Isaiah 14:11

Isaiah 14:11

Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

a. NLT: Your might and power were buried with you. The sound of the harp in your palace has ceased. Now maggots are your sheet, and worms your blanket.’

b. NIV: All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you.

c. YLT: Brought down to Sheol hath been thine excellency, The noise of thy psaltery, Under thee spread out hath been the worm, Yea, covering thee is the worm.

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Your pomp and magnificence are brought down to Sheol (the underworld), along with the sound of your harps; the maggots [which prey upon dead bodies] are spread out under you and worms cover you [O Babylonian rulers].

e. Septuagint: Thy glory has come down to Hades, and thy great mirth: under thee they shall spread corruption, and the worm shall be thy covering.

f. Stone Edition Chumash Torah: Brought down to the nether-world were your pride and the tumult of your stringed instruments; maggots are spread out under you, and worms are your covers.

1.  “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols…”

a. pomp [Strong: 1347 ga'own gaw-ohn'; arrogancy, excellency(-lent), majesty, pomp, pride, proud, swelling.]

b. brought down [Strong: 3381 yarad yaw-rad'; a primitive root; to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications); -X abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, X indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.]

c. to the grave [Strong: 7585 sh'owl sheh-ole' or shol {sheh-ole'}; from 7592; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates:--grave, hell, pit.]   [Gesenius: sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit, the underworld, Sheol - the OT designation for the abode of the dead.]

d. and the noise [Strong: 1998 hemyah hem-yaw'; from 1993 sound:--noise.] [Gesenius: sound of musical instruments.]

e. of thy viols [Strong: 5035 nebel neh'-bel or nebel {nay'-bel}; from 5034 a skin-bag for liquids (from collapsing when empty); hence, a vase (as similar in shape when full); also a lyre (as having a body of like form):--bottle, pitcher, psaltery, vessel, viol.]

1). Looking at the Hebrew definitions we can see that not only was his pride, arrogancy and majesty brought down to hell, but also his music. Isaiah 14:9-15 is a companion passage to Ezekiel 28:11-19 in that it speaks about the fall of Lucifer. Isaiah 14:11 not only ties music to Lucifer, it ties music to the fall of Lucifer. The Hebrew definitions in Ezekiel 28:18 reveal this.

a). Ezekiel 28:18 “Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick…”

(1) The RSV reads, “in the unrighteousness of your trade “; while the NIV reads, “dishonest trade”; The NKJV reads, “the iniquity of your trading”; In the word “traffic” I can’t help but call to mind the use of the word in present day America when someone is arrested for selling drugs, it is referred to as “drug trafficking”, spreading and selling your goods. Here it is used about the rebellion of Lucifer. We must remember that one third of the angels fell with Lucifer, which means that he convinced those angels to follow his ungodly lead. He trafficked his rebellion among them and one of the ways he did it was through the noise of thy viols, his music. This is why “the noise of thy viols” was brought down to hell along with his majesty, arrogancy and pride.

b). See notes on Ezekiel 28:11-19 for further Scriptural links between Lucifer and music.

2. “…the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.”

a. the worm [Strong: 7415 rimmah rim-maw'; a maggot (as rapidly bred), literally or figuratively:--worm.]

b. is spread [Strong: 3331 yatsa` yaw-tsah'; a primitive root; to strew as a surface:--make (one's) bed, X lie, spread.]

c. the worms [Strong: 8438 towla` to-law' and (feminine) towleoah {to-lay-aw'}; or towla ath {to-lah'-ath}; or tolaiath {to-lah'-ath};  from 3216; a maggot (as voracious); specifically (often with ellipsis of 8144) the crimson-grub, but used only (in this connection) of the color from it, and cloths dyed therewith:--crimson, scarlet, worm.]

d. cover thee [Strong: 4374 mkacceh mek-as-seh'; from 3680; a covering, i.e. garment; specifically, a coverlet (for a bed), an awning (from the sun); also the omentum (as covering the intestines):--clothing, to cover, that which covereth.]

1). The punishment awaiting the king of Babylon and Lucifer is to be covered completely in maggots crawling all over them. There is a companion passage in the gospel of Mark that needs to be listed here.

a). Mark 9:42-48 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

2). In the natural world, flies lay their eggs in rotting flesh and as the eggs grow into maggots which eat the rotting flesh. Here the maggots will crawl on top and underneath and will feed on the flesh of the victim. Just as the rich man in hell experienced thirst and torment in fiery flame, these will experience the pain of the maggots feeding on them. The NLT says it well, “maggots are your sheet, and worms your blanket.”