Isaiah Chapter 14 · Verse 15
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Original Language Analysis
אַ֧ךְ
H389
שְׁא֛וֹל
to hell
H7585
שְׁא֛וֹל
to hell
Strong's:
H7585
Word #:
3 of 7
hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates
תּוּרָ֖ד
Yet thou shalt be brought down
H3381
תּוּרָ֖ד
Yet thou shalt be brought down
Strong's:
H3381
Word #:
4 of 7
to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); cau
Cross References
Matthew 11:23And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.Ezekiel 32:23Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.Revelation 19:20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.Luke 10:15And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
Historical Context
The prophecy was fulfilled historically when Babylonian power ended (539 BC) and its kings died ignominiously. Belshazzar was killed the night Babylon fell (Daniel 5:30). If the passage also references Satan's fall (as many interpreters believe), it describes his casting down from heaven (Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:9) and ultimate consignment to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). The 'pit' language also appears in Ezekiel 28:8 regarding the king of Tyre (another proud ruler), suggesting this is a pattern: pride leads to fall, self-exaltation to abasement, rebellion to judgment.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the pattern of pride-before-fall warn us personally about our own hearts and ambitions?
- What does this verse teach about the absolute certainty that God will humble all proud opposition?
Analysis & Commentary
'Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.' Dramatic reversal: the one who would 'ascend above the heights' is 'brought down' to the lowest depths. 'Hell' (Sheol) and 'sides/depths of the pit' (bor—can mean grave, pit, cistern, or Sheol's deepest regions) represent ultimate degradation. The contrast is absolute: highest aspiration vs. lowest reality, upward striving vs. downward descent, self-exaltation vs. divine abasement. This is God's response to pride: 'Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased' (Luke 14:11). No one successfully rivals God; all who try are cast down. This applies to Satan, to Babylonian kings, to all who rebel—and warns us all.