of men whose names are held in universal detestation, notwithstanding their connection with ingenuity, wealth, and power. Each of us knows how well the fact is proved by myriads of examples in social life. A persistently wicked course is known to be a blighted one, and any attempt to invest it with glory or renown is felt to be wrong. We recoil even from the thought that it should be possible for such a course to command the homage of men.
III. This truth gives us great hope for the future of our world. If it were possible for wrongdoing to gain for itself imperishable renown, we might tremble for the safety of those principles of righteousness and truth which have always been regarded as the main support and stay of good men. Reckless folly and wild presumption would become exalted and enthroned, and we might well shudder at the possibility that, under the attractions of successful wickedness, men would rush in masses and bow down to Evil, declaring it to be their Good. This abandoned idolatry, this deep depravity, is now reached only in isolated cases, and such are regarded even by godless men as deplorable and hopeless. It is a hopeful fact that evildoers have to carry on much of their work in the dark, for it is a sure token that, as the light widens and deepens, the works of darkness must fall; their covering will be removed, and their shelter will be gone.
IV. This truth is also one of encouragement to every individual Christian in his efforts after a Christ-like life. Evil-doing does not fail for want of effort; its attempts are bold, its struggles are determined. Yet it is doomed always to wear the name of dishonour and shame; a wicked man will never get glory for his wickedness. But Christian life is in itself true and real honour; its glory is as a shining light, shining more and more unto the perfect day. The Christian is a son of God, and no higher dignity than this is conceivable (H. E. I., 10731076); he is traversing a path which will for ever lead him on to scenes of new splendour and blessedness. Seeing that this is our high calling and destiny, let us neither fear nor envy the seed of evildoers, however strong or secure they may be, but with greater persistency than ever let us hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.William Manning.
This is
1. Matter of observation;
2. The natural effects of bad training and example (H. E. I., 777779);
3. The judicial appointment of God (H. E. I., 824).J. Lyth, D.D.: Homiletical Treasury, part i. p. 21.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(20) Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial . . .The curse of the dishonoured death is connected with its cause. The conqueror had inflicted that shame even on his own people, and was punished in like kind himself. Comp. Jeremiahs prediction as to Jehoiakim (Jer. 22:19), and parallel instances in 2Ch. 21:20; 2Ch. 24:25; Eze. 29:5.
The seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.Literally, shall not be named for ever. Here we have a parallel in the sentence on Coniah (Jer. 22:30). In the inscription of Eshmunazzar, king of Sidon (quoted by Cheyne), we have both elements of the imprecation: Let him (the man who violates the sacredness of the kings tomb) not have a couch with the shade, and let him not be buried in the grave, and let him not have son or seed in his stead. In the inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser (Records of the Past, v. 26) and Merdach-baladan III. (ib., ix. 36) we find like curses. Historically, as the Behistun inscription shows, the dynasty of Nabopolassar disappeared from history. and Darius boasts of having subdued an impostor, a second Nebuchadnezzar, who claimed to represent it (Records of the Past, i. 114).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. Shalt not be joined with them Not even with the slain herd of men who have a decent burial. Hast destroyed thy land, etc. To the Oriental such a judgment was the harshest conceivable; but in this case it is pronounced deserved.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Handfuls of Purpose”
For All Gleaners
“The seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.” Isa 14:20
The literal rendering would be shall not be named for ever. A parallel will be found in Jer 22:30 , in the sentence pronounced on Coniah. As a matter of fact certain great dynasties have utterly disappeared from history. No dynasty is necessary to God. There are brief courses marked by dazzling splendour, but the night overtakes the day, and the noontide becomes midnight. There are certain great principles which underlie the declaration of the text. It is of the very nature of evil to perish of its own corruption. Evil is suicidal. It would seem to be impossible that evil can be immortal, because it continually falls into deepening weakness under its own action. Cancer never leads to health. Evil is moral cancer, and must end in the extinction of strength and of life. It is not necessary that evil should die tomorrow, or in the next generation. God’s judgments are always pronounced in the light of great breadths of time. For a generation, or two, or three, evil may seem to prosper, and to be a living contradiction of the spirit of the Bible. This, however, is only apparent. The eternal law is that evil is self-destructive. The important point to be remembered by evil-minded persons is that they are not injuring themselves only. The mischief which they do follows their posterity. The deed which is done today may reappear in unhappy effects in the experience of a century hence. Surely there should be some restraining influence arising from this reflection. But how can evil restrain itself? It lives on its own rioting and tumult, and being intensely selfish, it cannot project its imagination into the issues of time. What is true of evil in the matter of self-destruction is true of good in the matter of self-propagation. All good is rooted in God. The eternity of God therefore is the guarantee of the immortality of goodness. It is of the quality of God himself. It may be said to be an element of his own being. Goodness therefore cannot die. The lamp of the wicked shall be blown out, but the seed of the righteous shall go on from strength to strength evermore. Yet even here a word of caution must be spoken. Though there is a hereditary law in the matter both of evil and of good, it must not be understood that a man is hopelessly condemned because his ancestors were evil, or that a man is necessarily saved because his ancestors were good. The general law may be modified by particular instances. If any man, looking over a long list of progenitors, cannot find a good name amongst them, that is no reason why he himself should not repent and pray. On the other hand, a man may look through a long family record adorned with illustrious names, yet if he himself be not faithful, if he himself be not in Christ by the power of the soul’s trust, wrought by the energy of the Holy Ghost, his family record will stand him in no good stead in the day of judgment. The renown of the hypocrite is a poor reward. The blessing that rests upon the righteous is itself of the quality of heaven.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
Isa 14:20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, [and] slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.
Ver. 20. Thou shalt not be joined to them in burial, ] i.e., To your equals, your fellow kings, in funeral state and pomp. Christians have an honest care, , with whom they be buried, and where they are laid when dead, that as they lived together and loved together, so in their death they may not be divided. 2Sa 1:23
Because thou hast destroyed thy a land.] Tyrannised over thine own subjects also. So did Saul, Manasseh, Herod – who butchered about Bethlehem fourteen thousand infants, as some affirm, and his own son among the rest – Tiberius, that tiger, Nero, that lion, Commodus, who was, saith Oresius, cunctis incommodus, Charles IX of France, &c.
The seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.
a The Septuagint read it, my land, and my people.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the seed: Isa 13:15-19, Job 18:16, Job 18:19, Psa 21:10, Psa 37:28, Psa 109:13, Psa 137:8, Psa 137:9
Reciprocal: Exo 10:7 – that Egypt Exo 20:5 – visiting Job 20:26 – it shall go Ecc 6:3 – and also Isa 34:3 – slain Isa 43:17 – they shall Jer 11:23 – no Jer 29:32 – punish Jer 49:10 – his seed Nah 1:14 – that Hab 2:10 – consulted