Isaiah Chapter 14 · Verse 18
All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.
Original Language Analysis
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
1 of 8
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
גוֹיִ֖ם
of the nations
H1471
גוֹיִ֖ם
of the nations
Strong's:
H1471
Word #:
3 of 8
a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
כֻּלָּ֑ם
H3605
כֻּלָּ֑ם
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
4 of 8
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
שָׁכְב֥וּ
even all of them lie
H7901
שָׁכְב֥וּ
even all of them lie
Strong's:
H7901
Word #:
5 of 8
to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose)
בְכָב֖וֹד
in glory
H3519
בְכָב֖וֹד
in glory
Strong's:
H3519
Word #:
6 of 8
properly, weight, but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness
Historical Context
Archaeological evidence confirms elaborate royal burials throughout the ancient Near East—Egyptian pyramids, Mesopotamian royal tombs at Ur, Israelite royal tombs in Jerusalem. Even conquered or deposed kings usually received burial according to rank. The importance of proper burial runs throughout Scripture—Jacob and Joseph's concern for burial in Canaan, King Josiah's honorable burial, the disgrace of Jehoiakim's burial as donkey (Jeremiah 22:19). To lie unburied was the ultimate shame. The contrast Isaiah draws heightens the Babylonian king's degradation: denied what even other defeated kings received.
Questions for Reflection
- What does ancient importance of burial reveal about human dignity and the cultural dimensions of honor/shame?
- How does the Christian hope of resurrection transform attitudes toward death and burial?
Analysis & Commentary
'All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.' This sets up contrast with verse 19. Other kings, even defeated ones, receive honorable burial—lying 'in glory' (kabod—honor, dignity) in their own tombs ('house'). This was important in ancient culture: proper burial, ancestral tombs, monuments preserving memory. Kings particularly received elaborate burials with grave goods, inscriptions, ongoing cult. This was their 'glory' in death—dignified rest, remembered name. The phrase 'every one in his own house' emphasizes individual tomb/burial site, proper final resting place. This is the normal fate of kings—even in defeat, burial with honor. But not the Babylonian king (v.19).