Book of Isaiah Chapter 14 Vs. 23
- lastdays13
- Nov 3, 2025
- 6 min read
Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon
Isa 14:23 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.
I will also make...
שׂוּם
śûm, שִׂים
śiym: A verb meaning to appoint, to bring, to call, to put, to change, to charge, to commit, to consider, to convey, to determine. The primary meaning of the verb is to put, to set, or to place. The verb indicates that which God put on the earth, as noted in Genesis where God put the man and woman that He formed in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:8). The usage of the verb in this sense indicates God's sovereignty over all creation, especially that of humankind. The verb is also used to describe Samuel's action concerning the stone he named Ebenezer (1Sam. 7:12). This stone was set up between Mizpah and Shen to remember God's deliverance of the Israelites from the Philistines. The verb is used to describe a committing of one's cause before God (Job 5:8). The word is used in Exodus in response to an interaction between Moses and God, in which God gave a new decree and law to the Israelites (Exo. 15:25). In this setting, the verb again emphasizes God's sovereignty, His ability to establish the order of things, and His ability to control the elements of nature and disease. In Deuteronomy, śûm is used to describe God's appointing of leaders over the different tribes of Israel, for their numbers were too great for Moses alone (Deu. 1:13). The word is also used to indicate a charging of someone, as where a man charged his wife with premarital sex (Deu. 22:14).
it a possession...
מוֹרָשׁ
môrāš: I. A masculine noun indicating a possession, an inheritance. It indicates ownership of something as an inhabitant (Isa. 14:23; Oba. 1:17) of the area.
II. A masculine noun meaning a wish, a desire, a thought. It describes the wishes or longings of the heart (Job 17:11).
for the bittern,...
קִפּוֹד
qippôḏ, קִפֹּד
qippōḏ: I. A masculine noun meaning a porcupine. It indicates a hedgehog, a spinous small animal that lives in the wild or among ruins (Isa. 14:23; 34:11; Zep. 2:14). Here and in II, III below, the exact meaning of these words is still being researched.
II. A masculine noun meaning an owl. It is taken by some translators as a reference to a short-eared owl. This translation fits the contextual references, as does the word hedgehog (Isa. 14:23; 34:11; Zep. 2:14).
III. A masculine noun referring to a bittern, a wading marsh bird. In some contexts, translators prefer this translation, referring to a long-legged, marsh loving wading bird (Isa. 14:23; 34:11; Zep. 2:14).
and pools...
אֲגַם
’ag̱am: A masculine noun indicating a pool or pond. It refers to swampy or muddy water (Isa. 14:23) or to any type of pond or pool of water (Exo. 7:19; 8:5,1; Psm. 107:35; Isa. 41:18). The pools in Exodus are an object of the plagues of blood and frogs. In Jer. 51:32, the abstract ending is added to the word, and it refers to a marsh or swamp.
of water:...
מַיִם
mayim: A masculine dual or plural noun meaning water. It indicates water in its various functions: as a basic element of the earth (Gen. 1:2); as water descending as rain (2Sam. 21:10); gathered water, as seas, wells, springs, etc. (Num. 20:17; Amos 5:8; Isa. 22:9). Urine is designated as mēymēy raglayim (2Kgs. 18:27). It is used in various metaphors: as a picture of justice running down like abundant waters (Amos 5:24); powers of the underworld (Psm. 18:16,17); frailty or weakness (Jos. 7:5); distress (Isa. 43:2); sudden violence (Job 27:20; Isa. 28:2, 28:17; Hos. 2:5,7); the ephemeral character of things or persons (Job 11:16); God's wrath (Hos. 5:10). Num. 5:17 speaks of holy water. Running water is "living water" (Lev. 14:5-6, 14:50-52; Num. 19:17).
and I will sweep...
טֵאטֵא
ṭē’ṭē’: A verb indicating to sweep. It is used in a metaphor describing how the Lord will "sweep" Babylon with His broom to destroy it, removing it from the world scene forever (Isa. 14:23).
it with the besom...
מַטְאֲטֵא
maṭ’aṭē’: A masculine noun meaning broom. It refers to a sweeping tool for cleaning up. It is used in an expression in which God will "sweep" away Babylon with His "broom" of destruction (Isa. 14:23).
of destruction,...
שָׁמַד
šāmaḏ: A verb meaning to be destroyed. This verb is not used in its simple form and is only used in the passive and causative stems of the verb. The primary passive meaning is to be destroyed, to be exterminated, or to be annihilated, referring to individual people, households, or nations (Gen. 34:30; Pro. 14:11; Ezk. 32:12). It can also signify the devastation of land and places (Hos. 10:8). The causative forms have the same root meanings as the passive forms. It can mean to annihilate, to exterminate people (Deu. 1:27, 2:22); or to destroy objects such as cities, fortresses, or idols (Isa. 23:11; Mic. 5:14,13). The difference between these two verb forms lies in who is destroying and who is being destroyed.
saith...
נְאֻם
ne’um: A masculine noun introducing an oracle, an utterance; a prophetic citing of God's speech. It is used as an introduction to various utterances and means thus says the Lord, utterance of the Lord, etc. (Isa. 14:22; 56:8; Ezk. 16:58; Hos. 2:13,15; Joel 2:12; Amos 2:11; Oba. 1:4). It is used outside of the prophetic books in the form usually, ne’um-yhwh, utterance of the Lord (Gen. 22:16; Num. 14:28; 24:3-4, 24:15-16; 1Sam. 2:30, etc.). It is used of the utterances of people, but they were probably in a prophetic state, such as David (2Sam. 23:1). It is used of the voice of conscience in Psm. 36:1,2 when sin is committed. The word occurs often at the end, less often in the middle, and once at the beginning of these utterances (Isa. 54:17; 56:8; Amos 3:10).
the Lord...
יְהוָֹה
yehōwāh: A noun meaning God. The word refers to the proper name of the God of Israel, particularly the name by which He revealed Himself to Moses (Exo. 6:2-3). The divine name has traditionally not been pronounced, primarily out of respect for its sacredness (cf. Exo. 20:7; Deu. 28:58). Until the Renaissance, it was written without vowels in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, being rendered as YHWH. However, since that time, the vowels of another word, ’aḏōnāy, have been supplied in hopes of reconstructing the pronunciation. Although the exact derivation of the name is uncertain, most scholars agree that its primary meaning should be understood in the context of God's existence, namely, that He is the "I AM THAT I AM" (Exo. 3:14), the One who was, who is, and who always will be (cf. Rev. 11:17). Older translations of the Bible and many newer ones employ the practice of rendering the divine name in capital letters, so as to distinguish it from other Hebrew words. It is most often rendered as LORD (Gen. 4:1; Deu. 6:18; Psm. 18:31,32; Jer. 33:2; Jon. 1:9) but also as GOD (Gen. 6:5; 2Sam. 12:22) or JEHOVAH (Psm. 83:18, 19; Isa. 26:4). The frequent appearance of this name in relation to God's redemptive work underscores its tremendous importance (Lev. 26:45; Psm. 19:14,15). Also, it is sometimes compounded with another word to describe the character of the Lord in greater detail (see Gen. 22:14; Exo. 17:15; Jdg. 6:24).
of hosts...
צָבָא
ṣāḇā’: A masculine noun meaning service, servants. It may apply to military service (Num. 1:3; 1Sam. 17:55); hard, difficult service (Job 7:1; Isa. 40:2); or divine service (Num. 4:3; 8:24-25; Psm. 68:11,12). The angels and the heavens alike are in divine service and therefore come under this term (Gen. 2:1; 1Kgs. 22:19; Jer. 33:22; cf. Luke 2:13). Over half of its nearly five hundred uses come in the phrase, the Lord [or God] of hosts. The phrase is absent from the first five book of the Bible. But frequently in the Prophets, the phrase introduces a divine declaration. At least once the hosts (always plural) in this expression are identified as human armies, but elsewhere they most likely refer to angelic forces (Jos. 5:13-15; 1Sam. 17:55; Psm.103:21; Isa. 1:9). The title the LORD of hosts was often translated in the Septuagint as the LORD of powers or the LORD Almighty (Psm. 24:10; Zec. 4:6). On other occasions, the Hebrew word for hosts was transliterated into Greek (1Sam. 1:3, 1:11). This Greek form of the Hebrew word shows up twice in the New Testament, once in a quotation from Isaiah (cf. Rom. 9:29; Jas. 5:4).